How to Make a Better Americano? What Impact Does Coffee Crema Have on Americano Coffee?

Introduction

Americano is a very common type of coffee, and its preparation is quite simple—espresso mixed with water. However, there's a small detail that can make your Americano taste even better!

As we all know, espresso is extracted under 9 bar pressure to create a rich, thick coffee liquid with a golden layer of crema on the surface, making it particularly beautiful. Rich crema is one of the standards for evaluating a good espresso. Whether making an Americano by adding water to espresso first or espresso to water first, a layer of crema will also float on the surface.

You might not pay much attention to this layer of crema, as it disappears after a few minutes. However, the following small step will make your Americano taste even better!

Removing the Crema

After extracting the espresso, let it sit for a while to allow the coffee liquid and crema to separate. Use a spoon to scrape off the surface crema, then pour the coffee into water.

To compare the differences, we made two cups of hot Americano—one with the normal crema and another with the crema removed.

The flavor comparison shows that both have the same basic flavor profile: sherry wine aroma, chocolate, and brown sugar. However, the cup with the crema removed is cleaner, less bitter, and offers clearer flavor perception.

Why Does This Happen?

First, we need to understand how espresso crema forms. The crema is mainly composed of carbon dioxide and insoluble oils from the coffee grounds. When an espresso machine extracts coffee, it creates 9 bar pressure to "squeeze" the coffee puck. Due to the high pressure, the carbon dioxide in the coffee grounds cannot escape because water becomes supersaturated with CO2. Instead, the carbon dioxide dissolves directly into the coffee liquid, carrying some extremely fine coffee particles (the "tiger stripes" in crema are caused by too many fine particles).

When drinking espresso, keeping the crema makes an already rich coffee even fuller in texture. However, this effect doesn't translate well to Americano, which can be seen as diluted espresso with significantly compromised texture. Of course, when Americano is diluted to a reasonable concentration for flavor perception, more flavors can be tasted. The fine particles hidden in the crema will affect the entire cup's texture. Previously, FrontStreet Coffee mentioned in [Barista Training | What Exactly is Espresso Crema? Does Crema Affect the Taste of Coffee?] that the taste of crema is burnt, bitter, and intense, indicating that some substances in crema are quite bitter.

Therefore, an Americano with the crema removed tastes less bitter and offers a cleaner sensation.

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