La Crema is what it takes: true espresso

There are, in my opinion, precious few coffee shops in Austin that truly know how to make espresso drinks.

One common denominator between those that do, is that they all use “La Marzocco”machines. The company was founded by Giuseppe Bambi in 1927 and with their professional machines costing around $12000, they are not for the fiscally faint-hearted.

For the consumer, one critical characteristic that distinguishes “OK” from “Exceptional” espresso is the Crema. “It is part of the visual allure of espresso, the aromatics, the mouth-feel, the flavor and long-lasting aftertaste of espresso. In its technical definition, crema is gas bubbles suspended in a liquid film that has high surface tension between the water molecules. Crema should be compact and persistent: it should last a full two minutes before the suspended water molecules drain, the entrapped gas is released and the liquid underneath shows through.”

Sadly, nearly all coffee shops offer just froth which is a pathetic imitation of the true product.

And the winners are:

Café Medici (1101 West Lynn & 2222 B Guadalupe St)

JP's Java (2803 San Jacinto Blvd.)

Once Over Coffee (2009 South First Street).