When you imagine coffee beans, what do they look like? If you picture them as hard and brown, you might be surprised to know this is only how they appear after they’ve been roasted.
Roasting is a pivotal process in producing coffee, bringing out the flavours and aromas we associate with a fresh, rich cup. Here’s a guide to how we take raw coffee beans and turn them into our range of flavoursome, café-quality coffee blends.
Nespresso's journey from farm to cup
Growing and picking coffee beans
You might be surprised that coffee beans, before roasting, are actually soft green seeds that live inside ‘coffee cherries’ – a type of fruit that grows on coffee plants. Grown in hot tropical climates around the world, coffee plants are harvested and processed on farms in the likes of Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Kenya, India and Mexico, where there is high humidity and regular rain: important conditions for coffee plants.
Nespresso works with more than 140,000 farmers around the world as part of our pioneering AAA Sustainable Quality Program, giving them the tools and training to improve the productivity of their farms, and guaranteeing the high quality of the coffee.
Coffee cherries ripen at different times, meaning most of the beans used for our coffee blends are harvested by hand to guarantee the very best quality. The coffee cherries are then pulped, fermented, washed and dried in their countries of origin, before the raw beans are transported to roasting facilities.
Roasting coffee beans
After they’ve been carefully selected, coffee beans are roasted. Roasting helps to reveal the full flavour and aromatic potential of raw green coffee beans. An expert oversees the process; even the best beans can be ruined if the roast isn’t perfectly timed.
Grinding the beans
The next step is to grind the beans, releasing the aromas. Every coffee blend will extract a little differently, so grinding is adjusted for the best results.
Keeping coffee fresh
After roasting and grinding, to help preserve the rich complex flavours, we keep the beans free of oxygen before encapsulation. Our hermetically sealed aluminium capsules offer complete protection of the coffee aroma, prevent oxidation and guarantee optimal freshness.
Selecting the best coffee beans
Robusta vs Arabica
There are many types of coffee plants, but the two most popular are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans offer a diverse range of fruity, earthy and floral flavours. Robusta beans are usually better suited to darker roasting for a richer, deeper flavour.
Light, medium or dark roast?
Light roast coffees go through the least intensive roasting process and hold onto some of the fruity, floral or even acidic flavours of the coffee plant. Medium roasts are a little darker and tend to reveal more caramel, vanilla or honey-like flavours. Dark roasts, while the most bitter, develop a rich, nutty flavour with spiced or chocolate undertones.
The difference between single and origin blends
Single origin coffees are sourced from one farm or region and hold the authentic taste of where they’re from. In contrast, origin blends are a careful mix of complementary coffee beans from across the world, creating new coffee-drinking experiences.
Where do Nespresso coffee beans come from?
Coffee blends from around the world
Our coffee comes from farms all over the planet. We only select high-quality coffee beans, which are then roasted and ground by experts and kept cup-fresh in our aluminium capsules.
Here are some of our best picks.
Single Origin
Ethiopia
The flowery and bright Original Ethiopian Arabica coffee has an orange blossom aroma and rich fruity notes. Vertuo Ethiopia, meanwhile, offers heady florals and a hint of musk. Both coffees come from coffee cherries that are continually hand-turned – a traditional technique used by Ethiopian farmers.
Peru Organic
A blend of the finest organic certified Arabica coffee beans, sourced from the slopes of the Andes, the Vertuo Peru Organic is a beautifully fruity coffee with aromas of toasted sweet cereals.
India
Master Origin India with Robusta Monsoon gets its intense, woody, spicy aromatics from the monsooned Robusta beans blended with Indian Arabica.
Costa Rica
Vertuo Costa Rica is made from Arabica coffee beans that have been soaked in the mineral-rich waters of the Central American rainforest. The result is a full-bodied coffee that reveals malty sweet cereal notes.
Indonesia
Master Origin Indonesia is 100% Arabica that’s been wet-hulled by Sumatran farmers in a race against rain. The method is unique, producing an intense taste with earthy and nutty notes.
