The Vergnano ladder: Classico 600 to Mille 1000

Caffè Vergnano’s 1 kg bar blends come as a ladder: Espresso Classico 600, Ricco 700, Crema 800, Dolce 900 and Mille 1000. The numbers are not a strength rating out of a thousand — they run the other way. The 600 is the darkest and most forceful of the line, built around African Robusta for a heavy body and a thick crema. At the other end sits the Mille 1000: all Arabica, and the most delicate of the five. The steps between are different blends rather than a straight line, so compare each one’s tasting notes and strength scale.

Reading the ladder

Broadly, the lower numbers are the darker, fuller, more intense cups and the higher numbers the lighter, more aromatic ones, and two neighbours can share a strength: on Vergnano’s own scale the Classico 600 is an 8, the Ricco 700 and Crema 800 a 6, the Dolce 900 and Mille 1000 a 4. Each product page carries the blend’s tasting notes, its strength and a line on what it is best for, so the number and the notes together tell you what to expect.

Where to start

If you have not had the bar blends before, the middle of the ladder is a safe first bag: the Crema 800 is the everyday espresso, built for consistency rather than drama, and from there you can decide whether you want more body or less. If you already know you like a short, dark, unmistakably strong espresso, start at the 600. If you prefer a lighter, more aromatic cup, or you brew filter and cafetière as well as espresso, start at the 1000. For a bean-to-cup machine, Coffee for a bean-to-cup machine says which beans list it among their uses.

Beyond the ladder

The ladder is not the whole Vergnano range. Espresso, Antica Bottega and Gran Aroma are the classic bar blends outside the numbering; the Riserva Torino line — 100% Arabica, Cremoso and Nobile — sits at the top of the range; and Original and Strong come in 2.5 kg bags for households and workplaces that get through a lot; the other beans named here come in 1 kg bags, and several in 500 g bags and 250 g packs too. The whole range is under Caffè Vergnano 1882; the other roasters we stock are on our Brands page.

For businesses

Cafés and restaurants usually settle on one rung for the house espresso and sometimes a second for milk drinks — the darker rungs cut through milk, the lighter ones suit a menu that leans on black coffee. The Coffee Finder for Business asks about your machine, your volume and your customers, and points to the blends that fit; How much coffee to order turns cups a day into a monthly quantity. Public prices and quantity discounts are visible to everyone; a trade account adds account pricing once it is approved and you are signed in.

Reviewed 8 September 2026.