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Brand history. Selection, blending, roasting, packaging.

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Illy cafe, in numbers. The journey of coffee

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ILLY coffee assortment

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Whole bean Illy coffee

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Ground Illy coffee

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Illy K-CUP PODS For use in any Keurig K-Cup coffee brewers

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Illy X7.1 iperEspresso Espresso Machine

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Illy iperEspresso Capsules for illy X7.1 Espresso Machine

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Illy Ready to Drink Cold Brew Coffee

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ILLY

Illy coffee company

Illy is a world famous Italian brand specializing in the production, roasting and high-tech packaging of coffee in specially designed oxygen-free cans. The company was founded in 1933 and remains under family management. Illy offers a variety of coffee machines, also mild, dark, and decaffeinated roast variants as well as single-origin arabica variations, each from Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Tanzania or India, either as whole beans or ground coffee.

Illy Brand history

ILLY

When Francesco Illy first came to Trieste, he immediately realized that this port city with many warehouses and well-developed infrastructure was the ideal place to do business, and he took a chance. In 1933, Illy set up a cocoa and coffee trading business, but eventually focused exclusively on coffee and today the illy coffee brand is known all over the world. Since its inception, ILLYCafe has remained a family business. Today, the third generation of the Illy family runs the company that produces the legendary coffee.

Significant dates in Illy history

From 1933 to the present day

1933 FRANCESCO ILLY FOUNDS ILLYCAFFÈ

At the end of the First World War, Francesco Illy, of Hungarian origin, traveled from Vienna to Trieste, the coffee capital. He created Illycaffè in 1933 on the basis of a dream: to deliver the world's best coffee.
1934 PRESSURISATION

Illycaffè patents the innovative pressurization method, which the company still uses to pack its goods today: properly ripened coffee can thus fly around the world while preserving its freshness and aroma.
1935 ILLETTA, THE FIRST HIGH PRESSURE ESPRESSO MACHINE

Illetta, the very first modern espresso machine, has been developed thanks to its proprietary water heating and pressure separation system.
1939 ILLYCAFFÈ IN EUROPE

Illycaffè becomes the European ambassador of espresso culture and continues to export through his first overseas base in Switzerland.
1957 THE FIRST RESEARCH LABORATORY

After graduating in chemistry, Ernesto Illy, the son of the founder, entered the organization and set up the first research laboratory.
1965 NEW HEADQUARTERS

Illycaffè is moving to its current Via Flavia premises. The dream of the founder goes on: Ernesto Illy is now focused on international growth.
1974 THE FIRST SINGLE PORTION ON THE MARKET

Illy is the first company to market coffee pods that make the ideal espresso at any time and in any location. Single-serve doses of roasted, tamped coffee.
1982 ILLY QUALITY IN EACH SINGLE BEAN

Illycaffè patents the automated sorting system, which analyzes the beans' color and shape to ensure that each is fine.
1992 ILLY ART COLLECTION

The Illy Art Collection has been added over the years by existing and upcoming artists to a new interpretation of the centuries-old art of decorative porcelain, becoming the world's largest collection of art items.
1995 X1: DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY FOR ESPRESSO

Внук Франческо Илли создает домашнюю кофемашину X1, которая до сих пор является иконой стиля
1996 JAMES ROSENQUIST AND THE NEW LOGO

Espresso art and science: the current illy logo is created by the legendary American pop artist James Rosenquist, to convey individuality in the stroke as well.
1998 AROMALAB

Illycaffe founded the Universita del Caffe (University of Coffee) in order to develop, maintain and spread coffee culture around the world
2001 THE CAN CHANGES

Домашняя банка «250 граммов» - это миниатюрная версия банки, используемой в барах, мгновенно ставшая международной иконой.
2006 IPERESPRESSO, THE THIRD-GENERATION ESPRESSO

The Iperespresso capsule, protected by 5 international patents, produces a coffee with an intense aroma and velvety consistency, thanks to the two infusion and emulsion phases.
2013 MOST ETHICAL COMPANY

For the first time, illycaffè joins the list of the World's Most Ethical Companies, drawn up annually by Ethisphere Institute.
ERNESTO ILLY INTERNATIONAL COFFEE AWARD

The Premio por la Qualidade do Cafè para Espresso goes global: the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award is launched, paying homage to the talent and hard work of quality growers.

