The Complete Espresso Machine Guide for Caffé Prima Coffee

Key Takeaways

1. Robusta extracts faster than Arabica. Requires shorter times, tighter ratios, cooler temperatures.

2. Each coffee needs different parameters. Use the extraction table above as starting point.

3. Darker roasts need coarser grinds and cooler temperatures. Continental: 90-92°C. Italian Mahogany: 89-91°C.

4. Bean-to-cup users: Espresso, Roma, Continental are excellent. Italian Mahogany requires monthly cleaning.

5. Always weigh dose and output. Volumetric measurements aren't reliable.

6. Adjust in small increments. One or two clicks at a time. Test before adjusting again.

7. Preheating is mandatory. Cold equipment causes under-extraction and weak crema.

Getting inconsistent shots with Caffé Prima? Too bitter, weak crema, all over the place? It's not your machine. It's understanding what these specific coffees need.

Caffé Prima's house range follows traditional Italian espresso philosophy: full body, intense flavour, and thick, persistent crema. This comes from high-quality Robusta beans combined with premium Arabica varieties like Brazilian and Guatemalan. The Robusta creates that dense, stable microfoam and delivers the body you're after.

However, Robusta extracts faster and more aggressively than Arabica. Darker roasts are even more soluble, releasing their flavour compounds (including bitter ones) much more quickly than lighter coffees. This is the single most important thing to understand about these coffees. Apply standard espresso recipes optimised for 100% Arabica and you'll pull through harsh, bitter compounds that ruin the shot.

The fix: shorter extraction times, tighter ratios, and cooler temperatures. These adjustments capture the sweetness and body whilst aggressively preventing over-extraction. Understand this core principle and everything else makes sense.

Understanding the Caffé Prima Range

Our four blends form a gradient from balanced medium roast to intensely dark, with crema performance increasing as you move up the scale.

Crema Strength Rankings

Italian Mahogany (Very Thick, Oily) – 5+ Minutes
The champion. Highest Robusta concentration, producing remarkably thick, persistent crema lasting over 5 minutes. Deep mahogany-brown colour, almost caramel. Dense and stable. Your showpiece coffee for customers who judge espresso by crema quality.

Continental (Rich, Persistent) – 4-5 Minutes
Monsooned Robusta creates abundant, creamy head lasting 4-5 minutes. Slightly lighter than Italian Mahogany (more hazelnut than mahogany) but impressively stable. The monsooning process produces exceptionally low-acid coffee with rich cocoa and hazelnut notes.

Roma (Thick, Velvety) – 3-4 Minutes
Thick, golden-brown crema holding 3-4 minutes. Smooth, velvety appearance complementing the coffee's citrus-to-nut flavour profile. Reliably consistent across different machine types.

Espresso (Moderate) – 2-3 Minutes
Moderate, golden-brown crema persisting 2-3 minutes. Classic Italian espresso colour (lighter and more golden than darker roasts). Traditional visual and textural experience from a balanced medium roast.

Choosing Your Coffee for Your Machine

If you are using a super-automatic (bean-to-cup), oil content matters. Excessive surface oils clog internal grinders and brewing components.

Excellent for Bean-to-Cup: Espresso, Roma, Continental

All three deliver signature body and crema without heavy oil content. Medium and medium-dark roasts have enough natural oils for great crema without gumming up your grinder. Want hassle-free, consistent espresso from your automatic? Stick with these three.

Acceptable for Bean-to-Cup: Italian Mahogany (Monthly Maintenance Required)

Italian Mahogany works in super-automatics but requires commitment. High external oil content builds up fast. Run the dedicated cleaning tablet cycle monthly (not quarterly). This dissolves oils before they impair the grinder or clog the brewing unit. Not prepared to do this? Use Continental for dark-roast flavour that's more forgiving.

For Semi-Automatic Users

Sage Barista Express, Gaggia Classic, Rancilio Silvia, or similar? All four coffees work beautifully. You have full control over extraction parameters.

How to Use This Guide

Dialling in a specific coffee? Jump to that coffee's section, then reference troubleshooting as needed.

Choosing between coffees? Start with crema ranking and machine compatibility above.

