IamOiman wrote:......I have never tried Illy dark roast, but my experience with the company is their roasts are a little lighter than most Neapolitan Roasts. Saka's roasts are light for Naples, and I think it may be comparable in darkness if that is what you search for.

Thanks.
Illy Dark Roast is quite .... dark . In tems of flavor it is the most intense I know. More intense than Mexico by Passalacqua to mention a napoletano with 100% Arabica that I know well. I describe it as bitter dark chocolate. No acidity, fruit, flowers, and so on.

The darkest roast offered by Passalacqua is Moana. If you have not tried that it is the darkest roast I have tried besides maybe Toraldo Linea Rossa no 80.

Ciao Ryan!

I really enjoyed your post. I've always liked Italian style espresso, especially from the South, more so than American third wave stuff. It's almost like two totally different drinks!

Anyway, could you give some instruction on how to recreate un caffe napoletana a casa? How do we get that luscious, thick, syrupy, chocolatey shot like we get in Napoli?

What would the brew ratio and extraction times be like? What about the kind of grinder or machine? Does it have to be a lever?

By the way, have you ever used or seen anyone in Napoli use a Napoletana coffee pot? I have a very old one that's been in the family for a long time that I've been curious to use.

Grazie mille!

How would Malobar Gold compare to the napoletano espressos you describe?

cskorton wrote: Anyway, could you give some instruction on how to recreate un caffe napoletana a casa? How do we get that luscious, thick, syrupy, chocolatey shot like we get in Napoli?

By the way, have you ever used or seen anyone in Napoli use a Napoletana coffee pot? I have a very old one that's been in the family for a long time that I've been curious to use.

Hi Chris,

This video is a nice intro to using a Neapolitan pot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WG8ziQATQw (but is in Italian). If you need translation I can do it if needed.

Neapolitan pots will not be as thick or have a large amount of body compared to espresso or even moka pots as no pressure is involved with the process. Instead, gravity is utilized, where water is heated to boiling, left to cool for about a minute, then flip the pot over to allow the hot water to go through the grounds.

Neapolitan pots came before the moka pot, and were relatively superseded in popularity outside of Naples/Campania. It still works but they are not as popular as they once were at the peak in the first three decades of the 1900's.

slybarman wrote:How would Malobar Gold compare to the napoletano espressos you describe?

Also interested in the answer to that question. MG has been a favorite of mine but I have lately found it to be a tad more bitter than I prefer. Wonder if it's just my tastes evolving or if there's something in my prep that exacerbates this?

Nice thread, thanks!

I have some Passalacqua - got 4 bags from relatives livin in Napoli - but am finding it very hard to finish them! In the sense that I just don't like the resulting coffee. I am using a La Pavoni though, so that might affect my bean preferences (very fresh roast required). Currently using a local roast here in Verona and the result with my equipment and skills (or lack thereof) is much better for my taste.

As far as bar coffee goes it gets more complicated.. I do think I've had better coffee in the south, in random bars. Tends to be thicker in south as already mentioned here, whereas the north italian coffee is nore liquid and bland, often quite horrid in fact.

For me currently the perfect balance between the two extremes - thick and dark robusta flavored southern italian coffee, and super light roast fruity acidy northern europan coffee - is fresh light north italian roast

Oh and with neapolitans you absolutely have to mention their pride for their coffee. Their coffee of course is the best in there is, hands down, and most likely they invented coffee!

ojt wrote:Oh and with neapolitans you absolutely have to mention their pride for their coffee. Their coffee of course is the best in there is, hands down, and most likely they invented coffee!

They like to claim that for sure! I am just very appreciative I happen to like roasts on the darker side, just about Napoli dark.

Charming guys Italians, and they know how to tell stories and sell, but apart from that they are not an example of quality or excellence.

Take for example any coffee (any roasting degree) you will find just by looking at the beans, low quality, even at 3rd wave roasters. I've been to Italy a few times, I did drink Italian coffee in high rated local places, and I buy occasionally Gardelli coffee.

A material about this quality you can find it here, they are talking mainly about coffee that has a rancid taste and that might come from depositing as green or after roast.

https://www.rai.it/programmi/report/inc ... c7322.html
https://www.rai.it/dl/doc/1559639685515 ... report.pdf
https://www.comunicaffe.it/godina-su-report/
http://www.vimeo.com/92461799

Denis wrote:"L'attenzione non è infatti sulla qualità della materia prima ma sulla ritualità del caffè..."

I think that that article is spot on. Unfortunately. I guess it may happen when it comes to mass production and consumption. Very similar to the situation in Austria, with the the beer, as you know. A lot of drinking, any time of the day is the right time, but barely acceptable beer.