Does Espresso Taste Better When You Scrape Off the Crema? Have You Heard That Americano Tastes Better When You Remove the Crema from Espresso?

The Secret of Espresso Crema: When Removing It Makes Coffee Better

When it comes to espresso crema, we often discuss it at length — how to read the state of a shot through its crema, or how to infer the roast age of the beans from it. That is because crema is widely regarded as the soul and core of espresso, and rightly so.

But sometimes, removing this "soul and core" might actually make your coffee better.

What is Coffee Crema?

As everyone knows, coffee crema is a golden layer of emulsified oils, formed by insoluble oils trapping carbon dioxide. People call it the soul of espresso because, with crema present, the whole coffee gives off a richer aroma, has a fuller body, and leaves a noticeable aftertaste after swallowing.

These observations all confirm the importance of that golden crema. Even so, James Hoffmann, the 2007 World Barista Champion, has said: "Although crema is beautiful and excellent, it doesn't taste that good on its own. If you scrape off the crema from an Americano, you'll find it tastes twice as good as the original."

Why Remove the Crema?

Although crema serves many functions, consumed directly on its own it does not taste very good. And in some situations it becomes an unadjustable negative presence. When we extract espresso from freshly roasted beans, for example, the shot might be full-bodied but rough and bitter, because the crema at this stage carries strong roasting aromas — the "roasting heat," or dry sensation, that affects the drinking experience.

On top of that, crema not only traps carbon dioxide but also holds very fine coffee particles. Those fine particles add bitterness and roughness to the coffee. Under these conditions, then, we can remove the crema from an Americano to give the whole cup a cleaner taste. (Even the roughest crema still matters for milk drinks that need latte art — which is why only an Americano can undergo this removal.)

How to Remove Crema?

We need to remove the crema before the espresso reaches the cup. Otherwise, once it collects in the cup it blends with the coffee liquid, and the bitter taste and fine particles easily integrate into the drink. The operation is very simple. You just need a metal filter: place it over the cup prepared to receive the espresso, and it will separate the crema.

We made two Americanos using beans roasted just two days ago for comparison. The Americano without crema was cleaner and sweeter than the one with it. And because FrontStreet Coffee's espresso beans are the medium-roasted "Warm Sun Blend," the retained fruit flavors were more pronounced in the Americano without crema, since fewer other flavors were suppressing them.

The Americano with crema, by contrast, had rich layers and a full-bodied texture, but because the beans were very fresh there was a noticeable dry sensation that suppressed many flavors, leaving the overall experience leaning toward "muted."

Conclusion

So, during a bean's degassing period, removing crema is a wise choice. It noticeably reduces the short-term defects caused by overly fresh beans, and the overall performance is smoother.

After the degassing period, though, you will have to make your own choice, since advantages always come with disadvantages. An Americano without crema tastes cleaner, its specific flavors stand out more as others recede, and it is smoother — but every flavor lingers for less time on the palate, the aroma is slightly weaker, the layers are less rich, and the texture is thinner. So you must weigh the trade-off; you cannot have both.

- END -

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you drink a lot of Americanos, the bean underneath matters just as much as the crema. FrontStreet's Classic Blend Americano is a great starting point for anyone new to a home machine. A traditional Italian-style recipe built from Indonesian Mandheling, Brazilian red bourbon, and Vietnamese washed coffee, it carries the low-acid, full body and herbal-woody tone of Asian coffee without losing the balanced, smooth, creamy quality of the Americas. Pulling a shot gives butter, nut, spice, and dark chocolate; whether you make an Americano or a latte, its wild character and generous crema are the signature.

If value is your priority, FrontStreet's Black Cocoa base blend pairs Yunnan small-bean with Brazilian Cerrado. As an Americano it shows nut, chocolate, and cream, with the ripe acidity of three-plum fruit and a soft overall body, all at a friendly price — adaptable enough that it is a fine choice for a shop as well. And if you have grown tired of dark-roast espresso, FrontStreet's Strawberry Candy espresso blend is roasted medium and drinks very sweet: rose, low bitterness, and slight acidity, with grape, dried blueberry, sweet orange, and fruit-candy notes, plus a distinctive almond finish in the Americano and latte alike.