SIGEP 2017: SCA AND RANCILIO TOGETHER AGAIN

COFFEEING THE WORLD:A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

PERFORMING ESPRESSO:THE 5M SYMPHONY AND THE COFFEE CANTATA

RANCILIO GROUP MAGAZINE MARCH 2017 - ENGLISH

COVER STORY Rancilio Group lands on the Italian East Coast for Sigep in Rimini

COFFEEING THE WORLD Classe 11 Xcelsius in Seoul, Sofia and Padua Classe 11 Xcelsius shines bright at Viva elCafé FestivalIn Bogotá with Retos Latte ArtThe yellow Rancilio Classe 9 lights up the new McDonald’s in Singapore A Steaming cup of coffee, a Züpfe straight out of the ovenEgro ONE on show with champion Pietro Vannelli in ThailandA travel in Switzerland for Egro and Rancilio

PERFORMING ESPRESSO The 5m symphony and the coffee cantata Innovative recipes with Egro Cold Milk Foam

THINK SOCIAL Treedom for a green, sustainable and responsible 2017

COFFEE BREAK Top class training at the Umami Coffee Camp in HondurasClasse 11 Xcelsius: now read the book!

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“ Coffee: an ink for writing our innermost thoughtsi ” Ramon Gomez de la Serna

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Once again this year at Sigep in Rimini, the Rancilio Group has sponsored the final of the Italian Coffee Barista Championship with the traditional Classe 11 machine. Yet again the national championship proved the perfect opportunity for stimulating research in this sector and for highlighting the art and professional skills of the baristas who took part in it, with the most up-to-date expertise and technology. The contenders have a maximum of 15 minutes to produce 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 non-alcoholic drinks personalised and based on espresso coffee, to be served to a jury of expert trainers and tasters. A superb show is also assured by the Classe 11 that enables baristas

to interact closely and speedily with the icons on its intuitive efficient interface. We presented the 11 contenders with an original accessory case with a tamper bearing the Rancilio logo and welcomed them into the digital community for the Treedom project, also gifting them a tree in one of the developing nations selected for the project. The competition winner was Francesco Masciullo and, as well as the title, he was awarded a Silvia Linea Casa machine and given the opportunity to represent Italy at the World Barista Championship in Seoul, Korea, to be held on 09-12 November this year. Here his testimonial given to NOI Magazine by the new holder of the national title,

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RANCILIO GROUP LANDS ON THE ITALIAN EAST COAST FOR SIGEP IN RIMINI

Francesco Masciullo. “I’m twenty-five years old and I’m a barista from Salento, currently living in Florence and working at the Ditta Artigianale, a café with a daily commitment to delivering top class coffee in the capital of the Tuscan Region. My performance in the competition focused on the issue of global warming, a phenomenon that is also having an enormous impact on the world of coffee. This time, however I hit on a positive aspect in that the higher temperatures give coffee beans new aromas. With the support of my inseparable team, I selected three different types of coffee bean whose exceptional flavour properties are due to the warmer soil temperatures. Each of these

types of coffee formed the basis for one of the drinks I submitted to the judges”.In short, attention to detail and unique care and attention have made the difference and provided the evidence for all the research done and the passion shown by this young barista, enabling him to win the title of Italian Champion.

Located on the southern border of the region of Romagna, one of the beating hearts of the very best of Italian hospitality, Rimini, by its very nature, is the ideal spot for this high-profile show that in 2017 recorded over 208,000 professional visitors,

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an increase of 3.5% on 2016. The show presents an amazing opportunity for all the top international operators to exchange ideas on research and training, to display their products and experience and to build practical synergy.The Rancilio Group stand was set up right opposite the area staging one of the most eagerly anticipated events, the Italian Coffee Barista Championship for which the company has been the official sponsor with the Classe 11 Xcelsius machine. Five of these machines were made available for the event, three for the contest itself and two for backstage training. A fleet perfectly set up for the baristas to prepare for the daily challenges posed by the championship.The Rimini trade fair was the Rancilio Group’s first opportunity in 2017 to showcase all our product technology. It goes without saying that featuring on the stand were the traditional machines, meeting to perfection the needs of roasters, distributors and help centres all over Italy and worldwide. Then, right next door to the Classe 11 Xcelsius with its

intuitive, user-friendly display inspired by smartphone technology, visitors discovered the Classe 9 machine, equipped with USB technology for quick and precise management of the main machine settings. Next came the robust, slimline Classe 7 with some highly innovative features. Last but not least, was the Classe 5, unique for its functional minimalism inspired by industrial design with a contemporary aesthetic.But Sigep is more than just an exhibition. Over the five days of the show our stand was enlivened with tasting sessions for different types of coffee prepared by the expert hands of Giulio Panciatici who runs the ORSO - Laboratorio Caffè coffee shop in Turin, and was voted Best Barista of 2016 in the BARAWARDS, the award conceived by the coffee industry magazine Bargiornale working in partnership with the magazines Ristoranti and Webar, with the aim of turning the spotlight on excellence in Italian coffee catering. “These days, Ethiopian coffees are among the most popular and one in particular, Yirgacheffe, is rated among the best in the world,” explains Giulio Panciatici. “It

