The Best Italian Espresso. The Great Review

For many coffee drinkers, "the real Italian espresso" is the gold standard. But what does this coffee taste like? How is it prepared? And which beans are used for it? We tasted your 20 favorites. Three coffees stood out from the field.

In barista courses, we often hear that coffee gets better as soon as someone takes a trip to the south. Anyone driving through the Gotthard Tunnel or over the Brenner Pass is supposedly treated to a "really good espresso" on the other side.

Is that really true?

It is quite possible that the anticipation, the holiday feeling, the sight of the machine, and well-known bean brands play a role in the moment, making the espresso perceived differently than when it is made at home.

Or perhaps the ratio of the amount of ground coffee used to the extraction amount in the cup differs significantly from what is common north of the Alps.

So, in our major test, we aimed to clarify two main questions:

1. which coffees does our community identify as good Italian espresso?
2. and how exactly should it be prepared?

Regarding the first point, we asked you in September 2024 which coffees we should taste. Over 2,000 votes were cast. We sourced the top 17 with the help of Philipp from Vettore, and three additional coffees were selected by experts in Italian coffee: Philipp Vettore himself, Giovanni Meola, and Antonio Nurri. Regarding the second point, preparation: in our first video from 2019 on Italian espresso, we prepared the coffees on a Nuova Simonelli Black Eagle. Our standard recipe of 18g in and 45g out at a brewing temperature of 93°C did not suit all the coffees, according to the comments.

So, we invited Antonio Nurri, who traveled to Basel with his own machine (Nurri Leva). Antonio is a coffee roaster in Naples and develops his own coffee machines, which already have cult status for many today.

Antonio was assisted by Gianni Marzinotto, who performed successfully at the Home Barista Championship 2023 organized by us. Together, Antonio and Gianni found individual recipes for all the test coffees and prepared them on the Nurri Leva.

Tasting criteria and test procedure

Extraction

• individual recipes by Antonio and Gianni on the Nurri Leva
• the test was conducted double-blind: Damian from the roastery team coded the original bags, and the test bags were given a new code in turn. Neither Antonio and Gianni, nor Benjamin and Philipp knew which coffee was being tasted

Sensory evaluation - decisive for the table

When evaluating the overall taste impression, we distinguish between different criteria

Good/bad bitterness

There are different types of bitterness. Some are pleasant, others can inhibit perception. We rate based on intensity and quality here. More about bitterness in coffee in this article and video.

Sweetness-acidity balance

Here we examined the coffee for the ratio of sweetness to acidity. The perceived sweetness in a coffee supports the acidity - the more sweetness we can perceive, the more pleasant the acidity becomes.

Weight and texture

The weight of the coffee is less than half the battle: we can always brew coffees to be as heavy as possible, but that might come at the expense of texture:

Texture - here we analyze the so-called mouthfeel, i.e., how the coffee spreads on the tongue. If the coffee is silky, creamy, watery, velvety, etc., we reward that with a high score. If the coffee is rough, dusty, chalky, or floury, we deduct points.

Aroma spectrum

Here we describe the variety of aromas. Is the coffee in the chocolatey range, does it deviate slightly into nutty, or even slightly fruity notes.

Assessment of physical bean quality

The assessment of physical bean quality had no direct influence on the final ranking. Indirectly, however, we rated coffees with a worse bean appearance lower because physical bean defects can have a marginal to strong influence on the sensory experience.

Breakage

Does the coffee consist of many broken beans, or do we find none at all? Broken green coffee beans burn during roasting and can bring strong burnt notes into the coffee.

A mixed bean quality with breakage, hulls, craters from hot roasting, and plenty of oil

Oiliness

How oily is the coffee? The more coffee oil appears on the surface, the faster the coffee can become rancid in taste

Transparency assessment

As with the physical bean quality, we did not include transparency and sustainability in the sensory ranking, but we examine and rate every coffee for this in the individual analysis below.

Roast date

Is the roast date known?

Indication of green coffees

which green coffees are used, in what ratio?

Traceability

Is someone limiting themselves to the minimum information "Arabica/Robusta"? Who names the countries of origin, or describes exactly where the coffees come from?

Certifications

does the coffee have certifications or not?

In search of transparency

The results: best Italian espresso

We tasted all the coffees in one day. In the end, there were 19 instead of 20, as one package did not reach us in time. Antonio and Gianni created individual recipes; Benjamin and I tasted the coffees.

We saw major differences in the green coffee quality, as well as in the intensity of the roast. Some coffees fit very well into the admittedly very broad definition of espresso italiano. Other coffees surprised us because we would not have classified them as "classic Italian espresso".

