illy bean

[Smarty]

Hi all,

Ever since I've had my Gaggia machine, I've almost exclusively used Illy beans. However, my local supermarket (Tesco in the UK) has stopped selling them (plus they were very expensive!). Since then, I've tried what I consider to be a close match (in terms of bean and roast), which is a 100% Arabica Dark Roast Italian bean, but the new beans just don't match up to the Illy ones. Now, is it the case that Illy beans are VERY high quality, or have just been unlucky in buying other types?

Any suggestions welcome.

Smarty.

 

[DavesLT]

Now, is it the case that Illy beans are VERY high quality, or have just been unlucky in buying other types?

Any suggestions welcome.

Smarty.

I think "Both" would be the answer. Illy has some of the highest standards for coffee in the world and a very long history. But bear in mind that there are no coffee beans grown in Italy, so the same beans they are importing are available to other roasters. Finding a roaster who can produce a consistant quality product is a challange. Roasting is both art and science, and beyond the skills of most normal people. -Dave

PS You can always buy Illy coffee online from the source at www.illy.com

 

[nzroaster]

The problem is you are buying stale beans from a supermarket, no amount of packaging technology can compare to fresh beans. Try buy fresh from a local roaster.

 

[Smarty]

The problem is you are buying stale beans from a supermarket, no amount of packaging technology can compare to fresh beans. Try buy fresh from a local roaster.

I understand your point and I do buy from a roaster when I can. My point though was, in terms of what's readily available from a store - is there an equally good alternative to Illy, or is Illy as good as it gets in terms of what you can buy prepacked off a supermarket shelf?