Illy
Encyclopedia
illycaffè is a brand
of coffee
produced in Trieste
, Italy
.
illy produces only one blend in three roast variations: normal, dark roast, and decaffeinated. The blend is packaged as whole beans, pre-ground coffee, E.S.E.
pods, or iperEspresso Capsules.
beans from multiple sources. The grounds are packaged in steel
canisters and pressurized with an inert gas rather than air. The illy decaffeination
method involves the coffee beans being first steamed for 30 minutes and then repeatedly rinsed with either methylene chloride (Dichloromethane/DCM) or ethyl acetate
for about 10 hours. The solvent is then drained away and the beans steamed for an additional 10 hours to remove any residual solvent.
, and his family. Born in Temesvár, Kingdom of Hungary
, Austria-Hungary
(since 1920 Timişoara
, Romania
), Francesco later came to Trieste
during World War I
as an officer in the army. After the war, he remained in the city, which had recently come under Italian rule, and in 1933 set up a business in the cocoa and coffee sector, eventually deciding to concentrate exclusively on coffee. From the beginning, Francesco Illy was interested in espresso
coffee. In 1935, he invented the first automatic coffee machine which substituted compressed air for steam: the illetta, the predecessor of today's espresso machines.
He also devised a new packaging system for preserving coffee in which the cans were filled with inert gases instead of air pressurization. illy coffee was soon "exported" outside the immediate Trieste area, and was eventually sold all over Italy.
After the Second World War, control of the company passed to Ernesto Illy
(1925–2008), son of the founder, who started a research laboratory that soon became the source of numerous new inventions and patents. It was Ernesto, a scientist and researcher, who established cooperation agreements with universities and research centres, and who promoted premium coffee around the globe. His son, Andrea Illy
is currently the chairman and CEO, and his sister Anna Illy and brother Riccardo Illy
are on the board.
The Illy brand is available in many countries though with significant price differences depending on import duty rates.
Currently, illycaffè S.p.A. is a large international company, selling its coffee-related products in approximately 131 countries worldwide. The illy group is made up of several companies located in North America, France, Germany, Spain and Benelux. The group employs approximately 700 people throughout these six locations.
Since the end of the 1980s, illy has not purchased green coffee from the international commodity markets, but directly from the source. illycaffé exclusively purchases coffee of the Arabica species, in particular from Brazil, the largest producer worldwide, but also from Colombia, India, and countries in Africa and Central America.
illy was featured prominently in the 2006 documentary Black Gold, in reference to its marketing of coffee from Ethiopia
.
, illy launched a line of coffee-flavoured energy drinks called illy issimo. illy issimo is available in three flavours: Caffe, Cappuccino, and Latte Macchiato. On November 9, 2009, AirTran Airways
became the first small regional airline to serve illy issimo to passengers on board flights.
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
produced in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
illy produces only one blend in three roast variations: normal, dark roast, and decaffeinated. The blend is packaged as whole beans, pre-ground coffee, E.S.E.
Easy Serving Espresso Pod
An Easy Serving Espresso Pod, or E.S.E. pod, is a small packed coffee disk with a paper filter covering.Each pod contains seven grams of coffee compressed into a food safe filter package. A double serving contains 14 grams of coffee. Pods are typically 44-45mm size for E.S.E...
pods, or iperEspresso Capsules.
Coffee
The illy coffees are blended from arabicaCoffea arabica
Coffea arabica is a species of Coffea originally indigenous to the mountains of Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, hence its name, and also from the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan. It is also known as the "coffee shrub of Arabia", "mountain coffee" or "arabica coffee"...
beans from multiple sources. The grounds are packaged in steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
canisters and pressurized with an inert gas rather than air. The illy decaffeination
Decaffeination
Decaffeination is the act of removing caffeine from coffee beans, cocoa, tea leaves and other caffeine-containing materials. Despite removal of caffeine, many decaffeinated drinks still have around 1-2% of the...
method involves the coffee beans being first steamed for 30 minutes and then repeatedly rinsed with either methylene chloride (Dichloromethane/DCM) or ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate is the organic compound with the formula CH3COOCH2CH3. This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell and is used in glues, nail polish removers, and cigarettes...
for about 10 hours. The solvent is then drained away and the beans steamed for an additional 10 hours to remove any residual solvent.
History
The history of illycaffè is inextricably linked to the lives of the company's founder, Francesco IllyFrancesco Illy
Francesco Illy – 1956, Trieste, Italy) was a Hungarian financial accountant, bookkeeper and inventor ofcoffee machinery.Illy was brought up in Temesvár where he studied economics...
, and his family. Born in Temesvár, Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
(since 1920 Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
), Francesco later came to Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as an officer in the army. After the war, he remained in the city, which had recently come under Italian rule, and in 1933 set up a business in the cocoa and coffee sector, eventually deciding to concentrate exclusively on coffee. From the beginning, Francesco Illy was interested in espresso
Espresso
Espresso is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee. Espresso is widely known throughout the world....
coffee. In 1935, he invented the first automatic coffee machine which substituted compressed air for steam: the illetta, the predecessor of today's espresso machines.
He also devised a new packaging system for preserving coffee in which the cans were filled with inert gases instead of air pressurization. illy coffee was soon "exported" outside the immediate Trieste area, and was eventually sold all over Italy.
After the Second World War, control of the company passed to Ernesto Illy
Ernesto Illy
Ernesto Illy was an Italian food chemist and businessman, known as the chairman of the Illycaffè S.p.A coffee manufacturer...
(1925–2008), son of the founder, who started a research laboratory that soon became the source of numerous new inventions and patents. It was Ernesto, a scientist and researcher, who established cooperation agreements with universities and research centres, and who promoted premium coffee around the globe. His son, Andrea Illy
Andrea Illy
Andrea Illy is an Italian businessman. He is the chairman and CEO of illycaffè S.p.A., a family coffee business founded in Trieste in 1933.-Life and education:...
is currently the chairman and CEO, and his sister Anna Illy and brother Riccardo Illy
Riccardo Illy
-Biography:Riccardo Illy was born in Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. His name shows Hungarian origins.As a young man he worked as a skiing instructor at Piancavallo and a sailing instructor at Monfalcone. He married Rossana Bettini, food and wine journalist, when he was very young...
are on the board.
The Illy brand is available in many countries though with significant price differences depending on import duty rates.
Company
Since the end of the 1980s, illy has not purchased green coffee from the international commodity markets, but directly from the source. illycaffé exclusively purchases coffee of the Arabica species, in particular from Brazil, the largest producer worldwide, but also from Colombia, India, and countries in Africa and Central America.
illy was featured prominently in the 2006 documentary Black Gold, in reference to its marketing of coffee from Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
Trieste Science Prize
Since 2004, illycaffè has been funding the Trieste Science Prize under which two prizes of $50,000 each are given to science researchers from the developing world.illy issimo
On 22 May 2009, in partnership with The Coca-Cola CompanyThe Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
, illy launched a line of coffee-flavoured energy drinks called illy issimo. illy issimo is available in three flavours: Caffe, Cappuccino, and Latte Macchiato. On November 9, 2009, AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
became the first small regional airline to serve illy issimo to passengers on board flights.