Giorgio Rancilio (Rancilio Group President and CEO) with Francesco Masciullo (2017 Italian Barista Champion).

Carles González (Rancilio Group España Commerical Director) explains the potentialities of Xcelsius system during an educational session.

Judges have an important role, always ready to motivate, explain and clarify their votes to contenders.

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all centres around the acidity of the fruity notes so typical of East African coffee. Its distinctive taste on the palate is partly due to the way it is processed, dry or wet, making it possible at times to obtain some unusual nuances”. Using Xcelsius technology the Rancilio Group team have developed some individual temperature profiles for three different Ottolina coffee blends: from the most powerful with a strong aroma and a dense creamy texture designed for lovers of full flavours and perfect for milk-based drinks (profiling down), to those with more delicate appeal with a full, balanced aroma with slightly acidic notes (profiling up). “Each coffee can have its ideal brew temperature and the same type of coffee, brewed at different temperatures, can release different notes,” as Giulio Panciatici explains during one of his live demonstrations with the Classe 11 Xcelsius machine. “Each time you are about to taste a new blend or single-origin coffee, the first question must be: which brewing temperature will enable me to obtain the best espresso from this product? It is a question both roasters and baristas should ask themselves,” adds the barista from Turin. “Our blends encapsulate an unmistakeable flavour

in every bean, thanks to the choice of raw materials of the highest quality roasted according to the ancient precepts of the Italian art of coffee roasting,” as Donatella Pomari, Export Sales & Key Account Manager of Ottolina, tells us. Each coffee plays a leading part in an exciting journey that starts in far-off lands. The next chapter in the adventure is the roasting process in which the green beans are roasted with the maximum care to bring forth a blend in which the intensity of the flavour, the persistence of the after-taste and the harmony of the aroma can be further enhanced by using the sort of professional equipment produced by the Rancilio Group”. On the fully automatic front, with the iconic event Coffee & Milk Solutions powered by Egro, specially created for this show, the focus was on the importance of offering a high quality drink delivered by the intuitive interactive technology driving convenience-store consumption. This type of business, now well established in the Asian and American markets, aims to make the take-away drink experience a special moment to enjoy on the run at any time of the day, not necessarily just at mealtimes. Visitors were able to interact with the self-service version of the fully

COVER STORY

An image of our booth dedicated to Rancilio traditional products.

On the top: Giulio Panciatici (2016 Barawards Best Barista) has delighted the palates of our guests thanks to the Xcelsius system on Classe 11. On the bottom: Coffee&Milk Solutions has been the brand event used to present Egro fully-automatic technology.

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automatic Egro BYO Top-Milk XP accepting the challenge to come up with a tasting menu of drinks specially created for the occasion using the Cold Milk Foam system, syrups and toppings. Fresh Mango, Frio Tiramisu and Dark Chocolate were the signature flavours on the Egro stand tickling the palates of visitors. As we know, the marriage of touch technology and the fully automatic coffee machine is one of the Rancilio Group’s winning ideas. Meanwhile, the R&D department Egro LAB has been moving even further forward with the invention of BYO that makes it possible to offer users the chance to use their own device. Now the screen size and ways of interacting with the fully automatic coffee machine can be personalised to meet the needs of each customer. A revolution that was a big hit at Sigep too, with massive visitor appeal.

