When we think of espresso, we immediately think strong and bitter, the type of taste that will wake you right up. Traditional Italian espresso, however, is not supposed to have such an intense taste. Espresso is the lowest caffeine content drink, and is the start and base of all coffee drinks. Unfortunately, many times espresso isn’t made properly, creating a memory which links to an undesirable flavor that most people probably won’t have any interest in tasting again. Caffe Vergnano is making it their mission to change that. They source their coffees from around the world because they know that to make a good Italian espresso requires many components, especially the origin of the coffee. One of their more popular coffees is Jamaica Blue Mountain, which is one of the most expensive coffees in the world coming in at $128/lb because it tends to have no defects.

The Vergnano family created Caffe Vergnano in 1882, making them the oldest italian espresso company in Italy. Their many years of expertise have shown through the delicious taste of their coffees. The Vergnano family wants to show the world through their coffees the correct way to make espresso so as not to burn the coffee or create an unpleasant taste.

The way you roast a coffee makes a difference in the outcome of the drink. Each coffee requires a different time and temperature, similar to baking a cake, where if you bake a cake on a high temperature for a short time, the outside of the cake will burn and the inside will be raw. This important step is where many coffee roasters go wrong in making their espresso.

The Caffe Vergnano company roasts their coffee in a special espresso machine that is almost an exact replica of the original espresso machines that came about in 1905. Around that time, coffee was very expensive and only wealthy people were able to drink it. The machine used reflected the affluence of the drinkers of that time. The machine that Caffe Vergnano uses is all silver and brass with beautiful decorations and intricate parts. In order to provide their drinkers with the best tasting espresso, the Vergnano family knows that coffee needs to be ground a certain way before you can make it, the machine has to be at the correct temperature for the specific coffee, and the cream needs to be used from good, fresh coffee. All of these specific components are taught to the Caffe Vergnano employees as they go through intensive training to learn about the need of high quality product, and the right way to make the perfect italian espresso.

Caffe Vergnano now makes Nespresso capsules that are crafted out of a green plastic that is biodegradable and better for the earth. They sell their capsules online and select boutiques. You can try Caffe Vergnano for yourself at the famous Eataly market in New York City.