In this table, you can see the overall winners. The analysis of the individual coffees follows further below.

The winner: Illy Classico

Sensory:

Floral notes in the aroma give the coffee character. Low to medium body, silky texture. Citric, delicate acidity. Balanced, caramel notes in the finish.

Bean quality: relatively uniform, some breakage

Recipe: in: 18.1g, out per cup: 14.7g, ratio: 1:1.62, time: 34sec

Oiliness of the beans: 2/5

Roast date: yes

Indication of green coffees: no, only: 100% Arabica

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

The runner-up: Manaresi

Sensory:

Very soft texture with a high balance of sweetness to acidity. Diverse flavor notes, from intense hazelnut, macadamias, licorice to dried fruits and tobacco. A pleasant aftertaste and a medium roast.

Bean quality: mostly uniform size, little breakage, good

Recipe: in: 18g, out per cup: 17g, ratio: 1:1.89, 20sec

Oiliness of the beans: 1.5/5

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no, only 100% Arabica

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Third place: Omkafè Diamante

Sensory:

Oily texture, dense body. Lots of nougat, dark chocolate, the entire brown sugar spectrum, a hint of fruity (stone fruit), long aftertaste with medium-dark roast and medium acidity.

Bean quality: very good bean appearance

Recipe: in: 18g, out per cup: 15.6g, ratio: 1:1.73, time: 34sec

Oiliness of the beans: 1/5

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: only ratio: 92% Arabica, 8% Robusta

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Slitti Extra Black - the Robusta-heavy one

Sensory:

Very dark roast with pleasant and soft bitterness. Dense body and creamy texture. Notes of cocoa, caramel, and lots of wood in the aftertaste, caramel sweetness. Slightly coating in the aftertaste.

Bean quality: Oiliness of the beans: 1.5/5

Recipe: in: 18.1g, out per cup: 15.8g, ratio: 1:1.75, time: 33sec

Roast date: yes

Indication of green coffees: only ratio: 35% Arabica, 65% Robusta

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Caffè Moreno - like a line

Sensory:

Very dark roast with tobacco and woody notes. Heavy body. Low complexity and high bitterness, low acidity.

Bean quality: above-average amount of Broca and breakage

Oiliness of the beans: 4/5

Recipe: in: 18.1g, out per cup: 16g, ratio: 1:1.77, time: 20sec

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Nurri 100% Napoletano - from the south

Sensory:

Lots of creaminess with dense texture. Notes of dark chocolate, caramel, and cashews. A very long, sweetish aftertaste with pleasant, soft bitterness.

Bean quality: relatively uniform bean appearance, some breakage

Oiliness of the beans: 2/5

Recipe: in: 18g, out per cup: 19g, ratio: 1:2.1, time: 33sec

Roast date: yes

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Lavazza Gran Espresso - the top dog

Sensory:

Medium body, rather thin texture. Balanced in sweetness-acidity. In the aftertaste, simple with positive bitterness. Few characteristic notes, lots of roasted almonds. A bit "normal".

Bean quality: relatively uniform, a few crushed beans

Oiliness of the beans: 3/5

Recipe: in: 18.2g, out per cup: 18.9g, ratio: 1:2.08, time: 20sec

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

New York Extra - hot tobacco

Sensory:

Burnt almonds, cocoa, and woody notes. A strong bitterness with a long aftertaste and solitary acidity. Medium body and somewhat hollow texture.

Bean quality: breakage and some craters originating from the hot roast

Oiliness of the beans: 2.5/5

Recipe: in: 18.1g, out per cup: 17g, ratio: 1:1.88, time: 26sec

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Hausbrandt Superbar - strong and dark

Sensory:

A “strong coffee” - very dark, somewhat sharp aftertaste. Creamy body, dominated by very dark sugars. Bitterness soft at first, then harsh.

Bean quality: relatively uniform, some Quakers

Oiliness of the beans: 3/5

Recipe: in: 18.2g, out per cup: 16.1g, ratio: 1:1.77, time: 27sec

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Haiti Golden Class - old, old school from Rome

Sensory:

Medium body with hollow texture. Acidity dominant, while dark aromas dominate. Malty and dark caramel notes. The aftertaste seems a bit burnt and a chalky bitterness defines the aftertaste.

Bean quality: relatively uniform, some Quakers and breakage

Oiliness of the beans: 2/5

Recipe: in: 18.1g, out per cup: 20g, ratio: 1:2.21, time: 25sec

Roast date: yes

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Mago Barbera - no balance

Sensory:

Lots of texture with medium acidity. Notes of tobacco and strong roast, some nougat. Acidity does not balance the coffee. The oxidized note, along with the intense roasting, gives the coffee a rancid aftertaste.

