by Carlo Odello

Trainer and member of the board of the International Institute of Coffee Tasters

 So here they are: the first Espresso Italiano Trainers are ready. Twelve professional coffee tasters who are now qualified to give seminars on behalf of the International Institute of Coffee Tasters. Twelve new ambassadors of our association who all share the same aim: to raise awareness about the culture of the true Italian espresso.

They are now ready to popularize espresso coffee culture through a new seminar entitled “Espresso Italiano Experience”, a teaching format which enables participants to learn the basics of espresso tasting. Participants will discover how to distinguish a top quality espresso from the growing numbers of poor quality cups now available on the market.

This offensive against bad coffee will not just be restricted to Italy: three of the twelve new Espresso Italiano Trainers will be operating abroad in the United States, Slovakia and Denmark. And, meanwhile, the first Japanese Espresso Italiano Trainers have also just qualified. We shall be giving further details about this in the near future.

The following are our new Espresso Italiano Trainers: Alfonso Paolone, Melania Lopez, Vittorio Ventura, Giovanni Ferraro, Remo Poli, Adolfo Vallini, Virgilio Lanzanova, Dario Manazza, Gennaro Buono, Massimo Pallard, Paolo Scimone and Sebastiano Garbellini.

According to data put out by Anima-Ucimac the espresso machine market grew in 2010 compared to 2009 (+16.4% of machines sold for a total of about 112,000 pieces), and three out of every four machines are sent abroad. The diffusion of espresso throughout the world continues, with the Italian espresso machine producers as the undisputed leaders on the five continents.

The data processed by the Italian Espresso National Institute, show the development of espresso in the world. If, on the one hand, Europe is confirmed as the main opening of the market (55% of the machines sold abroad in 2010), it is also true on the other hand that compared to 2009 this market loses about 6% both in volume and value compared to global sales. The espresso machines are sent particularly to the Far East (China, Japan, Korea and other countries in the region) so much so that in 2010 they earned about 5% more in volume than value when compared to the same sales the year before. The Far East marked a growth of +86% in volume and +81% in value compared to the same global sales the year before, while the rest of Asia grew +73% in volume and +75% in value. The North American market is also doing well, the United States and Canada with machine purchases in 2010 at a volume of 8% and a value of 7.5%, up 50% in volume and 40% in value from 2009.

"Espresso has, for many years, achieved global notoriety and appreciation" said Gianluigi Sora, chairman of the Italian Espresso National Institute, commenting on the data. "An extremely large majority of our espresso machines are sent abroad and it will increasein the future, just consider the tumultuous growth in Asia and North America."

"Italian Espresso is, in this global market, a specific way to drink espresso" Sora continued. "For the Italian Espresso National Institute the conservation is therefore twofold. Continue to improve the quality of the product on the Italian market while at the same time spread a major part of our culture abroad with the support of our roasters that are using increasing resources for exportation."

The International Institute of Coffee Tasters will organize an espresso sensory game during the SCAA Exhibition (Anaheim, CA, USA, April 16-18). The coffee tasters at Caffè Umbria will be partners to the event, hosting the sensory game at their booth. The winners will receive a copy of Espresso Italiano Tasting, the official handbook of the Institute. Carlo Odello, member of the board of the Institute, will be glad to provide visitors with information about the association.

by Carlo Odello *

Consumer Reports, operating in the field of mass consumption product assessment in the United States since 1936, have just tested 37 leading coffee blends on offer on the American market. Their report reads:

None of the 37 caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties tested by Consumer Reports coffee experts earned an Excellent or Very Good rating.

And that would be fair, as we know that the American market is accustomed to all sorts of products, mainly of mediocre quality (mind, the same could be said about us). The following statement is less convincing:

However, java lovers can still find at least a few Good cups of coffee. Starbucks House Blend and Green Mountain Signature Nantucket Blend Medium Roast perked to the top of the 14 caffeinated blends that earned a Good rating from Consumer Reports.

At 26 and 23 cents per cup respectively, both the Starbucks House Blend and Green Mountain Signature Nantucket Blend Medium Roast offer a good combination of taste and price. Both have an earthy, woody taste, but Starbucks was found to be a fairly bitter to very bitter darker roast, while the Green Mountain has green/sharp flavor.

In other words, the findings point out that, despite their earthy and woody aroma, Starbucks and Green Mountain lead the ranking of the tested coffees. Which could make sense, as such blends might at any rate be the less unappealing in the ambit of American coffee for mass consumption. But it is surprising to find out that Consumer Reports’ assessment is however positive. That means that two intolerable faults, such as earthy and woody aromas, are tolerated after all.

Such America is absolutely different from the one influenced by the Third Wave (or is it already Fourth Wave?) and by specialty coffee which, leaving aside some twisted principles, pursue total quality. And by no means equal to those Italians who continue proposing high level products, either exported from fatherland or produced in the States by operators of Italian descent.

Yet if, as we love doing, we compare ourselves to the United States we will realise that mediocrity is promoted by many in our country, too. And that such people, forgive me if I sound a little old fashioned, are active in educating the mass to appreciate faulty and disappointing coffee. This time the States do not rank first.

* Trainer and member of the board of the International Institute of Coffee Tasters