What Is Caffè crema?
Caffè crema sometimes misspelled cafe crema, refers to two different espresso drinks. Caffè crema is an old name for espresso, and it was used in the 1940s and the 50s. The other drink named caffè crema is a long espresso drink originating in Europe. Caffè crema is primarily served in Switzerland, Austria and northern Italy, along the Italian/ Swiss and Italian/ Austrian border. Caffè crema generally means “espresso”. However, in technical discussions, referring to the long drink, it may be referred to as Swiss caffè crema.
Caffè crema is getting more and more popular in North America, as an alternative to drip coffee. The main advantage of cafe crema is the flavor profile that is in between an espresso and a drip coffee, and the beverage strength which is similar to a regular filter coffee.
Caffè crema is different from Americano coffee and from Long Black. The longer extraction time allows slightly more caffeine to be extracted. Similarly, the longer extraction time allows the extraction of some compounds that are not typically present in espresso. This creates a unique flavor profile, different from both espresso and drip coffee.
How to Brew Caffè Crema?
A Caffè crema is brewed similarly to an espresso. The difference is the grind size which is slightly coarser than for espresso, but not as coarse as drip coffee. The other difference is the extraction time which is extended to 35 to 40 seconds, that is about 10 seconds longer than an espresso.