ESPRESSO is Italian language and this word mean: DO IT AT THE MOMENT also the coffee blends for Espresso are italian and nobody can do the same as ours blends for ESPRESSO because Italians are specializing in blends for ESPRESSO, italians roasters have 70 years of experience and more, This experience has enabled us to select the best blends for espresso in a worldwide.
90% arabica and 10% robusta or 100% arabica are always the best blends but here in Italy we have too many roasters.
segafredo have only the extra strong blend 90/10
pellini oro blend 90/10 and top arabica 100%
lavazza only the blu blend 90/10
illy have only one blend 98/2


this is the biggest coffee roasters in the north east and the more important in Italy, please not considered other blends of these roasters if you are interested in a tasting if we talk about quality, attention to the coffee here in Italy is very territorial, each region has its own coffee blends; but the four I mentioned are the largest in Italy.
coffee is considered fresh within three months of roasting.
I like musetti caffè from Piacenza this coffee is the best in my city.

coffee is considered fresh within three months of roasting.

Today we have coffee innovative conservation methods so is not a problem.
The process of pressurized cans and the introduction of inert gas inside the can containing coffee is used
to preserve aroma and flavor for a long time without any problem, many Italians roasters are using this method to export their coffee worldwide Illy was the first to using this method with great success.

bozzawa wrote:coffee is considered fresh within three months of roasting.

OK. bozzawa is certainly very enthusiastic about local Italian blends and really so am I. But I will not go as far as stating that coffee is still fresh after 3 months. That is not true. It is no longer fresh. It still is good to me after 3 months and that is a testimony to the iltalian blender that I like (not all of them) but it is not fresh!
Or is it a testimony that I like the taste of stale Italian vacuum, nitrogen flushed espresso packed 3 months ago.

Essentially I am saying (please do not crucify me for this) that I still can find coffee that has been roasted 3 months ago and like it more than some of the coffee roasted/blended locally. As bozzawa as mentioned; the Italians (at least some of them) have come up with a knowledge about blending that is valuable to my taste.

Nonetheless, the Italian blends do taste different than the north American blends. I will go as far as to be specific about the United states blend. Montreal (Canada) has a strong Italian community that tends to replicate the Italian style. For what it is worth, I am trying to replicate that style in my lame little garage coffee roasting lab with no great success.

bozzawa wrote:Today we have coffee innovative conservation methods so is not a problem.
The process of pressurized cans and the introduction of inert gas inside the can containing coffee is used
to preserve aroma and flavor for a long time without any problem, many Italians roasters are using this method to export their coffee worldwide Illy was the first to using this method with great success.

Yes, well . . . welcome to Home Barista, Paolo.

Starbucks enjoys great success, too, but very few people consider their coffee to be fresh . . . let alone excellent.

thank you zin1953 i don't know what is Starbucks i got to read on wikipedia i don't know how they work the coffee and which kind of coffee they have, also here in Italy we got mcdonald's but the hamburger is not the same as i eat in USA

Whale wrote: Essentially I am saying (please do not crucify me for this) that I still can find coffee that has been roasted 3 months ago and like it more than some of the coffee roasted/blended locally. As bozzawa as mentioned; the Italians (at least some of them) have come up with a knowledge about blending that is valuable to my taste.

HA HA HA HA HA!!! I like your slant on things, Whale! What you say here reminds me of one of my favorite posts on the old Daniel Ho forum from about 10 years back:

RULEZ FOR ESPRESSO

When I was young (that's about two years ago suddenly all my *cool* friends got una pavoni, and so did I (wasn't it cool?). Me and my friends learned to handle their handles, followed different schools, some gave up. So here are the results:

*You should grind very fine. If you feel like doing so.

*Cleanliness is important, but not necessary for a good ristretto.

*A good cafe espresso takes about 15 to 60 seconds, maybe less, sometimes more.

*Thermostat is nonsense, we are sure (that's why we bridged it)

*The water should be as clear as...water...definitely.

*La Pavoni is designed junk, and beautiful.

Well...I liked it anyway. And I suspect this sort of laid back attitude applies to roasted coffee, too. This is somewhat ironic for me to say because I've been an avid home roaster since Sweet Maria's first opened shop in Emeryville precisely because I have a fetish for fresh roasted coffee. Nevertheless, when it comes to all things pertaining to Western civilization, I usually defer to the Italians because...well...they pretty much invented Western civilization...including espresso. No?

RioCruz wrote:RULEZ FOR ESPRESSO

When I was young (that's about two years ago suddenly all my *cool* friends got una pavoni, and so did I (wasn't it cool?). Me and my friends learned to handle their handles, followed different schools, some gave up. So here are the results:

*You should grind very fine. If you feel like doing so.

*Cleanliness is important, but not necessary for a good ristretto.

*A good cafe espresso takes about 15 to 60 seconds, maybe less, sometimes more.

*Thermostat is nonsense, we are sure (that's why we bridged it)

*The water should be as clear as...water...definitely.

*La Pavoni is designed junk, and beautiful.

RioCruz wrote:And I suspect this sort of laid back attitude applies to roasted coffee, too.

I like these rules... and the attitude that is implied by it. I try hard too learn but I also try hard not to worry and stress (I said try!!! ) over what is essentially a pleasurable experience. Now, if Sunday's roast had gone better it would be a more pleasurable experience...

RioCruz wrote:well...they pretty much invented Western civilization...including espresso. No?

while you Americans were committed to go for first on the moon we thought the Italian espresso.
Is better to drink good coffee then only a fresh coffee.
The word espresso is Italian or you want to change also our language to a fresh one?

I normally purchase freshly roasted beans. Freshness is one of the major factors in producing a good espresso. However, freshness is not the only factor. I have purchased some freshly roasted blends or single origin coffee that I did not care for and would not purchase again.

Not too long ago I purchased a can of Illy whole beans. The espresso that I made with those beans upon opening the can was enjoyable. I am a big fan of Italian coffee blends. I love the chocolate and caramel nuances those blends produce. The problem with the Illy beans was that they rapidly degraded upon opening, and within a few days were not that good.

Thus, when I purchase beans for my espresso and cappuccino I look to certain beans from my local roaster, or when I want to splurge a little more I will get some Counter Culture beans like Toscano. If I cannot get the local beans I like, have no Counter Culture beans on hand, and will use the bean fairly quickly, I would prefer something like the Illy beans to freshly roasted beans I do not care for. I would love to get some Italian coffee blends freshly roasted though, that would be the best!