New to these coffees? Read through once to understand the core principle (shorter, cooler, more concentrated), then work through parameters systematically.

Quick Reference: Caffé Prima Extraction Parameters

Grind Size Guide

Grind size controls water resistance through your coffee puck. Get it right and your shot flows smoothly. Get it wrong and you'll either rush through (sour, thin) or stall out (bitter, over-extracted).

Your shot should start flowing 5-8 seconds after the pump engages. Starts immediately? Too coarse. Takes more than 10 seconds? Too fine.

Espresso Beans (Medium Roast)
Standard fine espresso grind. Finish between 28-32 seconds total. Bean-to-cup users: start at medium-fine and adjust based on taste.

Roma Coffee Beans (Medium Roast)
Fine grind, but you may go fractionally coarser than Espresso if shots run slow. Target: 26-30 seconds. Roma's balanced composition is forgiving, but you need enough resistance for that velvety texture.

Continental Blend (Medium-Dark Roast)
Here's the shift. Darker and more porous, so water penetrates faster. Set grinder slightly coarser than medium roasts. Target: 24-28 seconds (noticeably quicker). Monsooned Robusta is naturally low in acidity, so you don't need longer extraction. Runs past 28 seconds? Coarsen. Under 22 seconds? Go finer.

Italian Mahogany Coffee Blend (Dark Roast)
Coarsest grind of the four. Target: very short extraction of 22-26 seconds. Highly soluble beans give up flavour rapidly, including bitterness if you let it run too long. Coarser grind keeps water moving, capturing cinder-toffee sweetness without harsh, ashy notes.

Adjustment Protocol

Adjust in small increments (one or two clicks). Test, then adjust again if needed. Too fast (under 22 seconds)? Grind finer. Chokes (over 32 seconds)? Grind coarser. Make one change at a time. Always weigh your output to confirm.

Dose, Ratio & Extraction Time Targets

Caffé Prima is designed for Ristretto-style extractions: concentrated, full-bodied shots stopping before bitter compounds dominate. Less water relative to dose, creating tighter ratios than standard 1:2.

Always weigh dose and output using a digital scale. Volumetric measurements (ml) aren't reliable because crema varies.

Espresso (Medium Roast)
Dose: 18.0g | Yield: 36.0g | Ratio: 1:2.0 | Time: 28-32s

Most traditional profile. Starting point for understanding these coffees. Shot tastes flat or lacks body? Pull slightly shorter (32-34g yield) to increase concentration.

Roma (Medium Roast)
Dose: 18.0g | Yield: 32.5g | Ratio: 1:1.8 | Time: 26-30s

Tighter ratio emphasises smooth, velvety texture and nutty finish. Citrus notes too sharp? Pull longer (towards 34g) to round out acidity.

Continental (Medium-Dark Roast)
Dose: 18.5g | Yield: 30.0g | Ratio: 1:1.6 | Time: 24-28s

Proper Ristretto. Higher dose (18.5g) increases puck density for more structure and body in shorter extraction. Monsooned Robusta is naturally low in acidity, so no need to push yield higher. Stop at 30g for rich cocoa and hazelnut with excellent crema persistence.

Italian Mahogany (Dark Roast)
Dose: 19.0g | Yield: 28.5g | Ratio: 1:1.5 | Time: 22-26s

Most concentrated extraction. High Robusta content and dark roast mean pull short and fast to avoid bitterness. 19g dose provides structural integrity for rapid water flow whilst maintaining body. Getting ashy or burnt flavours? Running too long. Stop at 26-28g instead.

Temperature Settings

Darker roasts extract faster and are more prone to bitterness at high temperatures. Robusta amplifies this. The range requires progressively cooler brew temperatures moving from medium to dark.

Espresso (Medium): 93-94°C
Standard starting point. Most domestic machines (Sage, Gaggia, DeLonghi) run in this range by default.

Roma (Medium): 92-93°C
Slightly cooler to manage Robusta oil solubility. Can adjust PID or group head? Drop 1-2°C from usual setting.

Continental (Medium-Dark): 90-92°C
Sweet spot for Monsooned Robusta. Naturally low acidity means you don't need higher heat to combat sourness. This cooler range maximises body and sweetness without harsh bitterness.

