Caffè crema facts for kids
Caffè crema (say "kaff-AY KREM-ah") is an Italian name for a type of coffee. It can mean two different things:
- It was an old name for espresso coffee back in the 1940s and 1950s.
- It's also a longer espresso drink that's popular today, especially in countries like Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and parts of northern Italy.
Sometimes, people just use "caffè crema" as a fancy way to say "espresso." But when talking about the longer drink, it's often called Swiss caffè crema. There's also a cold, icy version called crema caffè that's popular in Italy during summer.
The name "café crema" (with an "é") mixes French and Italian words, which is a bit unusual!
Contents
What is Caffè Crema?
The term "caffè crema" was first used in 1948 to describe the new coffee drink we now call espresso. It was invented by a company called Gaggia. The name came from the light brown, creamy foam that forms on top of espresso, which is called crema.
Over time, the name "espresso" became much more common, and "caffè crema" wasn't used as much for the short coffee. However, you might still see "caffè crema" on some coffee brands, like "Jacobs Caffè Crema" or "Kenco Café Crema." In Italy, "caffè crema" can sometimes mean an espresso that has a lot of this rich, creamy foam.
The Swiss Coffee Drink
Since the 1980s, "caffè crema" has also become the name for a longer coffee drink, especially popular in Switzerland and northern Italy. It's often served as the standard "traditional coffee" in Belgium.
This drink is made by using more water than a regular espresso, usually about 180-240 ml. The coffee beans are ground a bit coarser than for a normal espresso.
You might think it sounds like a caffè Americano or a long black, but it's different! An Americano is made by adding hot water to a regular espresso shot. A caffè crema, however, is brewed with more water from the start. This changes how the coffee is extracted, giving it a different taste.
Think of it like this:
- A ristretto is a very short, strong espresso.
- A normale is a regular espresso.
- A lungo is a longer espresso.
- A caffè crema is even longer than a lungo, usually about twice as long.
For example, a double ristretto might be 30 ml, a normal espresso 60 ml, a lungo 90 ml, and a caffè crema around 180 ml. The exact amount for a caffè crema can vary, but it's usually between 120 ml and 240 ml for a double shot.
The idea behind caffè crema was to make a larger cup of coffee, similar to regular brewed coffee, but with the strong flavor of espresso. When espresso machines were first invented in 1948, they used hand pressure, so only small shots (about 30 ml) could be made easily. Later, in 1961, pump-driven machines made it possible to make longer shots, but people had already grown to love the small espresso. The longer caffè crema only became popular in the 1980s.
Caffè crema is not very common in places like the English-speaking world. Most coffee shops don't serve it because it needs a different coffee grind than regular espresso. Instead, they usually offer Americanos or long blacks. Caffè crema was briefly popular in Australia in the 1980s but was soon replaced by the long black.
How to Make a Caffè Crema
Since caffè crema isn't widely known outside of home brewing, there aren't many guides on how to make it. Generally, you need to grind your coffee beans a bit coarser than you would for a normal espresso. Then, you brew it in your espresso machine like usual. You stop the shot when the coffee starts to look lighter in color, just like with espresso. The coarser grind allows more water to pass through, making a larger volume of coffee in about the same time (25–30 seconds).
Some people also try tamping (pressing down the coffee grounds) less firmly, or letting the shot run a little longer (35–40 seconds). Because coarser grounds take up less space, some people prefer to use a larger filter basket in their machine to fit enough coffee.
It's possible to make a caffè crema in a coffee shop by using the same grind they use for filter coffee in the espresso machine. However, this would be a very unusual request!
Crema Caffè (Iced)
In Italy, especially during the warm summer months, coffee shops (called bar, not "bars") often serve a cold, creamy version of espresso called crema caffè or crema fredda di caffè. It's also sometimes known as "Caffè del nonno."
This special drink needs a machine that constantly spins it to keep it creamy and smooth, without any ice chunks. You can enjoy it plain or with panna (which is Italian for milk cream).
See also
In Spanish: Café crema para niños
