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If you are passionate about coffee, you would know that “Fresh Beans” are key to the Best Espresso. No fancy, state-of-the-art machine or your friendly barista can salvage a flat shot if the beans are not remarkable.
What makes an Awesome Cuppa Espresso?
A perfect espresso or “God Shot” is the purest form of caffeine. The best, freshest blend of Beans makes for the caffeinated delight. You can get the right (read: intense) flavor by choosing the right type of espresso beans.
Here’s how you can choose your Beans…
The best espresso beans range between medium-dark to dark in color. The enriched oils present in the seeds give a vibrant persona to crema, consistency, flavor, and body to your espresso.
Want to know which are the best espresso beans?
Coffee Bean Direct Italian Roast is our Pick for Best Choice Coffee. The beans are sourced from India and South America. They’re a signature blend of roasted Italian coffee, characterized by a full-bodied, heavy roast.
If you love your espresso minus the bitter aftertaste, then Lavazza Super Crema Espresso is the right one for you. It makes for a robust, superior, medium espresso with rich and thick crema.
Super Crema Espresso beans from Wink Coffee are 100% Arabica, medium roasted, single-origin beans that make for flavourful, toasty espresso.
Gran Crema in Whole Bean from Italy’s most elegant coffee experts – Lavazza. It is a combination of 60% Asian Robusta and 40% South American Arabica beans. The blend is full-bodied, intense, and enriched complimented with a smooth and velvety crema.
Gran Crema, in Whole Bean’s full-bodied note, makes it a perfect blend for lattes and cappuccinos.
Blackwelder Coffee Espresso whole bean coffee is sourced from Indonesian and Latin American beans. The medium roasted beans are a luscious and creamy blend, making for a non-bitter, intense espresso, characterized by an elaborate caramel flavor note.
Cliff Hanger Espresso from Kicking Horse Coffee is a divine blend with vibrant, bright, cocoa, and fruity blend. Enjoy a smooth and chocolaty blend of delicious Cliff Hanger Espresso.
Finely ground – Illy Intense Ground Espresso Coffee is 100% Arabica blend made to deliver an excellent extraction. Enjoy a full-bodied, intense, and bold roast coffee with high notes of dried fruit and cocoa.
Qualita Ora Italian Coffee from Lavazza is a perfect symphony of the finest Arabica beans. It is a complex, yet a divine combination of 6 variants of 100% Arabica beans, sourced from South and Central America. It is a perfectly crafted, superior flavor note of a blend of whole beans.
Koffee Kult Dark Roast Coffee Beans are whole bean, range of gourmet coffee beans. The blend provides bold and robust coffee notes, with clean and smooth taste notes. Roasted to perfection, the Dark Roast Coffee Beans delivers a unique and fresh quality profile.
If you’re a coffee connoisseur, you’d understand the significance of “crema.” It’s like a soul to your coffee… divine intervention to your love for caffeine… let’s get straight to the point, shall we!
The bottom line is…
The signature tan-hue or colored foam atop a freshly brewed espresso defines espresso “crema.” It’s the sign of a “God Shot” and is an exquisite brew.
You can tell an espresso is fantastic with the “crema” characteristic. It can either be an overrated-foamy structure on your cuppa or an espresso sophistiqué!
Here’s the science behind crema…
When hot water comes in contact with freshly ground coffee, there occur an immediate release of carbon dioxide (CO2) microbubbles.
In the case of espresso, finely ground coffee beans are made to come in contact with pressurized hot water, thereby resulting in the creation of liquid and crema.
The formed microbubbles connect with the fats and natural oils derived from coffee and settle on top of the cup. The phenomenon or scientific intervention builds up the “crema” on top of your beverage.
And check this out…
You don’t have to rush to a cafe or coffee shop to experience the “crema” anomaly. You can make your robust espresso crema.
Here’s how.
Start with the freshest beans.