Italian Mahogany (Dark): 89-91°C
Lowest temperature. Essential for preventing over-extraction in this highly soluble dark roast. Above 91°C pulls through burnt, ashy flavours. Machine runs hot and you can't adjust? Pre-flush the group head 3-4 seconds before locking in to cool things down.

For Machines Without Temperature Control

Most domestic machines run 92-94°C. Works well for Espresso and Roma but may be slightly hot for Continental and Italian Mahogany. Can't adjust temperature?

1. Ensure thorough preheating. Run a blank shot, warm portafilter and cup. Cold equipment drops brew temperature and causes under-extraction.

2. For darker roasts, pre-flush: run water through group head 3-4 seconds before locking in to drop temperature 1-2°C.

3. Rely on grind and ratio adjustments. Getting bitterness from Italian Mahogany? Coarsen grind and pull shorter.

Troubleshooting 

Weak or Thin Crema

Crema relies on trapped CO₂, which dissipates over time. Disappears in under 20 seconds?

Check coffee freshness. Verify roast date, use within four weeks of opening. Store in airtight container away from heat and light.

Ensure full preheating. Cold machine, group head, or portafilter drops brew temperature below 88°C, causing incomplete extraction and minimal crema. Run a blank shot to warm the system.

Verify extraction speed. Shot running too fast or too slow destabilises pressure needed for stable crema. Adjust grind to hit target time.

Bitter or Burnt Taste

Over-extraction. Shot running too long, pulling through harsh compounds.

Check extraction time. Over 32 seconds? Grind too fine. Coarsen slightly to speed flow.

Lower brew temperature. Continental and Italian Mahogany particularly need cooler ranges (90-92°C and 89-91°C). These darker roasts should never brew above 92°C.

Review tamping. Uneven or overly aggressive tamping causes channeling (water finding weak spots, over-extracting localised areas). Aim for level, consistent tamping at around 15kg pressure.

Bean-to-cup users: Using Italian Mahogany with persistent bitterness? Internal grinder may be clogged with coffee oils. Run cleaning tablet cycle.

Sour or Under-Extracted Taste

Insufficient extraction. Not pulling enough sugars and body to balance natural acids.

Grind finer. Finishes under 22 seconds? Increase resistance by grinding finer to extend contact time.

Increase yield. If grinding finer doesn't fix it, try increasing yield slightly (e.g., from 28.5g to 32g for Italian Mahogany). More water dissolves more solids, balancing sharpness.

Verify preheating. Under-extraction often happens when equipment isn't fully saturated. Ensure machine reached operating temperature.

For medium roasts: If sourness persists in Espresso or Roma, consider raising brew temperature slightly within 92-94°C range for better extraction efficiency.

Inconsistent Results on Bean-to-Cup Machines

Super-automatics are brilliant for convenience but require attention to bean characteristics and maintenance.

If you use Italian Mahogany and experience erratic shots,  usually it means grinder clogging from coffee oils. High external oil content builds up rapidly in grinder burrs and brewing unit. Run cleaning tablet cycle monthly (not quarterly). Non-negotiable for dark roasts.

Adjust grind setting when switching between coffees. Don't assume same setting works for all four.

Descaling: UK water varies significantly by region. Hard water areas (Southeast, East Anglia) require descaling every 2-3 months. Softer water areas (Scotland, Northwest) can extend to 4-6 months. Check machine's hardness sensor if equipped. For more details, head to our guide on UK water hardness for coffee preparation. 

Conclusion

Caffé Prima's espresso range delivers proper Italian espresso: rich body, intense flavour, and thick, persistent crema. Getting there consistently at home or in your café isn't complicated. It's understanding how Robusta-rich, darker-roasted coffees behave and adjusting extraction accordingly.

The adjustments in this guide (shorter extraction times, tighter ratios, cooler temperatures) are direct responses to specific composition and roast profiles. Once you've dialled in parameters for your chosen coffee, results are remarkably consistent.

Start with recommended settings in the quick reference table. Make small adjustments based on taste. Trust your palate. Use this guide as your baseline and you'll be pulling café-quality shots in no time.