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Founded in 1933 in Trieste,
Italy, illy caffè is the quality and innovation leader in the
espresso coffee industry. According to Coffee and Cocoa International,
an industry trade magazine, "illy caffe's entire ethos is
built on quality."
Illy caffè produces a unique
single blend of gourmet coffee for both brewed and espresso
preparation made from 100% high quality Arabica beans, which
is tailor-packaged for sale to restaurants, cafes, homes and
offices. In Italy, illy is the leading brand in the hotel,
restaurant, and bar segment. Each day, over two million illy
espresso drinks are served in Italy alone. And each day more than
three million people in the world who know quality, choose illy for their espresso coffee.
Quality, research,
innovation
In line with the illy mission
to "delight consumers all over the world with an
excellent cup of espresso coffee and do everything possible to improve
its quality", research on coffee has had a strategic role
for many years at illy caffè . The company's objective is to
fully utilize the knowledge gained through its research to
continuously improve the quality of its product.
Espresso coffee, while apparently a
simple drink, is in reality a complex product. It is derived
from 1500 chemical substances (800 volatile and 700 soluble),
and when prepared correctly involves 13 independent chemical
and physical variables. Research on espresso is extremely
complex and highly specialized, requiring a multidisciplinary
approach involving the fields of agronomy, botany, physics,
mathematics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, statistics and
computer science, among others.
By applying the scientific method
to quality improvement, illy caffè has built a model program
for innovative research and development, closely collaborating
with the academic world through important university
institutes, research centers and expert researchers hired for
specific projects.
From bean to cup
The
illy coffee blends are 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 caffè , in a joint venture
with Sortex Ltd., 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.
Illycaffè perfectly roasts its
coffee for full flavor without burning or over roasting the
beans. The roasted coffee is then air-cooled. Another illy caffè
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.
Making Espresso Easy
A superior blend of coffee is not
sufficient to guarantee an excellent cup of coffee or
espresso. Particular care and attention must also be paid to
its preparation. To meet the demand for an easier way of
preparing espresso, illy caffè introduced the E.S.E. (Easy
Serving Espresso) system, which guarantees perfect results
every time with a simple, fast, and clean procedure. The
system consists of a pre-measured single portion of roasted,
ground, and pressed espresso coffee sealed between two layers
of filter paper, which can be used with a traditional espresso
machine that has been fitted with a special extraction
chamber.
The illy family, three
generations of innovation
Illy is the world's espresso coffee
authority and for three generations has led the industry in
innovation, technology and knowledge. illy caffè was founded
in 1933 by Francesco Illy. An inventor and industry leader, in
1935 he created the "illetta", the first
breakthrough automatic espresso machine that substituted
compressed air for steam. He also developed illy's pressurized
packing system for preserving coffee.
After World War II, control of
the company passed to Ernesto Illy, son of the founder. Armed
with a university degree in chemistry, he founded a research
laboratory that became a breeding ground for inventions and
patents. Illy currently holds 17 patents on various aspects of
coffee processing and preparation methods.
Today, the leadership of illy
caffè
has passed to the second and third generations of this
entrepreneurial family that continues to devote its time and
energy to improving coffee quality and expanding the company.
The family combines the heritage and tradition of premium
coffee with cutting edge modern technology. Chemist, author
and Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Illy, leads the company
with other active family members: his father, Ernesto Illy,
Chairman of illycaffè , his mother Anna (board member), and
siblings, Anna (board member, and Riccardo (vice president),
who is also the current mayor of Trieste.
E.S.E. a Revolution
in Espresso
In coffee preparation there are
many variables. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the
exceedingly precise preparation of espresso. "Preparation
is very complex, but crucial, as it has a direct impact on
perception of the brand," says Andrea Illy. With this
objective in mind, illycaffè introduced and patented the
E.S.E. system (Easy Serving Espresso). This process of making
espresso pods is nothing
short of a revolution in espresso coffee.
Preparation
The preparation and consumption
of espresso at home and in the office is destined to change.
The future lies in the "pod", a prepackaged single
portion of roasted, ground, and pressed coffee, sealed between
two layers of filter paper which can be used with a
specially-modified espresso machine, guaranteeing a perfect
result every time—an espresso just like those served in an
Italian coffee bar or by an Italian barista.
Known as E.S.E. (Easy Serving
Espresso), this technology was designed and patented by
illycaffè more than ten years ago in order to simplify
espresso preparation, and guarantee a consistent level of
quality. Today the company has placed this technology at the
disposal of the market, offering patent concessions free of
charge to espresso machine manufacturers and coffee producers
who agree to respect the industry standard, thereby ensuring
the quality guaranteed by the E.S.E. trademark. To date, more
than 100 roasters and machine manufacturers have joined the
E.S.E. standard.
