Robert Oster Caffe Crema: Fountain Pen Ink Review

Robert Oster Caffe Crema Fountain Pen Ink bottle, writing sample and swab on pale wood background

Robert Oster Caffe Crema is one of the most satisfying brown inks around. With nice flow, excellent shading, and a color reminiscent of a beautifully poured latte, it's a modern classic. To see more of the rich color and variation, read on!

Robert Oster Caffe Crema fountain pen ink writing sample on white dot grid paper

Robert Oster Caffe Crema fountain pen ink writing sample on white blank paper

Robert Oster Caffe Crema fountain pen ink writing sample on cream colored dot grid paper

Ink Review

Supplies Used:

LAMY AL-star with medium steel nib
Rhodia No. 16 dot pad, 80g white paper
Tomoé River 52 gsm white paper
Leuchtturm1917 80g notebook

Smear Test (Dry Time):

10-15 seconds – Caffe Crema dries pretty fast! In the medium nib it was a bit slower — expect faster times in your thinner nibs, but even with a stub nib it's not going to take too long to dry.

Drip Test (Water Resistance):

Low – No water resistance at all. If you think your writing is going to get wet, this is an ink you should avoid.

Saturation:

Medium – As you can see, swab 1 is relatively light and you've got better and heavier coloration in the third swab, so this ink is pretty saturated with higher amounts of ink on the page.

Ease of Cleaning:

Easy – Very easy ink to clean from the pen like most lighter colors.

Shading:

High – Lovely shading and a really nice tone in both the lighter and darker hues. More subtle shading with a thinner nib, but again, with a stub or broad nib you will see shading on pretty much all paper.

Flow:

Medium – Not too wet and not too dry. Robert Oster's shading inks seem to have a very well behaved and middle of the road flow that works nicely in most pens.

Packaging and Aesthetics:

Robert Oster Signature Inks are handmade in Australia. The recyclable PET bottles are manufactured in Australia's first carbon neutral plastics plant.

Robert Oster Caffe Crema Bottle with ink swab If you're interested in similar colors, check out our Swab Shop where you can compare colors side by side.

Summary:

This rich brown ink is great for professional or personal use. It's a good writing ink, but doesn't stay wet for too long, which makes it good for on the go writing as well as longer writing sessions. With a slight orange undertone, this is a warm brown that works during any season, and for any reason. Add this ink to your collection if you want a stable, well behaved ink!

Robert Oster Caffe Crema fountain pen ink sample