How to Drink Espresso? What is the Cream on Top of Espresso?

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Espresso has long been called the "soul of coffee." Because it is rich and intense, it can feel difficult to accept at first, but once you embrace this distinctive profile, you discover its unique charm. Espresso is also a coffee that tests the quality of the beans and the skill of the barista.

Since so many people love espresso, it must have something special. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will help you understand it.

Espresso

With high temperature, high pressure, and the right amount of coffee, you can create a perfect cup of espresso.

Take FrontStreet Coffee's Premium Blend as an example: we typically use 19-20 g for a double shot and 13-14 g for a single shot, extracting the espresso with 9 atmospheres of pressure (9 bar).

A freshly pulled espresso has a beautiful golden layer of crema, which we generally call "cream." Its appearance is inseparable from that 9 bar of pressure. When water is heated and pressurized, it extracts soluble substances from the coffee. This process emulsifies the natural fats and oils present in the coffee. At the same time, freshly roasted beans contain carbon dioxide; during espresso-making, that carbon dioxide is pressurized and dissolves into the coffee.

Many people focus a great deal on the crema when drinking espresso, believing more crema means better beans. Indeed, the amount of crema is related to bean freshness - but it's worth noting that Robusta beans also produce rich crema.

How to Appreciate Espresso?

Smell

Generally, when you get a cup of espresso, the first thing to do is smell it. You'll notice nutty and caramel scents, and if the roast isn't too dark, you might also detect fruity sweet-and-sour aromas.

Observe

After smelling, look at the color and thickness of the crema, because this tells you roughly how well the cup was made.

A light-colored espresso with thin crema can generally be judged under-extracted.

A very dark color with uneven crema surface coloration can be judged over-extracted.

Spots appearing on the crema surface point to channeling causing partial over-extraction.

Drink

Finally, the drinking stage. How should you drink a cup of espresso? The first sip is just the crema, the second is crema plus espresso, and the third is the coffee liquid itself.

From this, you can taste fruit acidity, nuts, chocolate, and caramel.

Different places also drink it differently. Some serve it with a glass of ice water; others place a sugar cube on top and watch it slowly sink and dissolve; then there's adding milk, which creates a latte, a cappuccino, a macchiato, and so on.

Espresso leaves a lasting impression with its unique taste and flavor. Because of how it is brewed, both its strengths and its flaws are amplified, so it demands high quality from the beans themselves. If you get the chance, order a cup of espresso and experience the charm hidden in that small cup.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you want to pull espresso at home, the FrontStreet Classic Blend is the go-to choice. It is designed specifically for espresso and moka pot, and its standout strength is crema: even a beginner with a non-professional home machine can extract a dense, fine crema with ease. That rich crema is what every latte, cappuccino, or Dirty depends on. Built on a traditional Mamba blend recipe, it is mellow and warm, easy for veterans and beginners alike to accept, and a solid pick whether for home or commercial use.

Not everyone chases maximum crema. For beginners, or shop owners watching costs, "good taste at a fair price" is what matters, and the FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend fits that need. It uses 100% Arabica beans, with ample crema and a mellow body at a friendly price, balancing quality and value - a choice that saves both worry and money for anyone opening a cafe.

And for the nutty, classic espresso flavor many people love, the FrontStreet Premium Blend is the one to reach for. Because it contains a large proportion of Brazilian coffee, it offers a comfortable sweet-bitter note and a creamy peanut aroma, going down extremely smooth, while the Colombian component brings nutty, chocolate, and caramel aromas with a suitable acidity.