Lavazza Italian Coffee Lavazza Qualita Rossa, Italian Coffee Beans Expresso, 2.2 pound

Lavazza Italian Coffee Lavazza Qualita Rossa, Italian Coffee Beans Expresso, 2.2 pound

Lavazza Italian Coffee Lavazza Qualita Rossa, Italian Coffee Beans Expresso, 2.2 pound

If you drink espresso and have spent more than a few weeks in Italy, you may have noticed that the "caffe`" experience is amazingly consistent across *all* bars, from the humblest hole near the parking lot for ferry Fusina-Alberoni, to the five-star hotel in Venice. "Un caffe`" is how you order the ridiculously tiny shot of ridiculously concentrated espresso for a price between 1 and 1.10 euros (that is, if you stand; the seated price can be much higher). True espresso lovers drink it with no sugar and enjoy the aftertaste for the next 30 minutes or longer.

So given that an entire country appears to have no trouble making good espresso, you'd expect that the same experience could be easily replicated here in the USA, right? Well, not so easily. American tastes appear to differ, and favor 100% arabica blends with a much darker roast. Brewing such beans in the same way as in Italy (with the same machines, indeed) results in a much more acidic and burned taste, which I cannot stand, and which explains why essentially no Americans drink their espresso plain but add large amounts of milk instead.

Lavazza Qualita` Rossa is one way of bringing the experience very close to that of Italian bars. There may be others. Espresso made with these beans is smoother and fruitier than any local high-end brand (I have tried many), and has a great aftertaste. Notice (back of package) that this is a 60% Robusta / 40% Arabica blend. Most coffee sold here is 100% Arabica, and so is Illy, a competing Italian brand, which I don't like as much. Arabica is supposed to have a more complex flavor, but I find that blends such as this one are smoother and more pleasant. And I can't even say I grew up with that, because I started drinking coffee in my late 30s, after living in the US for many years.

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Lavazza Italian Coffee Lavazza Qualita Rossa, Italian Coffee Beans Expresso, 2.2 pound