Beans, Roasting, and At Home Brewing

The Beans

Good beans make good coffee, it’s that simple. But to make great coffee it takes a master to blend and roast the beans properly. Italian coffees use mainly the Arabica variety of coffee bean, known for its full flavor and low caffeine content. However depending upon the region and particular tastes, the stronger and caffeine rich Robusta beans are blended with Arabica. The blends of the south tend to have more Robusta content in their blends which makes for a stronger espresso.

Roasting

Unlike French roast coffees, which are dark and very oily, Italian roast coffee is a rich brown color and should have very little or no oil on the beans. Roasting time depends upon the blend as Robusta beans need to be roasted longer than Arabica blends. The coffee roaster is a master craftsman that must treat each batch according to the beans being used, taking great care not to roast too long or too hot. A darker roast does not always mean a better espresso and so the roaster must keep a careful eye on the beans during the process since they can burn in the blink of an eye. Once perfectly roasted the beans are allowed to air cool, this allows the beans to retain their flavor until they are ground for brewing.

Brewing coffee at home

Not all coffee drinking in Italy takes place at the bar, morning coffee is often made at home using a Moka, a steel coffee maker that is put on a stove and makes coffee by boiling water to force steam through the grounds. The Moka is the Mr. Coffee of Italy and is the most popular home method.