A passion for excellence, ethics, and the dream of giving the world the best coffee.
Since 1933. Official illy coffee video.

ILLY

ILLY Coffee: the way to perfection. Selection,
blending, roasting, packaging.

The quality of modern coffee is ensured primarily by the careful selection of raw materials, which is carried out by a team of experienced experts of the company. Green coffee is purchased not at the exchange, but directly in the producing countries: in Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, etc., in the country of origin. Coffee for ILLY is always harvested manually to eliminate the risk of inferior beans entering the purchased batch.

Сoffee bean analysis.

The experts perform a thorough chemical and organoleptic analysis at the collection sites and in Trieste itself, where the branded mixture is created and roasted. At the factory in Trieste, the spectral analysis is used for selection.

In 1988, ILLY patented a special digital coffee bean sorting machine, which ensures the quality of bean selection by photographing its shape and color. This sorting machine processes up to 11000 coffee beans per second, removing unripe or damaged beans that may spoil the entire batch.
A cup of coffee is 50 absolutely flawless coffee beans, each of which has passed 114 types of quality checks.

Roasting is the most important final stage.

Grain slowly and smoothly heats up in huge rotating cylinders.
Due to evaporation of moisture during roasting coffee beans lose 20% of their weight and increase in volume by 60%, while revealing the taste and aroma of coffee beans.
The roasted coffee beans are only cooled with controlled air flows. This is a long and laborious method compared to water cooling, but helps to preserve the quality of coffee beans with a maximum reduction in moisture. However, the taste and aroma of coffee may be lost if the coffee was badly or improperly packaged. The speed of packing is very important here. Francesco Illy was the first to guess that the environment in which the coffee will be stored is also important.

Packaging.

It is known that under the influence of oxygen and moisture, coffee quickly oxidizes, losing its aroma and flavor. This problem was solved by Francesco Illy. He invented and patented the so-called pressurization method, in which the air inside the can is replaced by an inert gas.

This method allows to preserve all the properties of coffee beans and even ground coffee, sealed in a jar, for 3 years. Moreover, the pressurization contributes to the "maturation" of coffee: the taste and aroma are not only preserved, but even enriched. Simple vacuum packaging, according to the ILLY experts, can not provide such conditions. At the end of the 30s, the coffee, packed by the method of pressurization, was sold all over Italy. This method is used exclusively by illy company and is used in all branded coffee packages.

National Geographic documentary about Illy mega-factory in Trieste Italy.

ILLY

ILLY coffee quality and style

ILLYCafe is the only company that has two product and quality certificates. Apart from ILLY, not a single coffee shop and only 14 product companies have such a set of quality certificates. The ISO 9001 certificate confirms that the product meets the highest international standards. In addition, ILLYCaffe has been certified according to the UNI EN ISO14001 system, which demonstrates the company's high standards in the field of environmental protection.

Illy cafe, in numbers

On five continents, the company is renowned and admired for the high quality and unmistakable velvety taste of its coffee, an exceptional blend of nine varieties of pure Arabica that delights millions of people at home, workplaces, hotels, restaurants and cafés every day.

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University of Coffee (Universita del caffe) to train professionals in the coffee industry.

1405

Employees around the world

140

ILLY coffee is sold in 140 countries of the world

50000

ILLY coffee offered in over 50,000 of the world's finest restaurants.

How to drink espresso?

The journey of coffee

Universita del caffe, together with Illy's technicians, presents four videos. You will learn how and where coffee is grown, roasted and packed. Methods for making excellent espresso. Lots of secrets and stories for true coffee connoisseurs.

In the cultivating countries

For decades, men and women have been drinking and enjoying coffee. It's basically a cult for many people. But where do these aromas, flavors and properties that are well-loved come from? Coffee undertakes a long and adventurous voyage to reach our palate from a remote tropical area. Each step of the trip is critical, an essential link in the quality chain. We will follow the Illy coffee adventure, step by step, from cultivation to transport that will carry it all over the globe.

Travelling around the world

Coffee has a long trip to travel before it reaches the cups and delights the palates of millions of people around the world. From the plant to the flower and the fruit, and now to the green bean that starts its long journey across the world. Let's discover the great changes in consuming countries that occur with coffee. Here, before being converted for the last time into the drink that coffee lovers crave, it is blended, roasted and packed.

