diff --git a/src/mrpro/operators/CartesianSamplingOp.py b/src/mrpro/operators/CartesianSamplingOp.py
index 07f8aba6..47c71c77 100644
--- a/src/mrpro/operators/CartesianSamplingOp.py
+++ b/src/mrpro/operators/CartesianSamplingOp.py
@@ -212,3 +212,69 @@ def _broadcast_and_scatter_along_last_dim(
         ).scatter_(dim=-1, index=idx_expanded, src=data_to_scatter)
 
         return data_scattered
+
+    @property
+    def gram(self) -> 'CartesianSamplingGramOp':
+        """Return the Gram operator for this Cartesian Sampling Operator.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+            Gram operator for this Cartesian Sampling Operator
+        """
+        return CartesianSamplingGramOp(self)
+
+
+class CartesianSamplingGramOp(LinearOperator):
+    """Gram operator for Cartesian Sampling Operator.
+
+    The Gram operator is the composition CartesianSamplingOp.H @ CartesianSamplingOp.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, sampling_op: CartesianSamplingOp):
+        """Initialize Cartesian Sampling Gram Operator class.
+
+        This should not be used directly, but rather through the `gram` method of a
+        :class:`mrpro.operator.CartesianSamplingOp` object.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        sampling_op
+            The Cartesian Sampling Operator for which to create the Gram operator.
+        """
+        super().__init__()
+        if sampling_op._needs_indexing:
+            ones = torch.ones(*sampling_op._trajectory_shape[:-3], 1, *sampling_op._sorted_grid_shape.zyx)
+            (mask,) = sampling_op.adjoint(*sampling_op.forward(ones))
+            self.register_buffer('_mask', mask)
+        else:
+            self._mask: torch.Tensor | None = None
+
+    def forward(self, x: torch.Tensor) -> tuple[torch.Tensor,]:
+        """Apply the Gram operator.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        x
+            Input data
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+            Output data
+        """
+        if self._mask is None:
+            return (x,)
+        return (x * self._mask,)
+
+    def adjoint(self, y: torch.Tensor) -> tuple[torch.Tensor,]:
+        """Apply the adjoint of the Gram operator.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        y
+            Input data
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+            Output data
+        """
+        return self.forward(y)
diff --git a/src/mrpro/operators/FourierOp.py b/src/mrpro/operators/FourierOp.py
index cacdda1d..a3e81aba 100644
--- a/src/mrpro/operators/FourierOp.py
+++ b/src/mrpro/operators/FourierOp.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """Fourier Operator."""
 
 from collections.abc import Sequence
+from itertools import product
 
 import numpy as np
 import torch
@@ -223,3 +224,163 @@ def adjoint(self, x: torch.Tensor) -> tuple[torch.Tensor,]:
             x = x.permute(*unpermute)
 