Rancilio Group products were also on show in Rimini on the stands of our business partners, such as Carpigiani, Natfood and Lavazza, to name just a few. There were opportunities to meet them during the five days of the trade fair. There follow a few extracts from the various interviews. We hope you enjoy reading

them with us in NOI.CARPIGIANI was celebrating its seventieth birthday in great style during this major Italian showcase for the world of ice cream with its largest ever stand at the show, covering some 850 square metres. The company was focusing on special environments like the Soft Everywhere concept store designed for the family, offering soft ice cream, teamed with various products including espresso coffee brewed by an Egro ONE. Then there was the Automat, a consumption format inspired by the convenience store capable of producing fresh ice cream instantly. It can be placed in an outlet on its own or installed with other machines, as in the example previewed in Rimini, the fruit of the encounter with the Egro One, enabling a delicious coffee ice cream made with fresh-brewed coffee to be produced in under two minutes. “Ice-cream and coffee are two examples of the excellence that has made the Made-in-Italy brand a worldwide winner. The prototype combining the Carpigiani Automat and the Egro ONE makes it possible to preserve all the natural aroma of the espresso for a truly unique sensory experience,” says Michela Iorio of the Carpigiani Press Office. “The coffee is sent by the fully automatic ONE

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machine to the Automat ice-cream machine where it is instantly whisked with sugar and water. After about two minutes the mix can be served directly in the tub. Customers can obtain it by self-service or wait for the operator,” adds Giovanni Virgilli, Carpigiani ICT Manager. NATFOOD came up with a seriously yummy experience with the chance to try a very special cappuccino, made with Chiccolat Riso Bio (a chocolate-

flavoured, rice-based drink) from Riso Scotti and the fully automatic Egro ONE. A brilliant blend of rice oil and almond creates long-lasting, velvety foam, making each cappuccino an unforgettable experience. All the healthy benefits of rice in a drink, without sacrificing goodness and taste. Egro ONE serves all the needs for a fully automatic machine that is easy to use, fast and functional, and able to cope with the increase in daily consumption created by a trade fair like Sigep. A vegan

Egro ONE fully-automatic coffee machine on the booth of Carpigiani.

Kimbo chooses Classe 11 and KRYO 65 OD during Sigep.

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cappuccino can be obtained using the same process as for a normal cappuccino, since the basic ingredient is still coffee, with only the cow’s milk being replaced by a vegetable milk, in this case the result of the synergy between Natfood and Riso Scotti. It is vital to offer vegans, vegetarians, raw-food consumers and people with lactose intolerance milk-based drinks made with milk of vegetable origin that are able to meet the particular health, ethical and sensory needs of an ever-increasing customer base. The vegan drink is also chosen by those curious consumers eager to try out new, less main-stream flavours,” as Alessandra Caletti, Natfood Marketing Manager, tells us.LAVAZZA has placed particular importance on hotel breakfasts. “Breakfast has led to a frenzy of activity among hoteliers and their suppliers. They are pulling out all the stops to provide an ever more top-class breakfast service, by extending their range of products and dishes, and new machines and equipment, to ensure guests have a great experience and will therefore give the hotel a good review,” insists Davide

Asinelli of the Lavazza Press Office. “It has now become a priority to try to predict guests’ expectations and to pamper them during their first meal of the day. If the breakfast room is really bustling, it is possible to opt for a fully automatic machine operating in self-service mode. Lavazza recommends the “beans to cup” format for business customers’ breakfast, using, for example, the Egro ZERO, since it can guarantee a speedier service allowing guests to control the time their breakfast takes, given that business customers spend much less time on breakfast than their holiday and leisure-travel counterparts,” continues Davide Asinelli. “With the aim of transferring our skills and knowledge in the Ho.Re.Ca. industry to visitors, an ever more strategic move for our Turin-based company, we at Lavazza have showcased our entire range of products in Rimini. Our stand displays our latest blends, professional equipment and our expertise as service providers, all in line with the process of brand-positioning we embarked on in 2015,” Davide Asinelli explained. “Celebrating the Italian way of life in every

On the left: The importance of breakfast in hotel for Lavazza with Egro ZERO.On the bottom: Classe 11 with Lavazza personalization.

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cup of coffee, is our way of highlighting the authenticity of this iconic brand and all the history and passion that has made Lavazza unmistakeable, focusing on the family roots and the long tradition of the company in this sector. These values are on display in every manifestation of the brand, such as personalisation of our Rancilio professional coffee machines. The goal is to reposition the Lavazza brand as a global icon of Italian tradition worldwide,” concluded Davide

Asinelli. To provide a perfect response to the trends in our customers’ tastes, Kimbo, 9BAR, Sevengrams, Barbera and Vergnano have all presented different blends, specially selected for the food and service channel, brewed with all the mastery of the traditional Rancilio coffee machines. See you in 2018 where Rancilio Classe 11 will be once again official sponsor of Italian Barista Championship.

On the top left: Caffè Vergnano and Classe 11 in midnight blue version.On the bottom left: Natfood in cooperation with Riso Scotti and Egro ONE presents Vegan Cappuccino project.On the top: Caffè Barbera and Classe 9 RE for a brewing of other times.

