Blind Assessment

Produced from an ESE pod on a FrancisFrancis! pod brewer. An apparently balanced robusta and Arabica blend hampered by pods that at best netted a 20-second shot. Nevertheless, rich, deep aroma with a buttery or caramelly nut and bananaish fruit. In the small cup lean mouthfeel and short finish, but quite sweet: pungent nut, hints of chocolate and ripe, slightly fermented fruit. Even sweeter in milk, with a cocoaish chocolate inclination.

Notes

ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) pods are wafer-like single-serving sized portions of ground espresso coffee compressed and enclosed in filter paper. Any company that has access to the proper machinery can produce them. Although "pod adaptors" are available for many home espresso machines, ESE pods seem to produce best results when used on home machines exclusively designed for them. We tested this set of sample pods on the pod-only FrancisFrancis! X6 Trio home espresso machine, which allows for some control of extraction rate by how firmly the pod-bearing portafilter is tightened into the machine. We evaluated this espresso at a 20-second extraction for a one-ounce serving, probably too short an extraction for this blend, but the best we could do with the available set of sample pods and the FrancisFrancis! machine. At this writing about 50 to 60 cents per pod purchased online. Bologna-based Segafredo is the largest producer of espresso coffee in the world. It is part of the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, which also owns the American coffee brands that were formerly part of Sara Lee. Visit www.segafredo.it for more information.

Who Should Drink It

For those pod brewing folk who enjoy the lush side of the everyday Italian-style espresso. Hopefully another set of pods or a more compatible machine will net slower, better extracted shots.

Explore Similar Coffees

Click here for more reviews from Segafredo Zanetti