Dini Caffè is a multigenerational espresso company founded in 1939 and located just outside the center of Florence. Our tour was led by Serena, one of two sisters who currently run the company. The past two generations of Dini have been entirely women run. An espresso here in Italy is not something to skip out on. While Italy is not one of the producers of coffee beans, there are many ways that Dini is involved in the unique preparation of this delicacy. The perfect espresso, consumed in just three sips, has been sewn and grown, roasted and dried, blended and ground, pressed and poured. 

First, coffee plants are planted in countries that are part of “the bean belt”, places like Honduras, India, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Ethiopia. Coffee beans are grown in pairs inside cherries – timing is very important when harvesting them because cherries on the plant ripen at different times. Farmers pick and process the cherries as they ripen. By the time the coffee beans are ready to be sent to Italy, they have been planted, picked, sorted and handled by dozens of farm workers, each with extreme care. While you might think that this process is simple, much like wine, each year, the conditions change and coffee beans might taste different. 

When they get to Florence, the beans go through a few more processes at Dini’s roastery. They are roasted separately in a state of the art roaster, with temperature and humidity controlling monitors. Afterwards they rest and then are blended using a machine that spins the beans around, making sure that each scoop later on is a perfect mix. Then downstairs, the beans are packaged and labeled in another machine. Each part of the process in Florence is carefully designed and run by the two sisters, Serena and Benedetta. Serena has a degree in graphic design and has redesigned all of the company’s packaging and branding since her arrival in 2010. Benedetta rejoined the company in 2012 and works on managing the business itself.

It is important to note that there are many small ways that the beans could have been ruined in every part of the process. They could be picked too early or too late, they could be processed too soon or roasted too long, they could not have enough time to rest after roasting, or not be blended properly. Even once the beans have made it past manufacturing, the barista that is using them could easily mess up the making of the espresso, rendering the product ruined. While it is so difficult to make sure that these espresso beans are treated just right – and end up making the perfect cup of espresso, Dini works with plantations that care for their beans and their workers. Their roastery is a family owned business and they do everything they can to make sure that the product that they put out is one they can be proud of. There were so many hands that went into the making of this product and that is why, it is not just a cup of coffee. So, next time you go out for an espresso, think about all the people, time and precision that went into creating that one cup, and savor it just a little longer. 

By Brynn, Anika, Ava, and Alex