Does your espresso run through too quickly, taste thin, and lose its crema within seconds? If you want to improve the crema on your espresso, it pays to look at three things: beans, grind size, and preparation. Most of the time, the machine isn't to blame, but rather a minor setting issue. A few targeted adjustments will make your espresso thicker, more aromatic, and look much better.
What a good espresso crema really shows
Crema is the fine, hazelnut- to dark-brown layer of foam on top of an espresso. It is created when carbon dioxide is emulsified with oils and the finest particles from the coffee during brewing. A good crema is not just for show: it can retain aromas in the espresso for longer and create a fuller mouthfeel.
However, a lot of crema does not automatically mean high quality. Very dark-roasted blends or beans with a higher Robusta content often produce particularly abundant and stable crema. This can be excellent, especially if you like a bold Italian espresso. A mild Arabica espresso, on the other hand, may have a finer, lighter crema and still taste excellent.
Therefore, look at the overall picture. The crema should be as even as possible, fine-textured rather than full of large bubbles, and not break up immediately. Beneath it, you need an espresso with sweetness, body, and a pleasant aftertaste.
Improve espresso crema with the right beans
The most important factor is before grinding. After opening the package, coffee beans gradually lose carbon dioxide and aromatic compounds over time. Both are crucial for a stable crema. Therefore, store beans in a cool, dry, airtight place, but not in the refrigerator. Moisture and odours can damage the coffee there.
It is better to buy quantities that you can use within a few weeks rather than stocking up for a year. For households that drink espresso every day, larger packages make sense if they are used up quickly. For occasional drinkers, smaller packages or a coffee subscription with a suitable delivery interval are often the better choice.
The roast also shapes the result. Typical Italian espresso blends often contain Robusta. This provides more body, a dense crema, and a bold profile that comes through well in cappuccino or latte macchiato. Brands such as Caffè Borbone, Kimbo, Toraldo, and Mastro Lorenzo offer different blends, so you can choose between more intensity, more sweetness, or more crema.
By the way, freshly roasted coffee is not always ideal. Immediately after roasting, it contains a lot of gas, which can make the extraction unstable. After a few days of resting, the coffee usually stabilises. With sealed espresso beans, this process is normally already accounted for.
Grind size determines density and colour
If the grind is too coarse, the water flows too quickly through the coffee grounds. The espresso will be light, thin, and watery, and the crema will remain pale or dissolve quickly. If the grind is too fine, the water becomes restricted: the extraction takes too long, tastes bitter or dry, and can also appear unstable.
As a guideline for a portafilter, an extraction time of around 25 to 30 seconds is suitable for a double espresso. Depending on the machine, basket, beans, and desired quantity, this may vary slightly. The key is that the espresso does not gush out, but after the first few drops, flows slowly and evenly in a thin stream.
Always change the grind size in small increments. Grind fresh, make an espresso, and taste it. If it is too sour, too thin, or flows too quickly, grind a little finer. If it is bitter, very dark, and barely flows through, grind coarser. Changing several settings at once makes troubleshooting unnecessarily difficult.
With a fully automatic coffee machine, you can also adjust the grind size. However, only change it during the grinding process and make one small adjustment at a time. Many machines require two to three extractions before the new setting clearly shows in the taste.
Grind fresh instead of using pre-ground coffee
Pre-ground espresso is convenient, but it loses aroma and gas more quickly after opening. For the best possible crema, a grinder is therefore one of the most useful purchases. It does not need to be complicated, but it should grind evenly and be adjustable finely enough for espresso.
If you use pods or capsules, you cannot change the grind size. In that case, a clean machine, the right cup size, and a variety that suits your taste are particularly important. Do not extract an excessively long espresso from a single capsule or pod if the system is not designed for it. This dilutes the flavour and crema.
Prepare the dose and puck correctly
With a portafilter, the water needs even resistance. Therefore, distribute the coffee grounds as evenly as possible in the basket before tamping. Clumps or an uneven surface lead to channeling: the water finds individual quick paths through the puck. The result is an uneven extraction with little body and unstable crema.
Weigh the dose if you want reproducible results. A double basket is often designed for around 16 to 18 grams, depending on the basket, more or less. Check the specifications of your basket and stick to a fixed amount for now. Only then should you optimise the grind size.
Tamping does not mean pressing with maximum force. A straight, even pressure is more important. The puck should be compact without being compressed unevenly. Wipe loose coffee grounds from the rim of the basket before locking the portafilter into the group head. This ensures that the seal closes properly and no water flows past the puck.
Temperature, water, and clean parts
A cold portafilter draws heat away from the brewing water. Rinse it briefly and let it heat up, especially for the first cup of the day. The cup should also be warm. A preheated espresso cup not only protects the crema but also keeps the espresso tasting rounder.
The brewing temperature on many machines is approximately between 90 and 94 degrees. If it is significantly too low, the espresso often tastes sour and flat. If it is too high, bitterness and roast aromas become more prominent. On simple machines, the temperature cannot always be adjusted directly. In that case, sufficient preheating time, regular descaling, and a clean group head help.
Coffee oils build up in the basket, spout, and group head. These residues affect the flavour and water flow. Rinse briefly after each extraction, clean the basket and portafilter daily, and perform the manufacturer-recommended cleaning regularly. If the espresso suddenly behaves differently than usual, cleanliness is often the quickest thing to check.
Water also makes a difference. Very hard water promotes limescale build-up, while extremely soft water can make the flavour taste flat. Use a suitable filter if necessary, and descale according to the indicator or your machine's recommendations.
Common mistakes when the crema doesn't work
A pale crema that breaks up quickly often indicates beans that are too old, a grind that is too coarse, or too little coffee. If the espresso flows pale and quickly into the cup, start with a slightly finer grind.
With a very dark, blotchy crema and a bitter taste, the extraction is often too slow. Grind a little coarser or check whether you have too much coffee in the basket. If the espresso shoots out sideways from the spout or drips unevenly, check the distribution of the coffee grounds and the condition of the basket.
Do not rely on colour alone. A dark crema can be normal with bold roasts, and a lighter one with a lighter blend. The deciding test remains the first sip: if the espresso tastes balanced, pleasantly sweet, and not dry, the setting is usually better than any visual rule.
For the next package, focus on only one variable—first the grind size, then the dose. This way, without guesswork, you will find exactly the espresso that not only looks good in your cup but also tastes just the way you want it every morning.