Hello,

I am planning a family trip to Florence in May 2007. My husband is coffee crazy and would love to take a 1 day or less espresso class to learn all the Italian tricks to thier great coffee. Does anyone know if these classes exist?

Thanks!

I am not aware of short term courses for tourists - somebody may know - but try to bring your husband and have a coffee at Donnini, Piazza della Repubblica (do not confuse them with the larger and adjoining Giubbe Rosse), probably the best coffee in Florence.

quote:

Originally posted by world wanderlust:
Hello,

I am planning a family trip to Florence in May 2007. My husband is coffee crazy and would love to take a 1 day or less espresso class to learn all the Italian tricks to thier great coffee. Does anyone know if these classes exist?

Thanks!

My husband taught himself to roast his own coffee using books, a home sized roaster and green beans all bought on the Internet. Our espresso is roasted to taste like that in Venice-our favorite. He makes a regular dark roast for our daughter. Except for coffee in Italy, I never drink coffee that is not "ours" any more; it just doesn't measure up. If you have not had freshly roasted coffee, you have no idea what fresh coffee really tastes like. Ruth

i wouldn't know of an actual coffee tasting course offered in florence. my suggestion would be to wander from cafe to cafe comparing caffe' to caffe' and then determine which you deem the best!

i read somewhere that in florence they say, "you need three things for good caffe'. it has to be pagato, caldo, and berlo seduto." (paid for, hot, and enjoyed while sitting)

For your husband, you may find the following link about preparing espresso quite worthwhile:

http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-guide-skills.html

In the absence of "formal" training, this may prove helpful.

Russell

Coffee fans may (or may not) also be interested in the site of the Associazione Caffè Trieste: www.asscaffe.it/home.
It's almost all in Italian and some if it is out of date, but the "Espresso coffee" link brings you to some English. Trieste is historically the coffee-roasting capital of Italy. There's a Coffee Expo there every two year (next one is this November--there's a link on the Associazione's site).

i have a friend from trieste that swears "illy" is the best coffee (expresso) in the world. of course, it depends on who is making it in what caffe maker by what method....
and there's always that rule of threes...

Last year we had a coffee tasting at Hotel Paggeria Medicea in Artimino which is near Florence. It is a bit much though, with the effort and all - you might consider asking the hotel conceirge if to set something up for you or even go to the local cafe and offer to pay the manager for a tasting...

Might want to give this place a look:

Hotel Paggeria Medicea
Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII, 1
50040 Artimino Carmignano (Prato), Tuscany Italy
Phone: +39 055 875141
Fax: +39 0558751470

http://www.artimino.it/english/home.htm

Good luck,

Tina

Finally!!! Someone else looking for the same thing!! World wanderlust - did you ever find a coffee course? My husband and I are desperately searching for one in May, but I can't find anything at all on the net.

Illy Caffe has a Coffee university up in Trieste!

I think the coffee that you get in the cafe's is really good because they make so much of it. It somehow seasons the machine...the more they make, therefore making it difficult to take a class in it... I want one now!

Hi dkay. There is definitely a fine art to making good espresso. The beans certainly help, as do the machine, but even more - the barista! I have a machine and grinder at home (sipping a latte now), and it is fantastic. I really just want to hear a passionate Italiano barista giving me tips and tricks Someone told me of an Illy course, but unfortunately its in Trieste and I won't be in that area.