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Trieste · Italy

illycaffè

Since 1933 · Francesco Illy

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Overview

illycaffè was founded in Trieste in 1933 by Hungarian-born accountant Francesco Illy, who two years later invented the illetta — the first espresso machine to separate water heating from pressure, the patent that became the blueprint for modern espresso. The same workshop also patented the nitrogen-pressurized can system the company still uses to ship a single 100% Arabica blend of nine varieties to roughly 140 countries, today under third-generation chairman Andrea Illy and CEO Cristina Scocchia.

Known for

  • Founded 1933 in Trieste by Francesco Illy
  • 1935 invention of the illetta — first high-pressure modern espresso machine
  • Pressurized nitrogen-filled can preservation system patented in the 1930s, still in use today
  • Single 100% Arabica blend of nine varieties — sold in ~140 countries
  • Università del Caffè founded 1999 — research and farmer training, 27+ branches worldwide

Why it matters

Trieste is the Adriatic port through which coffee first entered Europe in volume, and illy is the company that built the modern technical grammar of Italian espresso from there — pressurized brewing, oxygen-free packaging and the idea that a single steady blend can be a global product. Illy was the world's first roaster to receive DNV's Responsible Supply Chain Process certification and the first Italian coffee company to earn B Corp status, anchoring the country's espresso heritage in a contemporary sustainability frame.

Production

destoning
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head roaster
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color sorting
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roaster machine
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filter equipment
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cupping frequency
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roastery location
Via Flavia 110, Trieste, Italy
espresso equipment
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annual volume tonnes
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Café

This roaster operates a café.

Recognitions

  • First company in the world to earn DNV Responsible Supply Chain Process certification (2011)
  • First Italian coffee company to earn B Corp certification
  • Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize — operated 2004–2012 with The World Academy of Sciences

Sources

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