Skip to main content
Back
  • LIVE HAPPilly
     
    Back
    LIVE HAPPilly
    • The road to taste
       
      Back/ LIVE HAPPilly
        The road to taste
      • Plantations
      • Production
      • Blending
      • Roasting
      • Storage
      • Preparation
    • The road to sustainability
       
      Back/ LIVE HAPPilly
        The road to sustainability
      • OneMakesTheDifference
      • Stories of sustainability
      • Sustainable shopping
      • Awards
      • B Corp
    • The road to art
       
      Back/ LIVE HAPPilly
        The road to art
      • illy Art Collection
      • Art Places and events
      • Special Projects
    illy Chef Ambassador

    illy Chef Ambassador

  • Coffee
     
    Back
    Coffee
    • Coffee preparation
       
      Back/ Coffee
        Coffee preparation
      • Espresso
      • Cappucino
      • Moka
      • Neapolitan
      • Brewed Coffee
      • Turkish Coffee
      • French Press
    • Coffee Recipes
    • Arabica Selection
    Coffee Preparation

    Coffee Preparation

    Discover all the ways to enjoy the taste of happiness, enclosed in a cup.

    Coffee Recipes

    Coffee Recipes

    Discover new ways to experience coffee.

    • Classico
    • Intenso
    • Forte
    • Lungo
    • Decaffeinato
  • Machines
     
    Back
    Machines
    • Capsules Coffee Machines
    • Ground Coffee Machines
    • E.S.E. Coffee Machines
    • E.S.E. & Ground Coffee Machine
    Iperespresso

    Iperespresso

    Just one touch to obtain a delicious taste.

    Ground Coffee

    Ground Coffee

    The gesture of a Master Barista for your cup.

    E.S.E. Coffee

    E.S.E. Coffee

    A unique system, an unmistakable experience.

  • illy Art Collection
     
    Back
    illy Art Collection
    • illy Art Collection
    • Our Artists
    illy Art Collection

    illy Art Collection

    A meeting of two passions: coffee and art.

    illy Art Collection Ai Weiwei

    illy Art Collection Ai Weiwei

    A matter of perspective

  • Stores
     
    Back
    Stores
    • illy Caffè
    • illy Shop
    illy Caffè

    illy Caffè

    The authentic Italian coffee.

    Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award

    Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award

    Our nine winning coffees, available for tastings

    Store Locator

    Store Locator

    Find the illy bar near you.

  • Professional
     
    Back
    Professional
    • Business Types
       
      Back/ Professional
        Business Types
      • Cafes and Coffee Shops
      • Bakery or Pastry Shop
      • Hotels
      • Restaurants
      • illy Caffè
      • Office
    • The illy Value
       
      Back/ Professional
        The illy Value
      • illy Quality
      • The illy Team
      • Leadership
    • Services And Training
    • illy Chef Ambassador
    Contact Us

    Contact Us

    Get in touch with us to learn about opportunities for professionals.

    Customer Portal

    Customer Portal

    Access exclusive services for illy professional customers.

  • UNIcaffè
     
    Indietro
    UNIcaffè
    • Courses
    • Projects
  • About us
     
    Back
    About us
    • illy
    • illycaffè History
    • Research & Innovation
    • illycaffè's Certified Quality
    • Press Area
    Who we are

    Who we are

    The dream to offer the best coffee to the world, since 1933.

    • Ernesto illy Foundation
    • Gruppo illy
    • Circolo illy
  • LIVE HAPPilly
    LIVE HAPPilly
    • The road to taste
      • Plantations
      • Production
      • Blending
      • Roasting
      • Storage
      • Preparation
    • The road to sustainability
      • OneMakesTheDifference
      • Stories of sustainability
      • Sustainable shopping
      • Awards
      • B Corp
    • The road to art
      • illy Art Collection
      • Art Places and events
      • Special Projects
    illy Chef Ambassador

    illy Chef Ambassador

  • Coffee
    Coffee
    • Coffee preparation
      • Espresso
      • Cappucino
      • Moka
      • Neapolitan
      • Brewed Coffee
      • Turkish Coffee
      • French Press
    • Coffee Recipes
    • Arabica Selection
    Coffee Preparation

    Coffee Preparation

    Discover all the ways to enjoy the taste of happiness, enclosed in a cup.

    Coffee Recipes

    Coffee Recipes

    Discover new ways to experience coffee.

    • Classico
    • Intenso
    • Forte
    • Lungo
    • Decaffeinato
  • Machines
    Machines
    • Capsules Coffee Machines
    • Ground Coffee Machines
    • E.S.E. Coffee Machines
    • E.S.E. & Ground Coffee Machine
    Iperespresso

    Iperespresso

    Just one touch to obtain a delicious taste.

    Ground Coffee

    Ground Coffee

    The gesture of a Master Barista for your cup.

    E.S.E. Coffee

    E.S.E. Coffee

    A unique system, an unmistakable experience.