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The booth of our partner ENR International Co. Ltd. in Seoul for Cafe Show.

COFFEEING THE WORLD

CLASSE 11 XCELSIUS IN SEOUL, SOFIA AND PADUA

Last November Seoul played host to the national competition the Korean Barista Championship, in which the best Korean baristas met the espresso challenge with the Classe 11 Xcelsius, the digital coffee machine from Rancilio, now the official sponsor of the event in partnership with the sole local agent ENR International Co. Ltd. The championship was held during the Seoul Cafe Show, the first major coffee trade fair in Korea which is bringing new life

to the industry and culture of this delicious black drink. Conceived in 2002 and widely known as the Cafe Show, the trade fair attracts an international audience and is recognised as the number one trade fair in the whole of Asia for the coffee industry, now in its 15th edition. Its undoubted merit is its ability to both preserve and grow the most widespread network of coffee lovers and professionals in the sector, in an area that is acknowledged as the beating heart of

Asia. The Classe 11 Xcelsius was also in the spotlight for the sponsorship of Espresso Italiano Champion, the barista championship run by Istituto Nazionale Espresso Champion (INEI) that, since 1998, has been upholding the quality of espresso with a certification scheme which takes in all the sensory properties of the brew. The competition takes place every November in Sofia, Bulgaria, as part of the SIHRE trade fair.

There are very clear rules for competing and winning: in just 11 minutes, set up the machine and make four perfect espressos and four perfect cappuccinos. The

processes are monitored by technical judges with the end result assessed for its sensory properties by blind-tasting judges working to the standards laid down by the Istituto Internazionale Assaggiatori Caffè (International Coffee Tasters Institute). This Institute is a non-profit -making association whose aim, ever since 1993, has been to define and spread scientific methods for the sensory assessment of coffee and espresso, the symbol of the Made-in-Italy brand. Rancilio’s partner companies for the show are Enco Vending that has been engaged in the import, export, promotion and distribution of coffee since 2001 and

Espresso Italiano Champion during SIHRE in Sofia.

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Which coffee would you like to have? is an initiative of Bargiornale magazine in cooperation with Fiera di Padova.

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Baristo, selected as one of the world’s best coffee blends. SIHRE, one of the most high-profile trade fairs specialising in the hotel and catering industry and in spa equipment for the whole of Bulgaria, is host to numerous side events aimed at guaranteeing top quality services in this sector. An entire bar area was set aside for the Association of Bulgarian Baristas in which there were demonstrations, seminars, competitions and tastings of the various blends.

Finally, from 20-23 November the Rancilio Group, with the Classe 11 Xcelsius, was the technical sponsor for the fifteenth edition of Tecno&Food, the Padua trade fair considered the leading professional event in north-eastern Italy for the Ho.Re.Ca. industry.

The trade fair hosted three major features of interest to coffee lovers and coffee professionals alike. Firstly, there were the tastings of coffee made using Temperature Profiling, the Rancilio technology capable of enhancing to the full the organoleptic properties of coffee. Secondly was the professional baristas’ competition entitled “Which coffee shall I serve?”, organised by the trade magazine Bargiornale in partnership with Fiera di Padova. The twelve contestants, taking part as individuals, had to submit to a jury of experts the three different preparations requested by the judges: an espresso (for all the contenders), a hot drink with a choice of cappuccino, marocchino or latte macchiato, and a third coffee-based drink drawn by lot, for example a caffè freddo

COFFEEING THE WORLD

or a filter coffee brewed using the V60 or French press method. The contenders had five minutes to prepare their workstation with the equipment and products and a further ten minutes to produce their orders which had to satisfy the jury as perfect. The way the baristas did their preparation and used their equipment was also taken into account. Last but by no means least was the highlight of the show entitled “Find out how to recognise the quality of your coffee”, the conference organised by APPE (the Padua business association) featuring talks from some of the most eminent coffee professionals, including Renato Bossi,

Europe Sales Director of Rancilio Group, Edy Bieker, Head of Quality and Training for the Sandalj Trading Company, Andrea Antonelli, trainer at SCA (the Speciality Coffee Association) and head trainer at the Green Coffee School, and Davide Cobelli, trainer at SCA and head trainer at the Coffee Training Academy by D.C.

The barista Giulio Panciatici is the winner of 2016 Barawards competition and a Silvia Home Line coffee machine.

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An image of the competition space before the opening of the Viva el Café Festival in San José.

