Coffee roasting: the art of toasting to just the right point

There is ancient knowledge behind roasting Bontadi coffee.

The secret of our recipe has been handed down from father to son since 1790.

We call this knowledge “listening”. In an artisan roasting company like ours, when the coffee bean reaches the perfect degree of toasting it makes a special noise. Being able to recognise it is an art – the art of “toasting by ear”, as our Master Roaster calls it.

If the bean spends one second more or less in the machine, the flavour can change completely. So, knowing how to listen is important. It is an ability that is refined over time and with which we do not take chances; we entrust it to our Master Roaster.

Roasting opens the heart. Our task is to collect and enhance it. We do so by creating the various mixtures and combining fragrances and flavours according to our unmistakable style.

Artisan roasting of Bontadi coffee

Roasting is the true phase of coffee preparation. But creating good coffee starts before that, with choosing the best raw materials in the various parts of the world from which they originate.

Procurement

The coffee plant only grows in the area around the equator, between latitude 23 north and 25 south. Whether South America, Central America, Southwest Asia, or Africa, we choose the best producers. Because if coffee chooses only one particular habitat to grow in, we are just as demanding. We only select producers that guarantee absolute traceability of the raw material, phytosanitary certifications of the product, and biological and slow food certifications.

Storage

When the burlap bags of coffee reach our roasting factory, it is a celebration. It’s a long voyage to get to us and if they still have their original fragrance upon arrival it is because we entrust their storage to carefully chosen partners who constantly monitor the raw material. The raw product is tested and analysed for the entire time it is in storage.

Single origin roasting

Artisan roasting calls for single origin roasting. This allows the perfect transformation of the beans during roasting, without them undergoing stress due to diversification of sieves and organoleptic characteristics. Lastly, to ensure maximum conservation of the noble substances, the coffee is stored in silos with the addition of inert gas. The composition of the mixtures after single origin toasting and packaging in a protective atmosphere ensure long-lasting fragrance and aromas. We want the fragrance and aromas to be a celebration for those who open a package of Caffè Bontadi as well.

Distribution

In our coffee roasting facility, even distribution is artisanal. The product is distributed through the internal company network with our own vehicles that meet the food chain protocol prepared by the internal HAACP officer. We ensure regular deliveries, at the times agreed upon with our customers, to allow the coffee to maintain its characteristics.