Pellini Italian coffee

Pellini Italian coffee beans and ground coffee

We stock five Pellini coffees as whole beans in 1 kg bags, and TOP Originale also comes ground in a 250 g can.

• Pellini Gran Aroma 100% Arabica – Arabica only
• Pellini Cremoso – Arabica and Robusta
• Pellini Vivace Tradizionale Crema Intensa – Arabica and Robusta
• Pellini Vivace Tradizionale Gusto Classico – Arabica and Robusta
• Pellini TOP Originale 100% Arabica – Arabica only
• Pellini TOP Originale 100% Arabica – ground coffee, 250 g can

Gran Aroma, Cremoso, Crema Intensa or Gusto Classico?

These four blends come in large 1 kg bags, made for a machine that pulls shots all day. Each has an Italian name, and Pellini's own descriptions show how they differ:

• Gran Aroma 100% Arabica is the delicate one: floral notes and sweet hints of amaretto, with a touch of toast and honey and a medium body. A logical pick if you drink your espresso short and black, where the smell of the cup is half the pleasure.
• Cremoso means creamy: a dark-roasted Arabica and Robusta blend with caramel, hazelnut and a touch of spice, and a dense, velvety crema. The one to try if most of your coffees are cappuccinos and flat whites.
• Vivace Tradizionale Gusto Classico blends Arabica and Robusta into a full-bodied, rounded cup with dark cocoa and a spicy hint of gingerbread. For people who like an espresso with some weight.
• Vivace Tradizionale Crema Intensa is the intense one: an Arabica and Robusta blend with warm spice and tobacco, a lingering spicy finish and a compact, dark hazelnut crema. Pellini names it for a straight espresso or a ristretto, for caffè latte and for a marocchino.

Not sure? Start with the blend that matches how you drink your coffee. A full bag gives you enough to set your grinder properly and judge the blend over a few weeks, not on one cup.

Pellini TOP Originale: 100% Arabica

TOP Originale and Gran Aroma are the two Pellini coffees in our range made only from Arabica. Compared with coffee that contains Robusta, Arabica gives a softer, more aromatic cup with a little more acidity, less bitterness and a thinner crema. Choose TOP Originale if you like your espresso round rather than punchy, or if you also drink longer coffees such as an americano. The name TOP Originale is also on the ground coffee in the can.

Pellini TOP Originale in the can

The 250 g can is for anyone without a grinder, or who wants a smaller amount to try. Italian ground coffee like this is usually ground for espresso and the moka pot; in a cafetière or a filter machine it tends to taste harsh and leaves sludge in the cup. Once opened, keep the lid on tight.

A good Italian espresso from Pellini beans

• Use about 7 to 9 g of coffee for a single espresso and twice that for a double.
• A single of about 25 ml should take roughly 25 to 30 seconds to run.
• Runs fast and tastes sour? Grind finer. Runs slowly and tastes bitter? Grind coarser.
• In a bean-to-cup machine, change the grind one step at a time and make a few cups before you judge: the first cup after a change still contains coffee ground at the old setting.

Which Pellini for which machine?

• Bean-to-cup machine: any of the five bean bags; Cremoso if you mostly make milk drinks.
• Espresso machine with a separate grinder: Gran Aroma, Cremoso, Crema Intensa, Gusto Classico or TOP Originale.
• Moka pot, or no grinder: Pellini TOP Originale in the can.

Looking for more Italian espresso? Browse our espresso coffee for other roasters and blends.