CLASSE 11 XCELSIUS SHINES BRIGHT AT VIVA EL CAFÉ FESTIVALViva el Café Festival is the event that last October in the National Stadium of Costa Rica, celebrated the much-loved black drink with the full rich flavour. For no fewer than five hours, eight baristas did battle with cups of coffee, enthralling the jury and coffee lovers with their first-class creations produced with an innovative professional machine, the Rancilio Classe 11 Xcelsius, introduced by the company ACS, sole agent for the Rancilio brand that was sponsoring the event. The winner of the national championship was the young barista Ariel Bravo, who had also won the award in 2014. He will represent his country at the World Barista Championship due to take place in Seoul in November 2017. The Rancilio Group’s links with Costa Rica are not limited to coffee. There is something else: centre stage is the utmost care for environmental sustainability. At our production facility in Villastanza di Parabiago, already equipped with solar panels, Rancilio

is putting into action the LEAN philosophy that aims to cut waste to the minimum. This means an on-going commitment to extensive research into innovative materials, taking account of their environmental impact, into cutting the energy consumption of our machines and other equipment and into identifying the best solutions for customer health and safety. The green approach is also reflected in our accounting for the social and environmental results, in addition to the purely economic figures, in our Sustainability Balance Sheet. This chimes perfectly with our Costa Rica mission whose target is to make that country the world’s first zero emissions nation by 2021. It is no accident that the stadium hosting the Viva el Café Festival, is part of a project that will see it fitted within the next few years with a photovoltaic system consisting of 864 panels, to make the building 100% powered by solar energy.

On the top: Ariel Bravo is the Costa Rican Barista Champion who represents his country during the World Competition in Seoul, November 2017. On the bottom: Viva el Café Festival with Classe 11 as technical sponsor.

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COFFEEING THE WORLD

IN BOGOTÁ WITH RETOS LATTE ARTA competitive and entertaining autumn for Rancilio Colombia, promoter of the “retos”, Spanish for challenges: competitions designed to demonstrate the passion, talent and skills of the Columbian capital’s best professional baristas in the Latte Art competition. The latest and eighth challenge took place on 30 September 2016, on the eve of International Coffee Day, at Fuga.cc., one of the coolest and most popular bars in Bogotá, in a young dynamic environment peopled by baristas, coffee lovers and bikers. The competition’s professional credentials were supported by the advanced technology of Rancilio coffee machines in a context in which passion for the art of coffee is a prime distinguishing feature. A love of authentic espresso meets the energy of the two-wheeled travellers in biker cafes like Fuga.c.c., the ideal place to re-charge your batteries and take a break from the metropolitan hubbub. In a venue that has become a mix of bar and workshop, the go-to

place for al lovers of urban culture, a model that is ever more in vogue in the world’s major cities, from London to Berlin and Milan. The Columbian capital is definitely one of these, not far from the heart of the “Coffee Zone” and a major tourist destination with its charming historic town centre, huge botanical gardens, planetarium and astronomical observatory. This area boasts scenic landscapes with tour routes associated with Columbia’s principal export, which is of course coffee, considered one of the best in the world. It is no surprise therefore that these places are the perfect inspiration for all the creativity of the best ever baristas and their urge to face up to challenges.

Classe 11 in Colombia for the Retos Latte Art Competition.

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The Fuga of Bogotá has hosted the last stage of Colombian competitions.

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A yellow banner was raised near the East Coast Park in Singapore, with the opening, on 2 July 2016, of the Marina Cove McDonald’s, a space of over 8,400 square metres designed to serve 300 covers. This new catering outlet, located near the site of the old McDonald’s (which opened in 1982 but closed four years ago for redevelopment of the area), is set to become the essential place to visit for coffee lovers, local families and visitors. As well as the usual fast food classics, the counter offers gourmet specialities in anticipation of

the coming food trends and the choice for making the coffee-based drinks is the Rancilio Classe 9 machine. As a special feature to celebrate the opening of the new restaurant and maintain the link with tradition, this Classe 9 machine is bright yellow like the McDonald’s logo, the symbol of happiness, optimism and delight at the rebirth of a place for getting together on a daily basis to savour an espresso of undisputed quality.

THE YELLOW RANCILIO CLASSE 9 LIGHTS UP THE NEW McDONALD’S IN SINGAPORE

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Classe 9 with McDonald’s personalization for the new store in Singapore.