Mexico
A single origin mug coffee, Vertuo Mexico is a blend of handpicked Mexican Arabica beans and rare, double-washed Robusta beans that offers a fine balance of roasted and spiced notes.
Nicaragua
Master Origin Nicaragua with ‘Black-Honey’-processed Arabica is a rich, rare delight. The ‘Black Honey’ processing gives this Nicaraguan Arabica its smooth texture and sweet cereal notes.
Blended Origin
World Explorations Tokyo Lungo (Brazil & Ehtiopia)
Inspired by the coffee culture in Japan’s capital, World Explorations Tokyo Lungo displays a complex yet balanced marriage between Arabica beans from Brazil and East Africa, combining roasted and subtle floral notes. Split roasting of the beans enhances the character due to each origin roasted individually.
Cosi (Kenya & Costa Rica)
A blend of East African, Central American Arabica beans. A light roast preserves the refreshing red-fruit notes and sweet biscuit base that’s so unique to Cosi.
Volluto (Colombia & Brazil)
Vollutohas a round body with sweet biscuit and fruit notes. A combination of Brazilian and Colombian Arabica beans, its light roast allows all the finesse to be expressed.
Volluto Decaffeinato (Colombia & Brazil)
Volluto Decaffeinato has the same rich flavours and round body as the original Volluto, just naturally decaffeinated.
Capriccio (Colombia & Brazil)
Capricciois an espresso blend with a balanced bouquet, light acidity and a very characteristic cereal note. It’s composed of Arabica beans from South America and a touch of lightly roasted Robusta beans.
World Explorations Vienna Lungo (Colombia & Brazil)
Made from pure South American Arabica, Vienna Lungo is a well-rounded blend of Brazilian and Colombian coffee. Split roasting gives a cereal, malty note, and maintains its mild character.
Livanto (Guatemala, Colombia & Brazil)
A medium roast brings out the very balanced bouquet in this blend of Central and South American Arabicas, evoking the scent of freshly toasted coffee, with roasted and caramelised notes.
World Explorations Stockholm Lungo (Indias & Colombia)
Indian Malabar Arabica beans are blended with Latin American Arabica beans to create a Lungo with a smooth texture and sweet cereal and malty toasted notes. This coffee blend is inspired by the intense flavour savoured in Sweden.
World Explorations Cape Town Lungo (Mexico & India)
South Africa used to be a stop on the old trade routes and over time, helped shape the Cape Town locals' taste for coffee. Cape Town Lungo is a full-bodied blend of distinctive Arabica beans from India with Robusta beans from Mexico, displaying rich scents of aromatic woods and gingerbread, designed especially for a morning boost.
Roma (Mexico & Brazil & Others)
A subtle balance between strength, finesse and fullness, Roma sets itself apart by its woody and roasted notes. Made from lightly roasted Central and South American Arabicas combined with Robusta.
Arpeggio (Brazil & Costa Rica)
Australia’s favourite coffee capsule blends long-roasted Central and South American Arabica beans. Arpeggio carries an intense bouquet, combining cocoa and roasted notes.
Arpeggio Decaffeinato (Brazil & Costa Rica)
Dark roasted and rich in flavour, Arpeggio Decaffeinato boasts the same intense body and indulgent cocoa notes as the original Arpeggio.
Ristretto (Colombia, Brazil, Kenya & India)
Strong in flavour and body, Ristretto combines South American and East African Arabica beans to offer a contrast of fruity and acid notes with intensely roasted and chocolate ones.
Ristretto Decaffeinato (Colombia, Brazil, Kenya & India)
With a full-bodied fruity flavour, Ristretto Decaffeinato has the same powerful character as the original Ristretto, thanks to a blend of Latin American and East African Arabicas.
Kazaar (Guatemala & Brazil)
A daring blend of Robusta beans from Brazil and Guatemala and separately roasted South American Arabica beans, Kazaar promises notes of pepper balanced by a dense and creamy texture.
