The dream of many coffee aficionados is to combine the typical crema of café espresso with the intense flavor of homemade espresso prepared with a traditional mocha. It is often thought that it is not possible to achieve this tasty mixture, but this is not really the case: in fact, we can experiment in the kitchen to get our perfect coffee, with the tools we have available.
Why doesn't mocha coffee have cream?
The fact that, generally, mocha coffee does not have crema depends precisely on the characteristics of the coffee maker. In fact, in order to obtain a stable and persistent crema, it is necessary for the water to pass through the coffee at a pressure of not less than nine atmospheres. A value that can be obtained, usually, only thanks to the professional espresso machines we find in coffee shops.
Moreover, the result is better if the coffee beans are ground just before the drink is prepared and if the water temperature is kept constant at about 90°C.
The quality and consistency of the crema also depend on the type of blend used. In fact, the ideal is a balanced balance between Arabica and Robusta, with the former imparting the aroma and a fine, clear crema, and the latter enhancing the coffee's body and structure, while also thickening and darkening the crema.
These characteristics are the basis, then, of the typical espresso coffee crema we drink at the coffee shop, but how do we replicate the same result at home?
Espresso coffee with crema at home: what solutions?
Home coffee machines
More and more coffee machines are being designed and marketed for the purpose of home use. There are various types, some using pods, others capsules, but they are characterized by the possibility of revolutionizing the type of espresso coffee we prepare at home.
In most cases, brewing espresso with a machine will allow us to find a creamy, generally clear and frothy crema with every cup. It is certainly a practical solution, but one that will not make satisfied those who are still loyal to the mocha tradition.
How to prepare a "homemade" crema
Those who do not want to give up the mocha and also try to get cream should not despair because there is an all-homemade solution to achieve a similar result.
After putting up the coffee in the traditional way, we put a teaspoon of sugar in a small cup. When the first, creamier coffee starts to rise, let's take some of it, about two teaspoons, and add it to the cup with the sugar. While the mocha continues with its work and the coffee rises, let's stir the mixture until the coffee is completely absorbed.
The cream you get will also serve, if desired, to sweeten the coffee sufficiently. In fact, as soon as it is ready, we pour half of the cream and coffee into a small cup, stir and add the remaining part of the mixture, stirring again very slowly. At this point we just have to taste our mocha coffee with the sweet crema.
Is espresso or mocha coffee better?
Beyond the debate between coffee creamer yes or no, this topic allows us to delve into another hot topic: better espresso from the bar or mocha espresso? For traditionalist Neapolitans there is no doubt: real coffee can only come out of the Neapolitan moka, the one with the characteristic downward-facing spout.
Neapolitan tradition aside, in the homes of Italians, it is still the moka coffee maker that holds sway. A study conducted by AstraRicerche in 2014 showed that for42 percentof Italians, the moka remains the preferred way to make coffee. In particular, it is beloved by the Over 55s: one in two swears allegiance to the moka, while only 16% prefer the coffee machine. In contrast, 18-24 year olds equally appreciate the traditional method and the new pod or capsule machines.
Beyond the tastes that are of course personal, the important thing for each of the two cases is to choose a quality blend, whether for coffee beans, capsules or pods such as those produced and proposed by Co.ind. With all of them, in fact, and thanks to our tips for making espresso coffee creamer even at home, it is possible to achieve the result we prefer.
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