COFFEEING THE WORLD

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Pietro Vannelli, winner in 2015 at Sigep in Rimini of the Latte Art Championship, made his debut in Thailand for the inauguration of the first “coffee concept” created in a 7-Eleven by CP Retail Link, long-time partner of the Rancilio Group. This was a great occasion for young Vannelli who delighted the palates and eyes of his customers with his superbly

decorated cappuccinos, made with the Egro ONE, the fully automatic machine used by such giants of the catering world as Autogrill, McDonald’s in Switzerland and China, 7-Eleven and the Head Office Store & Training Centre of CP Retail Link in Beijing. A spot-on choice for guaranteeing excellent coffee at any time, anywhere.

EGRO ONE ON SHOW WITH CHAMPION PIETRO VANNELLI IN THAILAND

Otto Schall and Egro BYO for a quality partnership.

A STEAMING CUP OF COFFEE, A ZÜPFE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN

In the morning few things are as pleasing and tasty as a cup of hot coffee and the fragrance of bread straight out of the oven. Inspired by this notion, the German chain of bakeries Otto Schall has chosen the Egro BYO as the ideal machine for the cafes in its outlets. With over 30 sales outlets all over Landau and Weinheim, Otto Schall has brought to the metropolitan region of Reno-Neckar, in south-eastern Germany, a whole series of oases of peace and tranquillity in which to savour such traditional German bakery favourites as the delicious Züpfe, enhanced by a hot touch of the Mediterranean. In their quest to offer their customers

an up-to-the-minute gastronomic experience that never loses sight of tradition, Otto Schall cafes have chosen BYO that teams mobile device technology with the fully automatic coffee machine. BYO puts all the features of mobile technology at the service of creativity, making it possible to use individual devices at a distance for remote interaction with the coffee machine. The ideal piece of equipment for outlets like the German chain that have the utmost care for the quality of their menu and 100% customer satisfaction.

Pietro Vannelli (2015 Italian Latte Art Champion) at 7-Eleven store in Thailand.

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A TRAVEL IN SWITZERLAND FOR EGRO AND RANCILIO

COFFEEING THE WORLD

The culture of top quality coffee and the innovation

associated with its state-of-the-art preparation is

seducing the Swiss and this is where the Rancilio

Group, famous for constant renewal of its product

range to meet growing market demand, presented

its latest professional equipment at a number of

events. Dottikon in Switzerland is home to the high-

tech hub Egro LAB, which last year developed an

innovative system for further enhancing the in-cup

properties of coffee-based drinks brewed by our fully

automatic machines. Grinding coffee beans may seem

to many people to be a complex alchemy governed by

mysterious rules. Naturally this is not the case, coffee

grinding is based on a set of very precise rules and

methods. Finding the right degree of grinding and the

right grain size is essential for obtaining full-bodied,

aromatic drinks. If the coffee has been ground too

finely, the water takes too much time to penetrate right

into the coffee. This not only extracts all the positive

substances but also some negative ones and, by

remaining too long in contact with the coffee, it burns

it. The result is a bitter and burnt tasting drink, with

a thin and too dark crema, sometimes with a white

stain in the centre. If the grind is too coarse, the water

passes through it too quickly and fails to extract all the

goodness trapped within this black gold. The result is

a cup of coffee with a pallid crema and a watery taste,

with little body or aroma. The climate too is capable of

influencing coffee grinding. This thinking is based on

the assumption that coffee is a hygroscopic substance,

meaning it absorbs moisture from the air, thus leading

it to “fatten up” in days when there is high humidity, in

which it absorbs more moisture, and to “thin down”,

on drier days. This makes it more difficult to find the

right degree of grinding. The Self-Adjusting Grinder

(SAG) of the Egro machine reacts automatically to

At ZAGG and IFAS we showed our best traditional and fully-automatic technology.

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all the various uncontrollable external factors such as

