Crema - Pavement of the road to glory

Mister Moo · 11-09-2008, 11:52 AM

Crema, false (made under 9-bar ofr pressure) or otherwise, is the stuff of coffee dreams.

Flecked with little dark glips, dark tiger-striped or just deep reddish-brown... YES!

When crema shows up on time and under budget it means you (or some barista) has gotten it all right. Crema from brew start to finish (espresso machine or mokapot) is a sign of a good even basket fill, proper compression and fresh ground, fresh roasted coffee.

Espresso: Color dark red-clay brown? Evenly colored or flecked/striped across the cup? No white spots or "snake bites" on top of the pour? Holds sugar for several seconds? Coats the cup? When these signs all appear it means you have gotten the most out of the fresh roasted grounds without visible signs of over-extraction (snake bites). If the extraction takes less than 15-seconds you might have missed some greatness; if it takes more than 25-35 seconds you are dancing with the over-extraction devil (possible timing exception - the monster of all espresso, the ristretto. 35-45 seconds could be a trip to another coffee galaxy.)

Show us your crema. Explain how you got to Cremaville.

11-09-2008, 11:52 AM	#1
Mister Moo I barely grok the obvious Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Dan Location: Lizard Lick, NC Posts: 1,417 Trading: (3)	Crema - Pavement of the road to glory Crema, false (made under 9-bar ofr pressure) or otherwise, is the stuff of coffee dreams. Flecked with little dark glips, dark tiger-striped or just deep reddish-brown... YES! When crema shows up on time and under budget it means you (or some barista) has gotten it all right. Crema from brew start to finish (espresso machine or mokapot) is a sign of a good even basket fill, proper compression and fresh ground, fresh roasted coffee. Espresso: Color dark red-clay brown? Evenly colored or flecked/striped across the cup? No white spots or "snake bites" on top of the pour? Holds sugar for several seconds? Coats the cup? When these signs all appear it means you have gotten the most out of the fresh roasted grounds without visible signs of over-extraction (snake bites). If the extraction takes less than 15-seconds you might have missed some greatness; if it takes more than 25-35 seconds you are dancing with the over-extraction devil (possible timing exception - the monster of all espresso, the ristretto. 35-45 seconds could be a trip to another coffee galaxy.) Show us your crema. Explain how you got to Cremaville. __________________ "I hope you had the time of your life."

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