  • illy Art Collection
    illy Art Collection
    • illy Art Collection
    • Our Artists
    illy Art Collection

    illy Art Collection

    A meeting of two passions: coffee and art.

    illy Art Collection Ai Weiwei

    illy Art Collection Ai Weiwei

    A matter of perspective

  • Stores
    Stores
    • illy Caffè
    • illy Shop
    illy Caffè

    illy Caffè

    The authentic Italian coffee.

    Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award

    Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award

    Our nine winning coffees, available for tastings

    Store Locator

    Store Locator

    Find the illy bar near you.

  • Professional
    Professional
    • Business Types
      • Cafes and Coffee Shops
      • Bakery or Pastry Shop
      • Hotels
      • Restaurants
      • illy Caffè
      • Office
    • The illy Value
      • illy Quality
      • The illy Team
      • Leadership
    • Services And Training
    • illy Chef Ambassador
    Contact Us

    Contact Us

    Get in touch with us to learn about opportunities for professionals.

    Customer Portal

    Customer Portal

    Access exclusive services for illy professional customers.

  • UNIcaffè
    UNIcaffè
    • Courses
    • Projects
  • About us
    About us
    • illy
    • illycaffè History
    • Research & Innovation
    • illycaffè's Certified Quality
    • Press Area
    Who we are

    Who we are

    The dream to offer the best coffee to the world, since 1933.

    • Ernesto illy Foundation
    • Gruppo illy
    • Circolo illy
Back

2

THE PRODUCTION

coffee comes from a fruit: the drupe

The fruit of the coffee plant, the drupe, has a cherry-like appearance. As it matures it changes from green to a bright red or yellow. The skin of the drupe is shiny and thick while its pulp is tender and sugary. Inside the drupe, the seeds (future coffee beans) are covered with mucilage, a slimy, sugary layer, and two membranes, one thicker than the other: the silver skin and the parchment.

The harvesting and selection process

The fruit harvesting phase is a crucial moment on which the final quality of our coffee depends. The ripening of the fruits has different rhythms, determined by the rains. Thus, in the same plant, we can find unripe, ripe and overripe fruits. For this reason, harvesting is a very delicate process.

  • The most traditional method is the manual one, also called picking, in which only the ripe drupes are selected by hand.
  • Stripping is the method by which all the fruits present on a single branch are shucked.
  • It is possible to harvest the drupes mechanically, using shaking machines operating only on flat land such as in the Cerrado Mineiro in Brazil.

From the drupe to the bean

Once the harvesting phase is complete, we proceed with the processing that will eliminate the pulp and mucilage of the drupe so as to obtain green coffee. There are two processing categories, and both must begin on the same day of the harvesting.

PICKING

The most traditional method is the manual one, also called picking, in which only the ripe drupes are selected by hand.

STRIPPING

Stripping is the method by which all the fruits present on a single branch are shucked.

MECHANICAL HARVEST

It is possible to harvest the drupes mechanically, using shaking machines operating only on flat land such as in the Cerrado Mineiro in Brazil.

dry process

In the dry process, the drupes are dried naturally in the sun or mechanically, and then, once dry, the beans are released by dehulling machines, thus producing natural coffee.

wet process

In the wet process, the beans are immersed in tanks full of water where the mucilage decomposes, thus releasing the bean. In this case we get washed coffee.

hulling process

The hulling process is the final stage in which the outer coating is removed from the dried drupe.

Back to top

1

PLANTATIONS

3

Blending

PRODUCTS
  • Coffee
  • Coffee Machines
  • illy Art Collection
ABOUT US
  • illy
  • illycaffè History
  • Research & Innovation
  • Ernesto illy Foundation
  • Gruppo illy
  • Press
SUSTAINABILITY
  • Coffee Growers
  • Good for the environment
  • Sustainable Projects
  • Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award
  • #thanks4thecoffee
  • Premio Ernesto Illy
  • Sustainable Products
SITE USE
  • Legal Notes
  • Privacy
  • Cookie policy
  • Review your cookie preferences

Follow us:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Work with us
  • Procurement Portal
© 2022 illycaffè S.p.A. | P.IVA 00055180327- Via Flavia 110, 34147 Trieste – Italy  | All rights reserved
  • Work with us
  • Procurement Portal
© 2022 illycaffè S.p.A. | P.IVA 00055180327- Via Flavia 110, 34147 Trieste – Italy  | All rights reserved
  • Work with us
  • Procurement Portal
© 2022 illycaffè S.p.A. | P.IVA 00055180327- Via Flavia 110, 34147 Trieste – Italy  | All rights reserved

EUROPE


  • Italy Italy
  • France France
  • Luxemburg Luxemburg
  • Germany Germany
  • Spain Spain
  • Belgium (Nl) Belgium (Nl)
  • Belgium (Fr) Belgium (Fr)
  • Netherlands Netherlands
  • Austria Austria
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

SOUTH AMERICA


  • Brasil Brasil

NORTH AMERICA


  • United States United States
  • Canada (En) Canada (En)
  • Canada (Fr) Canada (Fr)

ASIA


  • China China

REST OF THE WORLD


  • illy global site illy global site