Lavazza Crema e Gusto Classico Beans: Settings and Crema

Lavazza Crema e Gusto Classico Beans: getting the crema right

Crema e Gusto means cream and taste, and the name tells you exactly what it's for. This is the Lavazza bean for people who judge a shot by the depth of its head and the weight it leaves in the mouth.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

Lavazza Crema e Gusto Classico Beans: getting the crema right, in summary: Built for thick crema and heavy body, this dark Arabica and Robusta bean has almost no acidity. Start at 18g in and 36g out over 25 to 30 seconds, water at 92 degrees. Whole beans, so bring a grinder.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

Crema e Gusto means cream and taste, and the name tells you exactly what it's for. This is the Lavazza bean for people who judge a shot by the depth of its head and the weight it leaves in the mouth.

Why this blend makes so much crema

Crema is coffee oil held in a foam of carbon dioxide, forced into suspension by the pressure of the machine. Three things decide how much forms: the beans, the roast and how recently they were roasted. Robusta produces a heavier head than Arabica, so blends built for crema tend to include a share of it, and Robusta also adds body and more caffeine to the cup.

The roast is taken dark, and you will see the evidence. A glossy film on the beans is expected, not a defect: that sheen is where the syrupy body and dark cocoa come from, though it means the grinder hopper wants wiping more often. What a roast this dark removes is fruit. Acidity is close to absent, so anyone who likes a bright, citrusy cup should start elsewhere.

Where to start on the machine

A sound opening recipe is 18g of ground coffee in and 36g of espresso out, over 25 to 30 seconds. Set the water at 92 degrees rather than 94: dark, dense blends turn bitter sooner, and turning the temperature down is the first fix when a shot tastes of ash. If the crema is thin and collapses quickly, suspect stale beans or a grind that is too coarse before blaming the blend.

A moka pot may be where it is happiest. Set the grinder slightly coarser than for espresso, level the coffee in the basket without tamping, and pour already-hot water into the base before the pot goes on the heat. No grinder in the house? Then the ground version of this blend is the sensible choice, since whole beans are no use in a filter machine.

Is the kilogram bag right for you?

The kilo makes sense where coffee is drunk every day, not now and then. At two coffees a day it lasts roughly two months, so it belongs beside a moka pot or bean-to-cup machine that runs every morning. The bag is sealed foil with a one-way valve, which lets carbon dioxide escape from freshly roasted beans without letting air back in.

Grind only what each brew needs, because the gas that builds crema leaks out of the bean at the same pace as the aroma, and roll the bag down tightly between uses. The bean mix and Lavazza's intensity rating are both on the bag and may shift from one run to the next, so trust the bag you hold. Espresso Barista Intenso and the two decaf beans come in 500g bags, so this is the bag to choose for a grinder that works hard every morning.

The packs we stock

Lavazza Crema e Gusto Classico Coffee Beans, 1kg (barcode 8000070051003)

What to eat with it

McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate Biscuits, 433g: Dark chocolate on a digestive matches the cocoa depth of a heavy, low-acid shot.
McVitie's Digestives Seriously Chocolatey Biscuits, 250g: A very chocolatey biscuit meets a moka pot cup of this dark roast on its own terms.
Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Organic Biscuits, 150g: Ginger warmth gives a crema-rich espresso a lively contrast.
Maryland Cookies Caramel & Chocolate Chip, 200g: Caramel sweetness rounds off the bitter edge of a short, dense shot.

Elsewhere in the Lavazza range

The full range is on the Lavazza brand page.

FAQ

What does Crema e Gusto mean? It is Italian for cream and taste, a fair summary of a blend built for thick crema and heavy body rather than brightness.

Are these whole beans or ground? Whole beans, in a one kilogram bag. Grind them yourself or use a machine with a built-in grinder; otherwise the ground version of the blend suits you better.

Why are the beans oily? A dark roast pushes oils to the surface of the bean. That is normal here, although the grinder hopper will need cleaning more often.

Why is my crema thin? Usually stale beans or too coarse a grind. The gas behind crema leaks out of the bean over time, so freshness matters most.

Does it suit a moka pot? Very well. Grind slightly coarser than for espresso and fill the basket level without tamping.

Curator's note: Grind it fresh and drop the temperature a notch. Treated that way, the crema is the thing this bean does best, and it is worth the fuss. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Lavazza Crema e Gusto Classico Beans: getting the crema right

Field	Detail
Brand	Lavazza
Packs we stock	1kg
Category	Coffee Beans
Caffeine	caffeinated
Format	Whole beans, one kilogram
Best for	Espresso machine or moka pot
Not for	Anyone after bright, fruity coffee