Independent controlling
organizations ensure not only that the technical standards of
the E.S.E. system are respected, but also that the quality of
the prepared product, which must be taste-tested by a panel of
experts, is consistently high. With the E.S.E. system the 4
key elements required to transform a simple coffee into a
superior espresso are present: a high quality coffee blend, a
perfect grind, a clean and efficient machine, and its correct
use.
With the E.S.E. system, the
consumption of espresso coffee is expected to grow, as
consumption shifts from the coffee bar to the home and to the
office. This dramatic growth has occurred in the past in the
rare instances when new products were introduced on the market
with an open industry standard—for example with the VHS
video system, and the computer CD-ROM.
The advantage of this open
standard strategy is that the consumer is able to choose from
a wide variety of both coffee brands, packaged in single
servings, and models of espresso machines, all at different
price ranges. The E.S.E. system is also the ideal means to
penetrate new international markets where Italian-style
espresso coffee is still unknown. In fact, since its
invention, E.S.E. has permitted illy to introduce the
United States and other countries to the culture of
Italian-style espresso coffee, which has now become a global
phenomenon.
How Easy is it to use the
E.S.E. system?
The E.S.E. system consists of a
specially modified espresso machine and pre-packaged single
servings of coffee, known as E.S.E. servings or espresso pods.
The E.S.E. espresso machine has a
specially shaped extraction chamber, into which the E.S.E.
serving fits perfectly. Together, they produce a superior cup
of espresso. In order to guarantee a consistent level of
quality, specific technical parameters for such fundamental
characteristics as water temperature and pressure have been
developed. Each espresso machine prototype must adhere to
these standards before permission to use the E.S.E. trademark
is granted, and models already in production are periodically
controlled to ensure that they continue to meet these
requirements.
The E.S.E. serving is a
pre-packaged individual portion of roasted, ground, and
pressed coffee, sealed between two layers of filter paper. It
is specially shaped to fit perfectly inside the extraction
chamber of the E.S.E. espresso machine. illy is the leader in
US espresso pod sales.
The amount of coffee, its grind,
and the degree to which it is pressed have all been
specifically pre-defined to ensure a perfect cup of espresso.
Besides guaranteeing a consistent level of quality, the E.S.E.
system is considerably cleaner than traditional methods of
preparing espresso because there is no need to handle the
coffee grounds—it is perfect portion control with no muss,
no fuss.
With the E.S.E. system, no
special skills or experience are required to prepare a cup of
espresso. The user must follow four simple steps:
- Take the serving (espresso pod) out of its package
- Place it in the espresso machine filter
- Insert and lock the filter holder
- Push the button and let water run through the pod for
the necessary amount of time (25-30 seconds maximum).
The result is always a perfect
cup of espresso. Patents for the main components of the E.S.E.
system—the "pod" and the extraction chamber of the
espresso machine—are held by illycaffè . These patents are
granted free of charge to espresso machine and coffee
producers who agree to comply with the established
manufacturing standards. "All the different brands
selling to the home market were doing so with proprietary
technology, so that the consumer had no choice—he had to
take the machine associated with the brand of coffee,"
explains Andrea Illy. "This was slowing the growth of the
market as a whole. By opening our patent the result is more
choice for the consumer. They can choose from a variety of
machines at different price ranges and a variety of E.S.E.
coffee pods."
The requirements for E.S.E.
servings are a shape that is compatible with the E.S.E.
espresso machine, and a high quality of espresso coffee that must be
judged by independent coffee testing institutes.
The advantages of the
E.S.E system
E.S.E. = a quality cup of
espresso
With the E.S.E. pod and the E.S.E. espresso machine, anyone
can prepare a consistently good cup of espresso coffee.
E.S.E. = easy to use
The E.S.E. system eliminates the need to measure the correct
amount of ground coffee (with the risk of spilling the
grounds), and press it accurately.
E.S.E. = cleaner
No time is wasted cleaning the shelf, filter, spray, and grid
each time the machine is used.
E.S.E. = less maintenance
The inherent cleanliness of the E.S.E. system also drastically
reduces the need for the periodic cleanings that are necessary
to keep the espresso machine functioning properly and protect
the aroma of the coffee.
E.S.E. = no wasted
product
The coffee is accurately measured and hermetically sealed in
filter paper at the production plant, thereby eliminating the
risk of wasting the product, by either using too much or
spilling the grounds during preparation.
E.S.E. = respect for the
environment
The E.S.E. pod is environmentally friendly, as it is made up
of about 7 grams of coffee and 0.2 grams of filter paper, both
natural products that do not harm the environment.
E.S.E. = versatility
With an interchangeable filter, the E.S.E. system may also be
used with regular ground coffee. In this way, the consumer may
choose either to take advantage of the quality and service
offered by the E.S.E. pod, or to save money by using regular
ground coffee—or to alternate between these two options.
E.S.E. = freedom of
choice for the consumer
The E.S.E. system allows consumers to buy their favorite
market brands of both espresso machines and pods. Pod: a
single, pre-packaged portion of roasted, ground end pressed
coffee sealed between two layers of filter paper.
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