Coffee Drink
Caffè Crema: Swiss-Style Recipe and Americano Differences
Caffè crema is a longer black coffee extracted directly through the grounds, especially associated with Swiss and German-speaking service. Try 15 g coffee to 150 g beverage with a coarser grind. Unlike an Americano, this recipe adds no water after brewing.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- Recipe unmeasuredLong-extraction home recipe15 g coffee brewed to 150 g collected beverage.
- Calories
- About 14 kcal proxyRough generic espresso energy estimateRough espresso-database proxy; the actual long-extraction composition is unmeasured.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 plain 150 g beverage from 15 g dry coffee
- Made with
- 15 g coffee → 150 g collected beverage
- Sugar
- About 0 g total. Generic plain-coffee reference; no added sugar. Milk, cream and sweeteners are outside the core recipe.
- Preparation
- About 3 minutes; machine warm-up is additional
The recipe measures collected beverage mass. The energy calculation uses USDA generic espresso composition. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Home starting point: 15 g coffee → 150 g beverage, or 1:10 by mass, in roughly 25–30 seconds.
- 2Caffè crema extracts through the grounds; Americano adds water afterward. Cream is optional, not part of this recipe.
- 3About 14 kcal is a rough espresso-database proxy; no sugar is added.
On This Page12 Sections
What Is Caffè Crema?
Caffè crema is a longer black coffee extracted directly through the grounds in an espresso-style machine. It is associated especially with Swiss and German-speaking coffee service. Unlike an Americano, the larger serving comes from extraction rather than adding water to a finished espresso.
A coarser grind makes that larger yield practical. Cream can be served alongside, but the recipe here is plain black coffee; the golden crema on top is coffee foam, not dairy.
Caffè Crema Recipe
Ratio: 1:10 dry coffee to collected beverage mass.
Use an adjustable grinder. A large basket labeled for 20–22 g is not automatically suitable for 15 g. The cup leaves headroom; its capacity is not the beverage yield.
Use the espresso brewing method for machine setup and puck preparation, then apply the coarser grind and longer yield below.
Recipe
Swiss-style caffè crema
- Makes:
- 1 plain 150 g coffee
- Time:
- About 3 minutes; machine already hot
Ingredients
- 15 g coffee beans
- Drinking water suitable for your espresso machine, as required
Equipment
- Espresso machine, 15 g basket, grinder, tamper, scale, timer, 220 ml (7.4 US fl oz) cup
Method
- Preheat. With the espresso machine ready, warm a 220 ml (7.4 US fl oz) cup, then empty it.
- Grind and dose. Weigh 15 g coffee and grind coarser than regular espresso into a basket suited to that dose.
- Prepare. Distribute evenly, tamp level and lock in the portafilter. Place the empty cup on a scale and tare it.
- Extract. Brew to 150 g beverage, collecting both streams if present. Aim around 25–30 seconds; adjust the grind on subsequent attempts.
- Serve. Stir and let the coffee cool enough to sip. Serve black; cream and sugar are optional additions outside this recipe.
Recipe notes
Adjust grind to suit the coffee and machine. About 14 kcal is a rough espresso-database proxy without additions.
This starting point follows Kaffeemacher's Swiss café crème guidance: a coarser grind, 12–15 g doses and a 1:10 beverage ratio in roughly 25–30 seconds.
All brewing water passes through the coffee. Do not top up a shorter shot to reach 150 g and call it the same extraction. The machine's water input will exceed the collected mass because water remains in the grounds.
Caffè Crema vs. Americano and Lungo
The reliable distinction from Americano is where the extra water travels. Caffè crema and lungo are less neatly separated: both extract through coffee, so ask about the dose, grind and collected yield. A machine's named button is not a universal brewing standard.
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| Drink | Preparation distinction | What varies |
|---|---|---|
| Caffè crema | Direct extraction into a longer black cup | Dose, grind, yield, machine and whether cream is served alongside |
| Americano | Espresso diluted with additional hot water | Espresso portion and dilution |
| Lungo | A longer espresso extraction | Café recipes and capsule formats; no universal boundary with crema |
| Long black | Espresso added to hot water | Serving size and espresso portion |
| Allongé | A variable name; may mean long extraction or added water | Regional usage; the Rao-inspired profile is a particular method |
The similarly named crema di caffè is a chilled, spoonable coffee-and-cream dessert. It is a different preparation from this longer black coffee or the crema on espresso.
Do not judge the method from a photograph of crema. Freshness, coffee composition and machine design affect the foam, and water added to espresso does not always eliminate it. “More crema” is not proof of better flavor or more caffeine.
Caffè Crema Ratio and Yield
At the selected 1:10 ratio, 15 g × 10 = 150 g beverage. This is collected coffee mass, not 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) of water in the reservoir and not a demand to fill a 220 ml (7.4 US fl oz) cup.
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| Weighed starting point | Dry coffee | Collected beverage |
|---|---|---|
| Smaller option, with a suitable basket | 12 g | 120 g |
| Recipe on this page | 15 g | 150 g |
Use the espresso ratio calculator for arithmetic. Re-dial the grind if you change the basket or dose; keeping the ratio does not preserve flow automatically.
