All,
Thanks in advance for any help. I'm using a Quick Mill Anita Evo and am not getting very thick crema. My pull times are good, so I don't think it is an extraction issue. I am also using quality fresh beans. However, I have been using medium roast, non-espresso beans. Would using non-espresso beans be the problem? Also, since my crema isn't very thick, could this account for why I can't even remotely get milk art to stay on the surface?
Thanks,
Greg

Would using non-espresso beans be the problem?

Yes and no. Different beans produce differing amounts of crema. Also, as a particular bean ages, the amount of crema generally decreases. Espresso blends sometimes incorporate some robusta. They do this for a few reasons, among which is robusta tends to produce more crema. Other reasons it is used are robusta is cheaper, and because it contains nearly twice as much caffeine (in darker roasts, traditional for espresso, some caffeine is lost to the angels share).

Also, since my crema isn't very thick, could this account for why I can't even remotely get milk art to stay on the surface?

I don't think so. It more likely has to do with the quality of your textured milk. Clive Coffee has a good article here https://clivecoffee.com/blogs/learn/the ... eamed-milk. I've found that pouring some of the textured milk into the coffee from a slight height makes a milk/coffee mixture that floats milk better than the espresso shot alone. After that, I lower the jug to create my 'art' (I can get it to float, but I ain't no artiste!

Just to clarify...

"Freshly roasted" means roasted within the past two - three weeks.

You didn't mention your grinder, proper grind setting will affect crema production, as will bean age, water temperature (and chemical composition), and machine pressure.

As for pouring art...milk steaming technique is very important in achieving proper texture for pouring

The barista skills you bring to the table are also a huge variable.

In my experience the crema has very very little bearing on the latte art. Due to the beans I currently use, my crema dissipates fairly quickly. I can still pour a perfectly fine looking rosetta. In fact, I quite often swirl my shot around a bit to break up the crema as I find it it'll make for a more even looking pour. What the crema potentially adds though is more contrast. I find I have less contrast between my art and the surrounding coffee when my crema is low. It's just a bit more muted visually.

It's all about the milk texture.

Hi again,
I was thinking about my reply to you when making our morning cappuccinos. One important thing about the milk is to vigorously move the foaming jug around in a little circle before pouring (I hold it flat on the counter when doing this to avoid spillage). It makes a huge difference in the 'floatability'. Alternatively, pour your foamed milk back and forth a time or two between two jugs. It has the same effect.