         return (x,)
+
+    @property
+    def gram(self) -> LinearOperator:
+        """Return the gram operator."""
+        return FourierGramOp(self)
+
+
+def symmetrize(kernel: torch.Tensor, rank: int) -> torch.Tensor:
+    """Enforce hermitian symmetry on the kernel. Returns only half of the kernel."""
+    flipped = kernel.clone()
+    for d in range(-rank, 0):
+        flipped = flipped.index_select(d, -1 * torch.arange(flipped.shape[d], device=flipped.device) % flipped.size(d))
+    kernel = (kernel + flipped.conj()) / 2
+    last_len = kernel.shape[-1]
+    return kernel[..., : last_len // 2 + 1]
+
+
+def gram_nufft_kernel(weight: torch.Tensor, trajectory: torch.Tensor, recon_shape: Sequence[int]) -> torch.Tensor:
+    """Calculate the convolution kernel for the NUFFT gram operator.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    weight
+        either ones or density compensation weights
+    trajectory
+        k-space trajectory
+    recon_shape
+        shape of the reconstructed image
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    kernel
+        real valued convolution kernel for the NUFFT gram operator, already in Fourier space
+    """
+    rank = trajectory.shape[-2]
+    if rank != len(recon_shape):
+        raise ValueError('Rank of trajectory and image size must match.')
+    # Instead of doing one adjoint nufft with double the recon size in all dimensions,
+    # we do two adjoint nuffts per dimensions, saving a lot of memory.
+    adjnufft_ob = KbNufftAdjoint(im_size=recon_shape, n_shift=[0] * rank).to(trajectory)
+
+    kernel = adjnufft_ob(weight, trajectory)  # this will be the top left ... corner block
+    pad = []
+    for s in kernel.shape[: -rank - 1 : -1]:
+        pad.extend([0, s])
+    kernel = torch.nn.functional.pad(kernel, pad)  # twice the size in all dimensions
+
+    for flips in list(product([1, -1], repeat=rank)):
+        if all(flip == 1 for flip in flips):
+            # top left ... block already processed before padding
+            continue
+        flipped_trajectory = trajectory * torch.tensor(flips).to(trajectory).unsqueeze(-1)
+        kernel_part = adjnufft_ob(weight, flipped_trajectory)
+        slices = []  # which part of the kernel to is currently being processed
+        for dim, flip in zip(range(-rank, 0), flips, strict=True):
+            if flip > 0:  # first half in the dimension
+                slices.append(slice(0, kernel_part.size(dim)))
+            else:  # second half in the dimension
+                slices.append(slice(kernel_part.size(dim) + 1, None))
+                kernel_part = kernel_part.index_select(dim, torch.arange(kernel_part.size(dim) - 1, 0, -1))  # flip
+
+        kernel[[..., *slices]] = kernel_part
+
+    kernel = symmetrize(kernel, rank)
+    kernel = torch.fft.hfftn(kernel, dim=list(range(-rank, 0)), norm='backward')
+    kernel /= kernel.shape[-rank:].numel()
+    kernel = torch.fft.fftshift(kernel, dim=list(range(-rank, 0)))
+    return kernel
+
+
+class FourierGramOp(LinearOperator):
+    """Gram operator for the Fourier operator.
+
+    Implements the adjoint of the forward operator of the Fourier operator, i.e. the gram operator
+    `F.H@F.
+
+    Uses a convolution, implemented as multiplication in Fourier space, to calculate the gram operator
+    for the toeplitz NUFFT operator.
+
+    Uses a multiplication with a binary mask in Fourier space to calculate the gram operator for
+    the Cartesian FFT operator
+
+    This Operator is only used internally and should not be used directly.
+    Instead, consider using the `gram` property of :class: `mrpro.operators.FourierOp`.
+    """
+
+    _kernel: torch.Tensor | None
+
+    def __init__(self, fourier_op: FourierOp) -> None:
+        """Initialize the gram operator.
+
+        If density compensation weights are provided, they the operator
+        F.H@dcf@F is calculated.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        fourier_op
+            the Fourier operator to calculate the gram operator for
+
+        """
+        super().__init__()
+        if fourier_op._nufft_dims and fourier_op._omega is not None:
+            weight = torch.ones_like(fourier_op._omega[..., :1, :, :, :])
+            keep_dims = [-4, *fourier_op._nufft_dims]  # -4 is coil
+            permute = [i for i in range(-weight.ndim, 0) if i not in keep_dims] + keep_dims
+            unpermute = np.argsort(permute)
+            weight = weight.permute(*permute)
+            weight_unflattend_shape = weight.shape
+            weight = weight.flatten(end_dim=-len(keep_dims) - 1).flatten(start_dim=-len(keep_dims) + 1)
+            weight = weight + 0j
+            omega = fourier_op._omega.permute(*permute)
+            omega = omega.flatten(end_dim=-len(keep_dims) - 1).flatten(start_dim=-len(keep_dims) + 1)
+            kernel = gram_nufft_kernel(weight, omega, fourier_op._nufft_im_size)
+            kernel = kernel.reshape(*weight_unflattend_shape[: -len(keep_dims)], *kernel.shape[-len(keep_dims) :])
+            kernel = kernel.permute(*unpermute)
+            fft = FastFourierOp(
+                dim=fourier_op._nufft_dims,
+                encoding_matrix=[2 * s for s in fourier_op._nufft_im_size],
+                recon_matrix=fourier_op._nufft_im_size,
+            )
+            self.nufft_gram: None | LinearOperator = fft.H * kernel @ fft
+        else:
+            self.nufft_gram = None
+
+        if fourier_op._fast_fourier_op is not None and fourier_op._cart_sampling_op is not None:
+            self.fast_fourier_gram: None | LinearOperator = (
+                fourier_op._fast_fourier_op.H @ fourier_op._cart_sampling_op.gram @ fourier_op._fast_fourier_op
+            )
+        else:
+            self.fast_fourier_gram = None
+
+    def forward(self, x: torch.Tensor) -> tuple[torch.Tensor,]:
+        """Apply the operator to the input tensor.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        x
+            input tensor, shape (..., coils, z, y, x)
+        """
+        if self.nufft_gram is not None:
+            (x,) = self.nufft_gram(x)
+
+        if self.fast_fourier_gram is not None:
+            (x,) = self.fast_fourier_gram(x)
+        return (x,)
+
+    def adjoint(self, x: torch.Tensor) -> tuple[torch.Tensor,]:
+        """Apply the adjoint operator to the input tensor.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        x
+            input tensor, shape (..., coils, k2, k1, k0)
+        """
+        return self.forward(x)
+
+    @property
+    def H(self) -> Self:  # noqa: N802
+        """Adjoint operator of the gram operator."""
+        return self
diff --git a/src/mrpro/utils/zero_pad_or_crop.py b/src/mrpro/utils/zero_pad_or_crop.py
index 42adda43..23fb3959 100644
--- a/src/mrpro/utils/zero_pad_or_crop.py
+++ b/src/mrpro/utils/zero_pad_or_crop.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def zero_pad_or_crop(
     new_shape: Sequence[int] | torch.Size,
     dim: None | Sequence[int] = None,
 ) -> torch.Tensor:
-    """Change shape of data by cropping or zero-padding.
+    """Change shape of data by center cropping or symmetric zero-padding.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
diff --git a/tests/operators/test_cartesian_sampling_op.py b/tests/operators/test_cartesian_sampling_op.py
index 49959f91..0fd32021 100644
--- a/tests/operators/test_cartesian_sampling_op.py
+++ b/tests/operators/test_cartesian_sampling_op.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from einops import rearrange
 from mrpro.data import KTrajectory, SpatialDimension
 from mrpro.operators import CartesianSamplingOp
+from typing_extensions import Unpack
 