The espresso experience

Espresso is simultaneously an emulsion, a suspension, an effervescence and a solution, a tiny marvel of chemistry and physics; more than any other preparation method, it is the way of drinking coffee that brings out all the potential found in a coffee bean. You need to grasp the magic recipe and the concepts behind the preparation in order to make an espresso. You need to use all the senses to understand it and enjoy it.

Espresso close up

It's exciting how much can be found in a simple cup of espresso. Loved by the world's coffee drinkers, espresso has many secrets to disclose and many stories to tell. For connoisseurs and coffee lovers, a wealth of experience.

ILLY

ILLY coffee assortment

Under the brand ILLY there are many coffee blends of elite beans from all over the world. ILLYCaffe
has created a unique premium blend of 9 elite varieties of Arabica coffee beans.

For maximum convenience of consumers the company has developed different volumes of coffee packing and packaging. Owners of large restaurants, cafes and hotels can buy convenient for storage tins weighing 3 kg. For home we offer beautiful tin cans of 125 or 250 g in a recognizable corporate style.

Since 2006, ground and pressed roasted coffee has been supplied in batch capsules for fast preparation of perfect coffee at home.
Coffee is available in two degrees of roasting - dark and light. There is also a blend of high quality decaf coffee varieties. Different degrees of grinding allow to prepare coffee on espresso coffee machines, filter coffee machines, geyser-type coffee machines and French presses.

Illy has formed direct relationships with coffee growers to guarantee the highest quality coffee.
About 25 years ago, by developing intimate, long-lasting relationships with the growers we work with, we pioneered the direct trade model. We work with them directly to deliver the best of the best beans - buying them at rates far higher than market costs to ensure that growers make a good profit. We offer hands-on training to our growers around the world through our Universita Del Caffe, helping them to improve skills, techniques and stay up-to-date, at no cost to them on developments in sustainability.
Such collaborations are important to us-not only because they are the right thing to do but also because they creating coffee beans of unparalleled quality.

ILLY

Whole bean Illy coffee

For coffee lovers who prefer grinding the beans to suit their own individual taste and method of preparation, illy whole bean coffee is the perfect choice. Enjoy the classic roast of a medium, balanced coffee with caramel notes. The distinctive blend of fine Arabica coffees with a smooth, rich and full-bodied flavor is made from the skillful blend of 100% organic Arabica beans, carefully selected from various growing regions around the world. The result is a flawlessly reliable, smooth, balanced, and never bitter authentic Italian coffee, suitable for all coffee preparations. Illy coffee is packaged in an air-free, pressurized can using an exclusive method that strengthens and seals in the precious aromas and oils, so that you experience the freshest taste, cup after cup.

ILLY

Whole bean Illy coffee

For coffee lovers who prefer grinding the beans to suit their own individual taste and method of preparation, illy whole bean coffee is the perfect choice. Enjoy the classic roast of a medium, balanced coffee with caramel notes. The distinctive blend of fine Arabica coffees with a smooth, rich and full-bodied flavor is made from the skillful blend of 100% organic Arabica beans, carefully selected from various growing regions around the world.

Illy coffee company

Illy Brand history

Significant dates in Illy history

ILLY Coffee: the way to perfection. Selection,blending, roasting, packaging.

ILLY coffee quality and style

Illy cafe, in numbers

The journey of coffee

ILLY coffee assortment

Whole bean Illy coffee

Whole bean Illy coffee

Illy ground coffee

K-CUP PODS For use in any Keurig K-Cup coffee brewers Ground Illy coffee

illy X7.1 iperEspresso Espresso Machine for exclusive use with illy iper Espresso capsules and Iper Coffee Capsules.

illy X7.1 iperEspresso Espresso Machine

illy iperEspresso Capsules for illy X7.1 Espresso Machine

Reusable Capsule Cup, Stainless Steel Refillable Coffee Capsule Compatible for Illy filter capsule for ILLY X9 X 8 X7.1 Y5 Y3 Y1.1 (capsule+tamper)

illy Ready to Drink Cold Brew Coffee

ILLY Coffee: the way to perfection. Selection,
blending, roasting, packaging.