Barcelona · Spain
Cafés El Magnífico
Cafés El Magnífico is one of 4 Barcelona roasters tracked on day9, in Catalonia.
Since 1962 · Sans family
Overview
Cafés El Magnífico is a third-generation family business in Barcelona's Born district founded as the Cafés El Magnífico brand in 1962 by the Sans family on the foundations of a 1919 colonial store run by Salvador Sans i Comas's grandfather. Salvador Sans pivoted the business to single-origin sourcing in 1987 after meeting French importer Philippe Jobin in Le Havre, opened the Argentería shop in 1989, and the family acquired Barcelona's historic 1906 La Portorriqueña roaster in 2018.
Known for
- 1919 colonial-store heritage
- Spain's specialty coffee pioneer
- Acquired 1906 La Portorriqueña roaster (2018)
- Cup of Excellence international tasting judge (Salvador Sans, since 2002)
- Forum Cultural del Café co-founder (1996)
Why it matters
Lays the groundwork for Spain's modern specialty scene. While Nømad and the new wave (Right Side, Syra, Three Marks, Ineffable) get the international press, El Magnífico established traceable single-origin sourcing in Barcelona well before any of them existed.
Production
- head roaster
- Oriol and Gaspar (production); Claudia Sans Witty (3rd-gen QC and sourcing)
- roaster machine
- Two Loring roasters (35kg and 70kg)
- cupping frequency
- regular cupping panels with Roest sample roaster
- roastery location
- Industrial Barcelona (production facility separate from Argentería shop)
Café
Carrer de l'Argenteria 64, 08003 Barcelona
Recognitions
- Cup of Excellence International Sensory Judge (Salvador Sans + Claudia Sans Witty)
- Falstaff 90 points