the state of preservation of the coffee, the climate and

weather, the internal temperature of the machine and its

period of use. The SAG uses an algorithm to operate in

a way that keeps the duration of the brew constant. This

new Egro technology was presented in Lucerne on 23 and

26 October during ZAGG, the major hotel and catering

trade fair in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

The show started with Egro ONE, that makes possible

top class cold-milk-based drinks. Naturally, time was also

devoted to the latest Egro BYO technology which answers

the call for an ergonomic, user-friendly display, also

making it possible to interact directly with the machine

from a tablet or smartphone. This function is further

proof of the company’s leading position in coffee machine

management technology. But yet more surprises were

to come. At ZAGG, the Group unveiled updates to the

new models in the traditional Classe 5 and 7 ranges. The

sophisticated modern design, the generous covers of the

brewing units and the ergonomic working area guarantee

baristas practical and efficient operation, while every step

in the production process bears witness to the Rancilio

Group’s care for environmental sustainability throughout

the supply chain. The majority of maintenance operations

can be carried out on the front of the machine, simply

by removing the tray or the front panel. In October,

Egro Suisse, the Swiss subsidiary of the Rancilio Group,

made an appearance at IFAS in Zurich, the trade fair

specialising in the healthcare market, showcasing the

complete range of machines for the preparation of high

quality hot drinks. This was the second time Egro Suisse

had taken part in the trade fair because the staff and

patients of hospitals and rest homes are quite rightly

becoming more demanding in the field of catering and

gastronomy. The reliability, excellent price-quality ratio

and the 24-hour assistance service have for several years

encouraged such facilities to place their trust in Egro

fully automatic machines and our Swiss subsidiary Egro

Suisse AG. In celebration of the very best in catering, the

Rancilio Group was on show at Gastronomia, the trade fair

held in Lausanne in November. Here too we introduced

the new features shown at ZAGG in Lucerne, involving

the two Egro technologies and the new Rancilio Classe 5

and 7 traditional models. The fully automatic Egro ONE

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and Egro BYO demonstrated our ever more keen

attention to product quality and greater user-machine

interaction via tablet or smartphone, thus responding

to the need for intuitive, latest-generation technology.

Classe 5 and Classe 7 stood out for their most

distinctive feature, that of enabling baristas to carry

forward the Group’s commitment to environmental

sustainability.

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THE 5M SYMPHONY AND THE COFFEE CANTATA

If journalism is governed by the 5W rule in which no report can fail to respond to the 5 questions who, what, when, where, why), for the perfect coffee, the essential principals are the “5Ms”.

It all starts from here. Above all, for a textbook espresso what is needed is a machine designed with the utmost skill and every part of its mechanism perfectly calibrated. Next, in order for the machine to work to the best of its ability, another essential is maintenance carried out properly and regularly, because even the most high-tech systems, if neglected, will deteriorate over time. It goes without saying that a key role is performed by the miscela (blend). The quality of the raw material inevitably determines whether the in-cup result is excellent or merely average.

Then let’s not forget the macinacaffè (coffee grinder), the fourth essential M in our rules. Our final M, which we possibly hold to be the most vital is the mano (hand) of the barista. Because for a textbook espresso the barista must be like the conductor of a symphony orchestra, the person capable of bringing the previous rules together as a work of musical art. Baristas are people whose skills and knowledge enable them to engage in perfect dialogue with their equipment (the machine and grinder) and the blend, creating a unique,

memorable in-cup result every time. As much as machines and technology are essential, the choice of the finest coffee beans, the way the machines are controlled and operated, including maintenance and cleaning, are all elements that only true professionals with a passion for their job are able to orchestrate with due care and attention. For example, in order to set up the machine to perfection with the right temperature, pressure and configuration, it is essential to know the properties of the coffee blend to be used – the plant species, the type, the quality and the degree of roasting, the basis on which to choose the correct brewing method to obtain an in-cup result expressing the coffee’s goodness to the full.

Similarly, only constant contact with the roaster can guide the barista to the right brewing method and the best way to set up our machine.

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PERFORMING ESPRESSO

INNOVATIVE RECIPES WITH EGRO COLD MILK FOAM

FOAM is a must!Chocolate, caramel, cherry and mango syrups, almond flakes, espresso and ice are just a few of the ingredients used to prepare tasty alternative drinks presented by the Rancilio Group North America at the National Restaurant Association show last May in Chicago. At this incredible event lasting four days the Rancilio Group presented the Egro Cold Milk Foam system designed for the preparation of drinks and desserts based on cold milk foam, a trend that has recently been spreading like wild fire among the young and the not so young. Users have a choice of three different densities by personalising the composition of the foam for the drink being brewed. Cold Milk Foam also makes it possible to create delicious, low-calorie desserts plus innumerable combinations using chocolate powder, syrups and chilled cream. During this occasion, we published a recipe book for coffee-based and other drinks to be prepared using it. As an alternative to cappuccino and particularly during the summer months, when the heat brings on a craving for something cool, light yet tasty, a Blueberry White Mocha or a Tiramisu Macchiato can provide a good alternative to the old-fashioned shakes or the more traditional juices. These treats are not difficult to make, all that is needed is a good-sized mug, preferably transparent so you can admire the aesthetics of the layering of these drinks, plus the necessary ingredients and the Cold Foam System that produces milk foam of the right density and body for the recipe. In just a few minutes it’s mission accomplished with success guaranteed. The Egro has an instant quick-cleaning system enabling it to be in constant use with ultra-high performance to meet the varying customer needs.