Bean quality: relatively much breakage and crushed beans

Oiliness of the beans: 2/5

Recipe: in: 18.1g, out per cup: 16.2g, ratio: 1:1.79, time: 26sec

Roast date: yes

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Maisto Scugnizzo - dark, oily, is that the south?

Sensory:

A “strong, Italian coffee”. Very heavy, dark roasted. Some molasses. Very high bitterness due to the dark roast. A bit salty (Robusta quality?) in the aftertaste.

Bean quality: partly fragile beans due to dark roast

Oiliness of the beans: 5/5

Recipe: in: 18.3g, out per cup: 13.3g, ratio: 1:1.45, time: 28sec

Roast date: yes - but only month

Indication of green coffees: only 65% Arabica, 35% Robusta on pack, but precise on product sheet

Traceability: provided in the product sheet: breakdown of green coffees

Certifications: no

Danesi Classic - is classic good?

Sensory:

Very dark roast with high bitterness. Notes of ash, wood, and molasses. No acidity. Heavy body, hollow texture. Sweetish-bitter aftertaste.

Bean quality: many fragile beans due to the dark roast

Oiliness of the beans: 2/5

Recipe: in: 18.3g, out per cup: 16g, ratio: 1:1.75, time: 25sec

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Toscaffè Oro

Sensory:

High intensity of Robusta flavor. Acidity not precisely defined. Medium body, medium texture, long aftertaste with high bitterness. Slightly salty.

Bean quality: some Quakers

Oiliness of the beans: 2/5

Recipe: in: 18.1g, out per cup: 14.8g, ratio: 1:1.64, time: 28sec

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Tre Forze

Sensory:

Dark nougat, dark nuts. A heavy, creamy body with poorly defined texture. High bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste. Barely any acidity.

Bean quality: relatively uniform, some breakage

Oiliness of the beans: 2.5/5

Recipe: in: 18.2g, out per cup: 16.3g, ratio: 1:1.8, time: 24sec

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Kimbo Napoletano - a lot of everything

Sensory:

Dark roast that emphasizes dark sugars. Dark wood in the aftertaste. Roastiness dominates, acidity does not help balance. In the aftertaste long bitterness, rather harsh and metallic, little sweetness.

Bean quality: relatively much Broca and breakage

Oiliness of the beans: 5/5

Recipe: in: 18.2g, out per cup: 14.5g, ratio: 1:1.6, time: 28sec

Roast date: yes

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Passalacqua Mehari

Sensory:

Almost foamy body. Very dark roast notes, ashy, carbonized, no sweetness left. In the aftertaste, a hard and chalky bitterness dominates.

Bean quality: breakage and some Broca as well as green coffee hulls

Oiliness of the beans: 5/5

Recipe: in: 18g, out per cup: 13.5g, ratio: 1:1.5, time: 28sec

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Borbone Miscela Blu

Sensory:

“Straightforward” coffee, high weight, lots of body, somewhat hollow texture. Limited aromatics, barely any acidity, simple.

Bean quality: relatively uniform bean appearance

Oiliness of the beans: 4/5

Recipe: in: 17.9g, out per cup: 15.3g, ratio: 1:1.7, time: 26sec

Roast date: yes - but only month

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

Caffè Armeno Penelope

Sensory:

“A coffee like a straight line - nothing to the left, nothing to the right.” Barely any weight. No acidity. Lots of bitterness, somewhat grainy. Astringent aftertaste, unpleasant bitterness.

Bean quality: relatively much Broca, craters due to very hot roasting

Recipe: in: 18g, out per cup: 15.6g, ratio: 1:1.73, time: 32sec

Oiliness of the beans: 3/5

Roast date: no

Indication of green coffees: no

Traceability: no

Certifications: no

What is a classic Italian espresso?

There is no clear answer to that. In our survey, coffees were selected that we then tasted blind and did not find to be “classically Italian” in that setting. Strong coffees, darker roasts, lots of body, sometimes with a higher Robusta portion and low acidity - we often hear these descriptions.

But the coffees from Manaresi (Rank 2) and Omkafè (Rank 3) in particular do not correspond to this definition. They showed distinct acidity, the roasts were medium-dark, and if there was Robusta in the blend, we couldn't taste it.

A coffee that we described as a “congruent Italian espresso”, i.e., a coffee where the imprecise idea of the category seemed compatible with the product in the cup, was the espresso from Hausbrandt.

In tasting mode

Italian espresso: dark, darker, darkest?