What Published Recipes Tell Us About Cup Size
JURA's café crème recipe gives a 100 ml (3.4 US fl oz) coffee example and lists cream as a serving suggestion. Kaffeemacher's weighed examples span 120–150 g.
Those examples give a useful ordering rule: confirm the portion instead of assuming that “caffè crema” always means 180–240 ml (6.1–8.1 US fl oz). The milliliter and gram figures remain separate measurements.
Dialing in and Troubleshooting
| Problem | First thing to check |
|---|---|
| The shot stalls or takes much longer than the target | Grind a little coarser; keep dose and yield fixed |
| Very fast, thin and uneven flow | Check distribution and basket fit, then try a little finer |
| Dry or harsh finish despite reasonable timing | Try a shorter yield or a different roast; timing alone cannot diagnose flavor |
| Machine cannot deliver the larger yield promptly | Use a normal espresso plus hot water rather than forcing an extended slow pull |
| Crema fades quickly | Assess the coffee itself before changing pressure just to make more foam |
Coarser grinding generally reduces resistance and permits faster flow. It does not slow the water down. A successful adjustment balances flow with enough extraction; grinding as coarse as possible is not the objective.
Kaffeemacher notes that some machines cannot supply the necessary flow. A simple dilution method may be more practical on that equipment. Never increase machine pressure beyond its intended settings to imitate a recipe.
Can a Bean-to-Cup Machine Make It?
Yes. Swiss serving traditions include automatic coffee machines, and JURA publishes a café crème recipe for that context. Use your machine's coffee program, adjust its coffee-strength and beverage settings, and follow its grinder-adjustment instructions.
The 15 g portafilter recipe does not override a machine's brew-chamber capacity. Capsules likewise have their own recommended portions.
Flavor and Tasting Notes
The aim is a longer black cup with some pressure-brewed texture, less concentrated than a short espresso. Roast, coffee variety and extraction determine the aromas.
Caffè Crema Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
Caffeine is unmeasured for this 15 g / 150 g recipe. The coffee dose, beans, grind and extraction matter, and a mild-tasting larger drink can still contain substantial caffeine.
Espresso-extraction research analyzes how components emerge during brewing. It does not justify multiplying a short espresso's caffeine concentration by 150 g of a different long extraction.
About 14 kcal is a rough espresso-database proxy for the plain serving.
Energy proxy calculation
USDA's generic espresso record, USDA SR28 NDB 14210, has 9 kcal per 100 g and 0 g total sugar. The energy arithmetic is 150 × 9 ÷ 100 = 13.5 kcal, rounded to 14.
There is no added sugar in the recipe; the generic total-sugar estimate is about 0 g. Cream, milk and sugar change the serving. Use the product's label and the amount actually added, matching grams or milliliters to the label rather than assuming they are equal.
History and Culture
The spelling can distract from the order. Caffè crema is Italian-style wording; café crème is widely used in Swiss sources. Mokaflor, an Italian roaster, describes the longer machine-brewed coffee in the German-speaking regional context and distinguishes it from espresso diluted with water.
The name does not force dairy into every cup. Swiss service may offer coffee cream alongside. By contrast, French-style café crème commonly refers to coffee with hot milk or cream; the OQLF terminology entry describes that dairy meaning. That separate page covers our milky home interpretation.
Crema, Caffè Crema and Coffee Beans
Crema, caffè crema and crema di caffè are not interchangeable names. Crema is the foam on pressure-brewed coffee. Caffè crema here is the complete longer black drink. If a menu offers a creamy or whipped coffee dessert, ask about its ingredients instead of assuming it is this black coffee.
A bag labeled “caffè crema” is normally a roaster's intended-use description, not a separate coffee species. Check the beans, roast and maker's recipe. You do not need a particular Arabica/Robusta blend to try the method.
Common Questions
Is caffè crema coffee with cream?
Is caffè crema an Americano?
Is caffè crema stronger than espresso?
What is the correct caffè crema ratio?
Can I make it with normal espresso grind?
Is caffè crema a type of bean?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
6 references
External links open in a new tab
Recipe and regional meaning
- KaffeemacherSwiss café crème recipe12–15 g coffee, a 1:10 beverage ratio and 25–30 seconds underpin the selected 15 g/150 g home version.(opens in a new tab)
- JURAA 100 ml café crème servingManufacturer recipe illustrates a different portion and lists cream as a serving suggestion.(opens in a new tab)
- MokaflorCaffè crema and AmericanoRoaster context for the longer machine-brewed coffee and added-water distinction; not used for its pressure claim.(opens in a new tab)
- Office québécois de la langue françaiseCafé crème: dairy meaningTerminology for coffee with milk or cream; helps distinguish the neighboring milky café crème page.(opens in a new tab)
Nutrition and evidence limits
- USDA Agricultural Research ServiceGeneric espresso, USDA SR28 NDB 142109 kcal per 100 g and 0 g sugar supply the rough plain-coffee energy proxy.(opens in a new tab)
- Schmieder and colleagues · TUMEspresso extraction kinetics,2023Primary research on how espresso components emerge during extraction.(opens in a new tab)