 from tests import RandomGenerator, dotproduct_adjointness_test
 from tests.conftest import create_traj
@@ -50,33 +51,11 @@ def test_cart_sampling_op_data_match():
     torch.testing.assert_close(kdata[:, :, ::2, ::4, ::3], k_sub[:, :, ::2, ::4, ::3])
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    'sampling',
-    [
-        'random',
-        'partial_echo',
-        'partial_fourier',
-        'regular_undersampling',
-        'random_undersampling',
-        'different_random_undersampling',
-        'cartesian_and_non_cartesian',
-        'kx_ky_along_k0',
-        'kx_ky_along_k0_undersampling',
-    ],
-)
-def test_cart_sampling_op_fwd_adj(sampling):
-    """Test adjoint property of Cartesian sampling operator."""
-
-    # Create 3D uniform trajectory
-    k_shape = (2, 5, 20, 40, 60)
-    nkx = (2, 1, 1, 60)
-    nky = (2, 1, 40, 1)
-    nkz = (2, 20, 1, 1)
-    type_kx = 'uniform'
-    type_ky = 'non-uniform' if sampling == 'cartesian_and_non_cartesian' else 'uniform'
-    type_kz = 'non-uniform' if sampling == 'cartesian_and_non_cartesian' else 'uniform'
-    trajectory_tensor = create_traj(k_shape, nkx, nky, nkz, type_kx, type_ky, type_kz).as_tensor()
-
+def subsample_traj(
+    trajectory: KTrajectory, sampling: str, k_shape: tuple[int, int, int, Unpack[tuple[int, ...]]]
+) -> KTrajectory:
+    """Subsample trajectory based on sampling type."""
+    trajectory_tensor = trajectory.as_tensor()
     # Subsample data and trajectory
     match sampling:
         case 'random':
@@ -108,6 +87,36 @@ def test_cart_sampling_op_fwd_adj(sampling):
             trajectory = KTrajectory.from_tensor(trajectory_tensor[..., random_idx[: trajectory_tensor.shape[-1] // 2]])
         case _:
             raise NotImplementedError(f'Test {sampling} not implemented.')
+    return trajectory
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'sampling',
+    [
+        'random',
+        'partial_echo',
+        'partial_fourier',
+        'regular_undersampling',
+        'random_undersampling',
+        'different_random_undersampling',
+        'cartesian_and_non_cartesian',
+        'kx_ky_along_k0',
+        'kx_ky_along_k0_undersampling',
+    ],
+)
+def test_cart_sampling_op_fwd_adj(sampling):
+    """Test adjoint property of Cartesian sampling operator."""
+
+    # Create 3D uniform trajectory
+    k_shape = (2, 5, 20, 40, 60)
+    nkx = (2, 1, 1, 60)
+    nky = (2, 1, 40, 1)
+    nkz = (2, 20, 1, 1)
+    type_kx = 'uniform'
+    type_ky = 'non-uniform' if sampling == 'cartesian_and_non_cartesian' else 'uniform'
+    type_kz = 'non-uniform' if sampling == 'cartesian_and_non_cartesian' else 'uniform'
+    trajectory = create_traj(k_shape, nkx, nky, nkz, type_kx, type_ky, type_kz)
+    trajectory = subsample_traj(trajectory, sampling, k_shape)
 
