Caffè Vergnano 1882 Antica Bottega Coffee Beans 500g

The half-kilo, for a household rather than a counter. A quiet, aromatic blend rather than a loud one — the house style Vergnano put their old shop name to. Fine, persistent crema and a flavour that stays gentle even when the shot is short.

Suits espresso and moka equally. Because it is delicate, it shows a bad grind faster than a darker blend would: if the cup tastes flat, the grind is probably too coarse rather than the coffee being weak.

Roasted in Santena, just outside Turin, by a family that has made coffee since 1882. The roastery is deliberately slow about it — cycles of fifteen to eighteen minutes at 180–200°C rather than an industrial turbo roast — and each origin goes through the drum on its own, blended only afterwards so each keeps its own character. Five hundred grams of whole bean. Keep the bag sealed, cool and away from daylight; once open, use within a month while the crema still holds.