Do you still need help choosing the perfect beans? Check out the top 10 Espresso Beans for Crema that we’ve shared above. Fresh beans are the number one ingredient for creating the celestial crema. The best way to achieve that much needed
Crema Perfection is to use beans that have been roasted in 24 hours. Well, it’s not possible to get your hands on such a variant of roasted beans (unless you live in Columbia, Indonesia, or any of the countries known for their excellent coffee beans).
Choose from any one of the above mentioned whole coffee beans to achieve perfection. However, remember to check for the roast date, which will be mentioned in the package of these gourmet beans.
Why?
Older the beans mean higher the level of coffee oxidation and flatter the crema formation on your espresso.
Next step….
Using only the Class-Apart Espresso Machine
The next step is another crucial one – Using only the best, state-of-the-art espresso machine. If you want to hit the bull’s eye with your crema creation, then you cannot go wrong with an espresso machine. The best variant would be a pump driven one.
It’s ideal because you can control the temperatures that will assist in delivering a consistent level of water pressure that is vital for crema creation.
It gets better in the third step…
Tamping the Coffee is the Third Step
Remember, too tamp. What’s tamp? Tamp or tamping coffee helps in the achievement of crema integrity.
What is tamping coffee? Well, if you’re a coffee geek, you’d not stress this term. Anyways, we’ll go ahead with the explanation, though, because we’re on a mission to convert you into a Coffee Expert. And it begins with knowing all the terminologies – tamping being one of them.
Tamping coffee means compacting freshly ground coffee beans into a portafilter before the process of brewing. Tamping coffee is a make or break condition when it comes to Crema Perfection.
Start with a firm and uniform compact. It helps in forcing the right flow of water through the beans. Furthermore, the technique also allows the extraction of the most exceptional flavors from the coffee beans.
Perfect Crema? What’s the secret?
The fourth step is the secret to getting the most beautiful level of crema on your espresso shot.
What is it?
Coffee Grind
The grand grind of the coffee is the secret to an excellent crema. You need to get the perfect grind. A miss here and there will result in a disastrous crema formation.
Well, you don’t have to worry about the “grind”.
Choose from any one of the freshly ground bean brands from the list mentioned above – and you’re good to go.
Seriously, check it out!
One last thing…
Fresh Water
Read on for the fifth step of creating the perfect crema on your espresso shot. And it is all about using freshwater.
Yes, you heard it right. Along with the freshly ground beans, you need Fresh Water.
It’s quite apparent.
Use fresh, clean, and filtered water. Avoid tap water at all cost (unless you want to create a dud of a crema)
Now that you’re familiar with the 5 Steps to Creating Perfect Crema, are you game for it?
Roasting is a chemical process when it comes to coffee roasting. The process involves the perfect balance and creation of critical components, including aromas and acids.
The technique of achieving an ideal roast is the augmentation of acid levels, body, aftertaste, and flavor profiles. The roast level will determine the perfect time for roasting.
Five roast levels:
The last thing…
Grind
The right grind level is key to preparing the perfect espresso. The concentration depends on the method of espresso preparation.
What type of espresso machine is apt for home use?
The semi-automatic espresso machines are the best options for preparing remarkable espressos at home.
How fine or coarse should the coffee beans be?
The coarseness or exceptional attribute will depend on the type of bean you will use. Finer the beans, better the crema will be.
Can you fix a sour or bitter-tasting espresso?
First of all, sorry to hear that. Secondly, you can fix a bitter or sour-tasting espresso. All you need to do is adjust the grind and make it more delicate.
Tamp the coffee to build a higher resistance level for the flow of water – which will help in access more oil levels throughout the process.
Oddly enough, crema comes with controversy and competition. It is either the sign of a perfect espresso or an overrated foam that’s great if you get it, but no big deal if you don’t.
What is Coffee Crema? – https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-coffee-crema-765688
How to Make Perfect Espresso Crema? https://www.beanground.com/how-to-make-crema/
Espresso 101 – https://gizmodo.com/espresso-101-the-methods-and-machines-behind-the-perfe-484457706
