The process that transforms the imported green coffee beans into Italian coffee is called roasting. It is the roasting process that gives coffee its aroma, taste, and color, and a master roaster can impart a specific character to the bean, selecting the perfect roasting point and combining beans from various origins in a blend either before roasting or roasting the different origins individually, to be blended later.

During the initial process, the coffee beans undergo certain transformations: they heat up, change color, lose moisture, increase in volume, and crackle, producing a sound like the popping of popcorn. The sound fades after a few moments but resumes with the increase in temperature, telling the roaster that the second phase has begun, which consists of the pyrolysis process (thermochemical transformation in the absence of oxygen).

This is the key moment: this is when the aromatic oils form, the sugars caramelize, and the bean takes on a dark brown color. Pyrolysis must be stopped when the degree of roasting corresponding to the desired aromatic characteristics are reached. This is when the roaster’s knowledge and experience determine the outcome of this process, and which will guarantee our enjoyment of our cup of coffee.