Illy Espresso

Illy is known throughout the world as the coffee of choice for people who know and love coffee.  That’s because illy has spent nearly 70 years perfecting the espresso coffee process to bring you the most satisfying coffee experience.  illy’s dedication to quality and excellence is a family passion that has spanned three generations.  What Francesco Illy began in Trieste, Italy in 1933, when he set out to produce the world’s finest coffee, continues to this day under the expert guidance of his son, Dr. Ernesto Illy, and grandson, Andrea Illy.  Combining authentic Italian tradition with advanced science and technology, illy has earned it’s reputation as the world’s leading coffee authority.

Once you have tasted illy, you’ll understand why it’s the overwhelming favorite of coffee, wine, and food enthusiasts.  You’ll see why illy is the #1 choice of celebrated chefs, culinary experts, and restaurateurs all over the world.  Rich, smooth, balanced and never bitter – cup after cup, illy provides the same consistent and distinctive taste whether it’s prepared in a fine restaurant or in a neighborhood coffee bar.

illy goes to extraordinary lengths to guarantee the uncompromised quality of it’s coffee, from the time it leaves the plant in Italy until you pour it into your cup. The illy blend is obtained by carefully selecting from different sources the best Arabica beans, which have a richer taste and lower caffeine content than the less-prized (and less expensive) Robusta beans. Illy also designed its own state-of-the-art electronic machinery that examines each individual coffee bean, eliminating the inferior ones. About 50 coffee beans are needed to produce a one-ounce cup of espresso, and only one bad bean can ruin its flavor.

illy perfectly roasts its coffee for full flavor without burning or over roasting the beans. The roasted coffee is then air-cooled. Another illy exclusive is the pressurization technique used by the company to preserve its coffee. In this process, air is extracted from the cans and replaced with inert gasses at a higher-than-atmospheric level of pressure. This method guarantees a longer preservation time, maintaining the coffee's freshness for over 24 months until it is prepared. At the same time it "ages" the coffee, improving its aroma over time by causing its volatile aroma compounds to bind with the oils that are contained in the beans. Simple vacuum packing cannot achieve this flavor transformation. The effect of this aging process is similar in many ways to the development of complex flavors when a fine red wine is aged under the proper conditions.