To produce a really fine espresso, coffee beans should be handpicked to ensure only the ripe red ‘cherries’ are selected. These are then processed and sorted to separate the coffee beans from the shell. The job of our roasters is to orchestrate the blend and to do so he needs to understand all the characteristics of each species of bean and evaluate them to create the perfect blend with the right body, harmonic taste and rich aroma. Our roaster has developed our own special house blend and uses a slow traditional Italian roast to produce our distinctive, signature coffee which delivers a complex yet full and smooth flavour.

Our exact blends are a secret but they consist of several different coffee beans from Latin and Central America and are predominantly of the Arabica variety. Our blend also includes a small amount of Robusta to give an extra 'kick' and depth and ensure there is a rich 'crema'. Small changes are constantly made to allow for the natural variations in different harvests to produce consistently excellent espresso.

We work with the best traditional Italian coffee machines. All our machines are manual and rely on the skill of our baristas to make the perfect coffee. It also means they can tailor your drinks to exactly how you like them.

Grind

Even the most perfect coffee can be ruined by a poor grind. Coffee must be freshly ground as the full flavour
of a good coffee is soon lost as the ground beans oxidise. In Caffè Nero we only grind what we require to ensure absolute freshness.

Dose

The dose of coffee is really important. We use automatic dosers but regularly check and monitor them. We use double handles which use a dose of 15 grams. The perfect dose for a single espresso in Nero is 7 grams.     

Tamp

Tamping refers to the amount of pressure used to pack
the ground coffee into the coffee filter insert (handle).
If the tamp is too firm the coffee will be too strong and
if too light it will be watery and tasteless. Getting the correct tamp comes with training and experience.

Rate of Pour

Also essential to the perfect espresso is the rate of pour – the speed at which the coffee flows into the coffee cup. In Caffè Nero we check our rate of pour twice a day and every espresso is always visually checked too. Our correct rate of pour should always be slow and steady. If it is too quick the espresso will be weak and insipid and if it is too slow it will be too strong and have a burnt flavour.