No or Little Crema

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Possible Solution

How old/fresh are the beans?

For best results, freshly roasted beans are recommended.

Check the portafilter

Coffee is ground too coarsely. Use a slightly finer grind.
Coffee was tamped too softly. Use a slightly firmer tamp, between 15-20 kg or 30-40 lb of force. When you tamp the ground coffee, you need to do it firmly and uniformly for the best results, creating a bed of coffee with an even density. This allows the water to flow evenly through the entire mass of pressed coffee to make the best taste. The portafilter on our Espresso machine has a unique flat base, which promotes a level tamp and minimizes water channeling.

Which filter basket was used?

A single wall filter basket might have been used with pre-ground coffee. Please see our chart below:

Basket Type	Shot	Dose (grams)	Use for
Single Wall	1 shot	10-12	Freshly Ground whole beans
Single Wall	2 Shot	18-20	Freshly Ground whole beans
Double Wall	1 Shot	10-12	Pre-ground coffee, novice users
Double Wall	2 Shot	18-20	Pre-ground coffee, novice users

What color is the crema?

Color can tell you a lot about the tamping technique, water temperature, and bean type. Review the following for suggestions on improving crema results.

Cinnamon: Ensure the boiler is fully heated. Try using a less acidic coffee blend.
Whitish with brown streaks: Review your tamping technique. The tamped coffee has fractured or developed a gap between it and the side of the filter basket.
Thin: Review your tamping technique; the tamp may not be firm enough to provide an even resistance to the brewing water. Try using a finer grind. Also, check the coffee's freshness.