Not at all. We tasted a whole range of roast degrees. Medium roasts from the top 3, as well as medium-dark roasts from Caffè Armeno, Lavazza, Treforze, or Nurri, all the way to the very dark coffees from Maisto, Moreno, or Passalacqua.

Here, too, it becomes clear: there is no uniform degree of roast for what is considered a classic Italian espresso.

Besides oily-dark beans, we also tasted medium roasts

Italian espresso: Robusta bombs?

Partly yes, partly no. We had coffees that showed floral notes (Illy), others that claimed to be 100% Arabica, and those that worked with high-quality Robusta beans. Some roasteries put Robusta at the center (Slitti) and thus emphasized the weight and woodiness.

Freshness - consumers are left in the dark

What is standard for specialty roasteries seemingly does not apply to many Italian roasteries: only six out of 20 roasteries specified the roast date precisely: Slitti, Kimbo, Illy, Nurri, Haiti, Mago. Two roasteries at least indicated the month: Maisto, Borbone.

Twelve of the 20 roasteries leave consumers in the dark. It is quite possible that you will get coffee that could be a year old or far older.

Arabica-Robusta ratio - hardly any info

Here, too, we were amazed by the brand self-understanding that seemingly trumps transparency. Only three roasteries noted on the packaging that they use “100% Arabica” coffees: Illy, Manaresi, Slitti.

If we used this information for wine, it would be as precise as: 100% wine from red grapes. Surely that could be done better. Only three roasteries break down on the packaging how many parts Arabica and Robusta the blends consist of: Omkafè, Maisto, and Slitti.

Not a single roastery communicates the actual origin of the beans used on the packaging.

One third describe them as “the best beans from the best growing regions in the world” - with that, these roasteries join the marketing speak of the largest supermarket roasteries.

Transparency and sustainability. Far from it

Even if seals do not provide total assurance that the coffee used was produced sustainably, they guarantee a minimum standard. One that all 20 roasteries ignore.

None of the tested roasteries rely on seals (FairTrade, Bio, Rainforest, etc.), or at least they don't write it on the packaging. Furthermore, all roasteries refrain from describing exactly what kind of coffees are used. This leaves the question of who the coffee actually comes from completely unanswered. Only Maisto provides a package insert with the composition of the blend.

Superficial data is mentioned, as traders would describe the coffees, which give an idea of where the coffee comes from, but not exactly from whom. Even if that is little on a 2024 scale, it is a lot and commendable in this panel.

Almost all tested espressos in this panel, from small and larger roasteries, thus rely exclusively on their brand strength as a guarantor for good work.

This is surprisingly anachronistic in the year 2024 and shows how much catching up needs to be done.

We wish for significantly more awareness of sustainability topics and their communication from the roasteries.

Conclusion

We tasted a limited selection of Italian coffees, but clearly saw that there is hardly any internal coherence to a separate category. We also know that the Italian coffee world goes beyond the 20 tasted espressos.

Large roasteries performed very well to well in our test. That is a testament to the fact that these companies invest a lot in the consistent quality of the green coffees, quality controls are standardized, and consistency perhaps takes precedence over history.

Smaller roasteries often get some advance praise and live from the charm that is simply inherent in smaller enterprises. However, this charm is not palpable in a blind tasting. That is where the wheat is separated from the chaff qualitatively. We had coffees from smaller roasteries that selected very good green coffee and roasted it precisely. Equally, we had coffees from smaller (and also larger) roasteries that selected medium-quality green coffee and roasted it either very quickly or very hot, so that in some cases only the roast notes dominated.

Sugar

We tried all the coffees without sugar. Because sugar distracts from the quality of the coffee. As long as a coffee is only enjoyable with sugar, then the feeling and brand loyalty weigh significantly more than the pure sensory analysis.

We were amazed at how little transparency and sustainability play a role in the selected coffees. Many supermarkets act more transparently when they write the roast date on the pack. The roast date must be a no-brainer, regardless of the coffee type. We had no coffee that was marketed with a certification - at least not on the packaging.

“Italian espresso” also consists of coffee beans. And all roasteries see themselves confronted with the same challenges in the coffee industry. We wish for more dedication to transparency and understandable, assumed responsibility throughout the coffee chain.

Next time 30 espressos?

The 19 tasted espressos reflected a mood of what is drunk and appreciated as Italian espresso. We remain interested and open to getting a holistic picture - as diverse as it may be - of Italian espresso.

So if you are missing a coffee in the list now, please feel free to write in the comments what we should taste next time. And perhaps in a few years it will be 30, and no longer 20.