Best Cup of Coffee: Pressure Brewed “Crema Coffee”

My wife loves her lattes. So much so that “Coffee” is a line item in the household budget. After doing a great bit of research, I decided to take the plunge and buy my wife a super-automatic espresso machine for Christmas. At the rate my wife drinks lattes, the unit will pay for itself in less than a year.

Upon getting the unit (Jura Capresso F9 - fantastic!) set up and reading the documentation, I quickly came to realize that I would benefit from this new appliance as well. I enjoy good quality coffee, and this machine has the ability to brew the best cup of coffee I have tasted.

Crema Coffee

The majority of us are accustomed to brewing coffee using a conventional drip coffee maker. While it is possible to produce a quality cup of coffee using a drip machine, in my opinion, the end result does not compare to that which can be produced under pressure.

Pressure brewed coffee, also referred to as “crema coffee”, is created via a similar process to brew expresso. The difference being that instead of a 2 oz. shot of espresso, additional water is forced through the finely ground coffee at high pressure to yield a 6-8 oz. portion. When brewed properly, a rich, caramel-colored top layer, or “crema”, is created which serves to lock in the delicate flavors and aroma of the coffee. The high pressure (9 bar) and shorter brewing time prevent the extraction of bitter oils, yielding an incredibly sweet cup of coffee.

European restaurants commonly serve coffee this way, as it’s the freshest possible cup, and can be made quickly on demand. In my household, there’s no going back to drip.

chris@clawblog.com

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