     encoding_matrix = SpatialDimension(k_shape[-3], k_shape[-2], k_shape[-1])
     sampling_op = CartesianSamplingOp(encoding_matrix=encoding_matrix, traj=trajectory)
@@ -119,6 +128,42 @@ def test_cart_sampling_op_fwd_adj(sampling):
     dotproduct_adjointness_test(sampling_op, u, v)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'sampling',
+    [
+        'random',
+        'partial_echo',
+        'partial_fourier',
+        'regular_undersampling',
+        'random_undersampling',
+        'different_random_undersampling',
+        'cartesian_and_non_cartesian',
+        'kx_ky_along_k0',
+        'kx_ky_along_k0_undersampling',
+    ],
+)
+def test_cart_sampling_op_gram(sampling):
+    """Test adjoint gram of Cartesian sampling operator."""
+
+    # Create 3D uniform trajectory
+    k_shape = (2, 5, 20, 40, 60)
+    nkx = (2, 1, 1, 60)
+    nky = (2, 1, 40, 1)
+    nkz = (2, 20, 1, 1)
+    type_kx = 'uniform'
+    type_ky = 'non-uniform' if sampling == 'cartesian_and_non_cartesian' else 'uniform'
+    type_kz = 'non-uniform' if sampling == 'cartesian_and_non_cartesian' else 'uniform'
+    trajectory = create_traj(k_shape, nkx, nky, nkz, type_kx, type_ky, type_kz)
+    trajectory = subsample_traj(trajectory, sampling, k_shape)
+
+    encoding_matrix = SpatialDimension(k_shape[-3], k_shape[-2], k_shape[-1])
+    sampling_op = CartesianSamplingOp(encoding_matrix=encoding_matrix, traj=trajectory)
+    u = RandomGenerator(seed=0).complex64_tensor(size=k_shape)
+    (expected,) = (sampling_op.H @ sampling_op)(u)
+    (actual,) = sampling_op.gram(u)
+    torch.testing.assert_close(actual, expected, rtol=1e-3, atol=1e-3)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(('k2_min', 'k2_max'), [(-1, 21), (-21, 1)])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(('k0_min', 'k0_max'), [(-6, 13), (-13, 6)])
 def test_cart_sampling_op_oversampling(k0_min, k0_max, k2_min, k2_max):
diff --git a/tests/operators/test_fourier_op.py b/tests/operators/test_fourier_op.py
index 826ea24f..c7c58c26 100644
--- a/tests/operators/test_fourier_op.py
+++ b/tests/operators/test_fourier_op.py
@@ -48,6 +48,25 @@ def test_fourier_op_fwd_adj_property(
     dotproduct_adjointness_test(fourier_op, u, v)
 
 
+@COMMON_MR_TRAJECTORIES
+def test_fourier_op_gram(im_shape, k_shape, nkx, nky, nkz, type_kx, type_ky, type_kz, type_k0, type_k1, type_k2):
+    """Test gram of Fourier operator."""
+    img, trajectory = create_data(im_shape, k_shape, nkx, nky, nkz, type_kx, type_ky, type_kz)
+
+    recon_matrix = SpatialDimension(im_shape[-3], im_shape[-2], im_shape[-1])
+    encoding_matrix = SpatialDimension(
+        int(trajectory.kz.max() - trajectory.kz.min() + 1),
+        int(trajectory.ky.max() - trajectory.ky.min() + 1),
+        int(trajectory.kx.max() - trajectory.kx.min() + 1),
+    )
+    fourier_op = FourierOp(recon_matrix=recon_matrix, encoding_matrix=encoding_matrix, traj=trajectory)
+
+    (expected,) = (fourier_op.H @ fourier_op)(img)
+    (actual,) = fourier_op.gram(img)
+
+    torch.testing.assert_close(actual, expected, rtol=1e-3, atol=1e-3)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ('im_shape', 'k_shape', 'nkx', 'nky', 'nkz', 'type_kx', 'type_ky', 'type_kz'),  # parameter names
     [