Peterfield Senior Member Joined: 20 Dec 2004 Posts: 25 Location: New Hampshire Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Pasquini Livia 90 Grinder: Use pods for now Drip: Krups
Posted Sat Dec 25, 2004, 9:08am Subject: Re: Illy
I just tried some medium ground Espresso coffee from Illy received as part of their promo for a Livia 90. Brewed up a batch in our drip machine (Livia didn't arrive with promo items) and it was markedly better than the s-bux we have been using. Now this makes me more impatient to receive the Livia 90 from Illy and start the learning process to make decadent espresso shots, cappas and lattes. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until Monday when Illy opens to track down the machine.
SizzlingJoe Senior Member Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Sacramento, CA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: not yet Grinder: soon? Vac Pot: I have a french press, does... Drip: Melitta 4-cup, old Gevalia... Roaster: too much smoke, GF would...
Posted Mon Dec 27, 2004, 6:43am Subject: Re: Illy
Hello All!
Long time searcher, 1st time poster!
Just wanted to say that my GF and I both found the preground Illy run through a Saeco Via Veneto to be superior to the local Starbucks... (Not that hard in our area I guess...)
Either way, getting closer to getting a machine of our own... and can't wait to see how much better it can get!
Posted Mon Dec 27, 2004, 11:44am Subject: Re: Illy
Peterfield Said:
I just tried some medium ground Espresso coffee from Illy received as part of their promo for a Livia 90. Brewed up a batch in our drip machine (Livia didn't arrive with promo items) and it was markedly better than the s-bux we have been using. Now this makes me more impatient to receive the Livia 90 from Illy and start the learning process to make decadent espresso shots, cappas and lattes. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until Monday when Illy opens to track down the machine.
Just a heads up - I was never able to get decent crema from the pre-ground Illy stuff or their pods. I think you will definitely want to try grinding your own freshly roasted beans for comparison. I do not think you will go back...
49express Senior Member Joined: 7 Nov 2003 Posts: 254 Location: Denver Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Francis Francis X5 Grinder: Rancilio Rocky Doserless Drip: Braun
Posted Wed Dec 29, 2004, 4:17pm Subject: Re: Illy
I was signed up for the home delivery program after buying my espresso maker through Illy. I got used to the flavor of the medium roast beans, as a matter of fact don't really like the dark roasts too much anymore. But crema is quite shy after the first shot or too. I've gotten excessive crema from fresh roasted beans locally now that my obligation to the home delivery program is up. Just ordered from Barefoot Roasters, I'll be trying a number of different beans now.
Peterfield Senior Member Joined: 20 Dec 2004 Posts: 25 Location: New Hampshire Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Pasquini Livia 90 Grinder: Use pods for now Drip: Krups
Posted Wed Dec 29, 2004, 7:03pm Subject: Re: Illy
I'm still getting better tasting coffee from the Illy pre-ground in the drip machine and the Illy PODS in the Livia, and as long as I keep the Livia (General Discussions thread) I will anxiously await finishing my obligation and start using fresh-ground. On that note, my wife asked me if one can make a "regular cup of coffee" on the Livia. I am thinking we are talking Americano-style, but if I could get her doing this herself, she'd warm up to "Livia" I'm sure. So, if I stick with PODS for now, I am assuming she could pull two separate shots and then add steamed milk to taste and sometime later I could teach her how to tamp fresh-ground (after I learn myself). Any advice appreciated and the simpler, the better. I have learned a lot from reading the multitude of posts in CG. Thanks.
just getting back from france, and i had some decent-tasting illy shots in those tiny, stand-up cafes in the cold, cold gare de l'est. when i asked a couple baristas, they said the stuff was usually days-fresh, so i was rather pleased.
take this with a grain of salt, though. when it comes to the frenchies, man, they have a seriously different way of brewing espresso, which makes it hard to really judge a good cup. basically, their "shots" are 50 seconds long, or more.
took me the longest time to figure out: "why is this stuff so weak, yet with reasonably good crema?" the bitter edge tipped me off, and when i got around to watching a few of the pulls, i went agape at the amount of time they let those shots run. forget blonding ... more like eau de source by the time the shot was done. clear as glassed amber. yeesh.
on the upside, it made my ristrettos seem more like heaven than ever, upon arriving home.
anyway, all that to say: if i'm buying a brew out (note that i do not live in seattle), then i like a place that brews illy. in france, it's a good as you can get in a mainstream cafe, it would seem. still, different brewing philosophy.
frelkins Senior Member Joined: 22 Dec 2001 Posts: 118 Location: nyc Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: rancilio silvia; expobar... Grinder: mazzer mini Vac Pot: bodum santos Drip: bodum chambord french press
Posted Sun Jan 2, 2005, 3:00pm Subject: Re: Illy
fresh illy can be good. days old in italy in a good bar, it's a pleasant, heavy, low-brightness, nutty, caramelly coffee.
italians like espresso a little differently than many american espresso-hounds do, so a lot of americans find illy boring.
we know it is largely brazil, but lately illy has been holding cupping competitions and quality prizes in india!
so there might be some indian beans. . .
if ya wanna try to get fresher illy, you might try to buy some from a poor ignorant person-behind-the-counter in an illy bar where they still have those giant brown commercial cans. this will probably be newer than the little silver cans, maybe 30 days old only(!).
however these are hard to find as so many illy bars (here in nyc anyway) have converted to pod-water and superauto machines with programmed water dosage.
hawker Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 10 Location: MI Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Pasquini Livia 90 Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Sun Jan 2, 2005, 6:28pm Subject: Re: Illy
I really like Illy. I'm sure because I first had it in Italy. I'm sure I drank it all over Italy before I knew I was drinking it. On 5 July I had lunch at Bar Academia. Which is on the Grand Canal and right beside the Academia in Venice. It was served in a logo cup so I could put 2 and 2 together and realised it was coffee I could get in MI. A previous poster is correct Italians think differently about coffee from an American coffeegeek. Crema is essential but not piles of it. They don't roast nearly as dark and they would rather drink 6 singles than 3 doubles. From an article I was reading last night they aren't interested much in home machines. The Italian Illy a Casa probram sells only Francis Francis! Perhaps I digress? I like it for a blend designed to be drunk straight without milk. Yes I'm an a Casa subscriber. Ken
well that does depend on region. the coffee in naples is dark in comparison to illy and that in sicily is very dark!
but coffee in venice is a very good thing; i myself prefer the coffee by bernardo della mea at the caffe del doge, off the rialto in the tiniest alley. it's one of those places where the real venetians go, you know?
he's one of the few places in venice that also sells single origin coffees.
hawker Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 10 Location: MI Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Pasquini Livia 90 Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Sun Jan 2, 2005, 8:10pm Subject: Re: Illy
frelkins, I agree it does depend on the region. I didn't intend to imply otherwise.
Wish I had discovered cafee del doge. I spent a while in the Rialto area. I was traveling with 65 highschool students, a great band, but not much opportunity to get off on my own. And not my favorite way to travel.
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