Espresso’s most respected ambassador passed away in February, yet he left a lasting legacy. Making espresso is a science and an art, Dr. Ernesto Illy was quick to point out. From a family in Trieste that has been in the espresso business for three generations, Dr. Illy was a fount of information on the subject of espresso, his passion and life’s work. He studied every aspect of the subject and could speak volumes about the intricacies of a well-made cup, right down to the very last bean—he would assure you, for example, that it takes exactly 55 beans to make a cup of espresso. And he wasn’t kidding.

American-style coffee and espresso are both made from coffee beans, but that’s about as far as the similarity goes; it’s like the difference between boiled beef and Kobe beef—same product, different results. The American style beverage has more similarity to tea; it’s rather thin, long brewed and full of caffeine. “The coffee served in America is quite strong; people get jittery,” observed Dr. Illy. By contrast, espresso has 5 to 6 times the concentration, yet is lower in caffeine, because the incredibly short prep. time (20 to 30 seconds) doesn’t allow much caffeine to leech out of the beans.

The general perception is that espresso is just dark roasted coffee—as a matter of fact, it need not be very dark roasted. Espresso refers not to the type of coffee, but to a system of brewing coffee, under pressure and at a lower temperature, that amplifies the flavors. The lower temperature, below boiling, yields a sweeter beverage. Dr. Illy experimented with larger cups, but found that the 1 1/2 ounce demitasse is best, as a larger cup will require longer brewing and result in the extraction of too much bitterness. A perfect cup of espresso will be rich and flavorful, without being overly bitter, and will have an even “creamy” layer on top. It’s a difficult process, requiring a clean machine, just the right temperature, just the right grind (which varies by the ambient humidity), and packing the ground coffee properly.

The roasting process is also important. “The flavor rises during roasting,” Dr. Illy explained to me, “and then falls; you have to hit it just right. It’s like dark chocolate—the bitterness must not dominate.” His company, illycaffè, uses infrared sensors to sort out immature beans. Each bean contains its own atmosphere, oils and gasses which deteriorate rapidly in an oxygen environment. The beans dry out and eventually go rancid, so freshness is an absolute necessity to the quality of the beverage. illycaffè packs its coffee for restaurants in vacuum packed stainless steel containers, to assure that it remains in the best possible condition before opening.

Whole beans last longer than ground, though for the home consumer the problem is how fine to grind it. Too coarse a grind will yield a watery cup; too fine and the espresso will be bitter. To cater to the home espresso market, which makes up 43% of illycaffè’s business, illycafé invented two portion controlled systems: the first, with perfectly ground coffee packed in paper medallions similar to a tea bag; the second a capsule (similar to the Nespresso system).

The growing awareness and appreciation of gourmet coffee hasn’t hurt a bit; there are now more than 24,000 coffee shops in the U.S. It’s estimated that 50% of all Americans drink coffee daily, and 30% daily drink a specialty coffee such as espresso, or espresso-based beverages such as cappuccino, latte, café mocha etc.

Dr. Ernesto Illy was fond of point out that “Espresso is a little luxury that everyone can afford. Coffee in small quantities increases alertness and increases relaxation and mood. This is why coffee and tea are the most popular drinks in the world.”

He leaves consumers with a flavorful legacy. He also leaves the industry an invaluable legacy through the scientific research he and his son, Dr. Andrea Illy, have shared through their technical books on espresso production. We hope Andrea can be as good an ambassador for this most popular beverage.

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