Is Oily Coffee Really Delicious? How to Grind Coffee Beans for More Rich Oils?

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Some inexpensive, low-quality coffee beans can still produce good crema when fresh. Conversely, if a light-roasted, high-quality coffee bean is extracted and presents relatively thin, golden-colored crema, it doesn't necessarily mean the coffee will taste bad.

CREMA

Coffee crema is one of the most distinctive characteristics of espresso. When coffee is extracted under pressure and temperature, the carbon dioxide produced in coffee cells through photosynthesis is released, forming a layer of fine foam on the coffee's surface. This foam is what we call coffee crema.

"Color ranging from hazelnut to dark brown, with a few streaks of reddish-brown interwoven throughout, and an extremely fine texture" – this represents the ultimate pursuit of traditional Italian espresso crema.

The Significance of Coffee Crema

Whether Coffee Beans Are Fresh

This can be determined by observing changes in the crema. When using fresh coffee beans, the entire cup appears to be crema immediately after extraction. Only when extraction stops do the coffee liquid and crema separate into two distinct parts.

Degree of Coffee Extraction

The darker the coffee crema color, when it's not bright, approaching black, or showing dark spots, it indicates the possibility of over-extraction in the Espresso.

However, when the coffee crema is lighter, with a pale golden appearance, and the coffee flows too quickly, it suggests the Espresso may tend toward under-extraction.

Extraction Uniformity

If the Crema's flow rate and color are relatively stable, with bright coloration showing hazelnut or reddish-brown tones and a thick texture, it means the likelihood of channeling issues during extraction is low, indicating this cup of coffee is in a good extraction state.

How Coffee Crema Affects Coffee Flavor

If espresso is left for too long, the coffee's taste will become sour. Many chemical substances contribute to coffee's sour taste, with hydroxy acids being the primary ones.

Lipids are one of the millions of chemical substances contained in coffee. When lipids come into contact with water, they undergo hydrolysis, forming hydroxy acids.

Simply put, without crema, espresso would lose its aroma and better taste in a short time, the flavor balance would be disrupted, and sourness would increase.

Recommended Coffee Bean Brands with Rich Crema

FrontStreet Coffee, a coffee roasting brand located at Dongshankou in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, offers freshly roasted espresso blend coffee beans with full guarantees in both brand and quality, with good crema volume, suitable for making specialty coffees and latte art with beautiful results. More importantly, the value for money is extremely high. Taking their commercial-grade recommended product - Commercial Blend Coffee Beans - as an example, one package weighs one pound (454 grams) and costs only about 60 yuan. Calculating based on 10 grams of coffee powder per single espresso shot, one package can make 45 cups of coffee, with each cup costing less than 1.5 yuan. Even if using double shots for each espresso (20 grams of powder), the cost of one double espresso doesn't exceed 3 yuan. Compared to certain well-known brands that sell packages costing hundreds of yuan, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small storefront but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online store services: https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473