by canto on Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:19 am zin1953 wrote:Paolo, you are not the only person who loves Italian-roasted espresso blends such as Illy, Lavazza, etc. All I can say is that is has nothing to do with the word "espresso" or la bella lingua che è italiano, and everything to do with freshness.
As Ken (kenntak) said above,
Most -- but by no means all -- of the North Americans on this site buy their beans from speciality micro-roasters, either in a store or via the internet; either way, the coffee arrives within days (not months) of being roasted. For example, the two roasters I mainly purchase from roast their beans on Monday and they arrive at my home Wednesday or Thursday. The result is so fresh that I must wait a few days before using the beans for them to be at their peak. And keep in mind that a substantial number of people on this site buy their beans "green" (non arrostito), and roast the beans themselves at home!
I can count the number of very good espressi I have had in the US and Canada from Illy, Lavazza, Segaredo, etc. over the last 20+ years on one hand! The beans do loose freshness VERY rapidly once opened . . .
I have to say that in Italy Segafredo and Lavazza are not considered good coffees, just "for the supermarket". there are instead several small companies that made fantastic blends having small production but a real care of the coffee beans. taste Corsini, Mokaflor, Valenti and tell me...
