Origin & Roast
Inside Yirgacheffe: The Washing Stations Redefining Ethiopian Coffee
A visit to the highland stations where fermentation time, not just altitude, is quietly becoming the defining variable in cup quality.
Issue No. 12
The Pour-Over Issue
Coffee, read as closely as it's brewed.
Créma is a journal for people who think about coffee past the first sip — origin, roast curve, water chemistry, and the cafés getting it right.
Featured
Stories worth slowing down for
The Water Chemistry Nobody Talks About
Two baristas, identical beans, different tap water — and a cupping panel that couldn't agree on which cup was better.
The Third Wave Never Ended, It Just Got Quiet
Why the loudest specialty cafés of the 2010s are giving way to smaller, unbranded rooms with better sourcing.
Coffee Guides
Start here
Reference reading for anyone building a real vocabulary around coffee — from bean to cup.
Guide 01
Reading a Roast Curve
What first crack, development time, and drop temperature actually tell you about what's in your cup.
Guide 02
A Field Guide to Grind Size
Why grind consistency matters more than the number on the dial, and how to judge it by eye.
Guide 03
Understanding Processing Methods
Washed, natural, honey, anaerobic — a plain-language breakdown of what happens before the bean ever reaches a roaster.
Guide 04
Tasting Like a Judge
The basic cupping vocabulary used at competition level, adapted for a kitchen counter.
Guide 05
Storing Beans Properly
Why most home setups let good coffee go stale within two weeks — and the simple fix.
Guide 06
Buying Direct-Trade Coffee
What the label actually guarantees, and the questions worth asking a roaster before you buy.
Brewing Methods
Four ways in, done properly
Ratios are a starting point, not a rule — adjust to taste, but start here.
V60
Pour-Over V60
Clean, bright, tea-like body. Rewards a slow, deliberate pour.
Ratio 1:16Grind Medium-fineTime 2:30–3:00
French Press
French Press
Full body, heavier mouthfeel. Forgiving of imprecise grind.
Ratio 1:12Grind CoarseTime 4:00
AeroPress
AeroPress
Versatile and fast, with real control over strength.
Ratio 1:15Grind Fine-mediumTime 1:30–2:00
Espresso
Espresso
Concentrated and intense, the base for milk drinks.
Ratio 1:2Grind FineTime 0:25–0:30
Café Reviews
Rooms worth the detour
★★★★★
Kettle & Stone
Fitzroy, Melbourne
A single-origin rotation that changes weekly, poured by staff who'll happily talk you through the processing method if you ask.
Order theWashed Kenyan V60
★★★★☆
Nord & Ash
Nørrebro, Copenhagen
Scandinavian light-roast sensibility in a converted bicycle workshop. The oat cortado is better than it has any right to be.
Order theOat Cortado
★★★★★
Casa Torrefazione
Navigli, Milan
A working roastery with six stools at the counter. Come for the espresso, stay for the smell of the drum running upstairs.
Order theClassic Espresso
Latest
From the journal
About Créma
Written by people who've worked the espresso bar.
Créma began as a zine handed out at a single roastery in Melbourne. It's now a small editorial team spread across three countries, still run on the same principle: nobody writes about a brewing method or a café they haven't actually tested themselves.
We're picky about sourcing claims, unimpressed by latte art for its own sake, and mostly interested in whether a cup was actually worth the price and the wait.
Editor in Chief
Naomi Aldrete
Brewing Editor
Theo Marchetti
Café & Culture
Ingrid Solano