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THINK SOCIAL

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Treedom for a green, sustainable and responsible 2017 Can trees save lives? It seems like a vision from a sci-fi movie, but that isn’t the case. From a report published by Nature Conservancy, the leading international organisation for safeguarding and conserving the environment, entitled Planting Healthier Air we learn that the only way of lowering pollution worldwide is to plant trees, as many as possible. We at Rancilio didn’t need to be told this twice. To welcome in 2017 we have forged a partnership with Treedom and make a special gift to our people, the world’s only web platform enabling a tree to be planted remotely and to be followed online. Ever since its foundation in Florence in 2010, over 250,000 trees have been planted in Africa, Latin America and Italy. All the trees are planted by local farmers, thus producing environmental, social and economic benefits. You can find our digital forest in the Ethics section of our website. To date we have adopted 3,787 trees. This initiative is an excellent addition to our Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. Genuine corporate responsibility means more than just producing and selling quality products, it also requires social action, thinking about the health and wellbeing of communities, developing human relationships in an ethical key and naturally, safeguarding the environment. This is a global concept usually involving a local approach in which we never lose sight of the central role played by people, the key factor in taking our business forward. For us a sense of responsibility is a requirement of absolute value. As we do business, our commitment to being true, faithful partners, reliable, respectful and in a state of constant evolution, also spurs us on to make a positive contribution to the world in which we live and work. But that’s not all – Treedom makes it possible to calculate the environmental impact of our own lifestyle. A special algorithm enables users to monitor the CO2 emissions they produce every day and compensate for them by planting a tree. So it only takes a little effort to try to improve our planet: try it out for size with us!

TREEDOM FOR A GREEN, SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE 2017

THINK SOCIAL

COFFEE BREAK

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The latest Umami Coffee Camp - Honduras Special Edition took place from 30 November to 14 December 2016. Taking part for the Rancilio Group were Riccardo Schneider, Customer Support Manager, and Carles González, Manager of Rancilio Group España. Both Schneider and González are leading players in a project to encourage greater engagement with the entire coffee supply chain, starting with the countries of origin. Spreading the espresso culture worldwide has always been one of the cornerstones of our mission as a company. We will now bring you a brief account of our experience in Honduras and the comments of our colleagues on their return to Italy. The first part of the trip was taken up by a visit to the Beneficio Santa Rosa, a major producer and exporter with its own facility for processing the coffee beans produced in the western Honduran region of Copàn. The next stop on the way was at the Cafetalera Capucas Ltda cooperative and the chance to witness harvesting on the plantation at

TOP CLASS TRAINING AT THE UMAMI COFFEE CAMP IN HONDURAS

COFFEE BREAK

Carles González (Commercial Director Rancilio Group España) is working with parchment coffee.

Las Capucas Cooperative in the region of Copán in Honduras.

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the Victoria Estate in Capucas, for a direct view of the different cultivation and selection methods for the hand-picked coffee beans. The following day the group visited the Cabaña Capucas plantation for a hands-on experience of the various types of coffee plants and the opportunity to learn about the pruning process in the various growth stages on a visit to a plantation with a 60-year history behind it. Next on the list was a visit to the coffee plant nursery for an onsite lesson where, equipped with gloves, a hoe and a spade, team members tried their hand at the job of coffee growers. The group then moved on to the plantation owned by Don Isidro, another small-scale producer of top quality coffee, followed by a visit to the huge Solar building that uses the sun’s energy to dry the coffee. Here the visiting team had the opportunity to work alongside the staff of the Las Capucas cooperative in their painstaking selection of the green coffee beans that were laid out on nets at various heights and left to

dry out. The Umami Barista Camp also provided afternoon classroom lessons for a complete learning experience in all aspects of coffee with courses in the Coffee Diploma System (CDS) of the SCA (Speciality Coffee Association). This gave our eager learners the chance to start or continue with their coffee specialisation by way of basic and intermediate CDS modules, complete with the final test.What were the cultural highlights of this experience, what will you most remember?C.G. It helped me explore such aspects as Brazilian-style tasting or cupping, the method used at international level for assessing the quality, identifying any defects and pricing batches of coffee. I was particularly interested in the training on controlled crossing and hybridisation of the botanic varieties in order to obtain a more resistant crop and a better yield. Interacting with the growers was an experience in itself. It was a real

lesson in life delivered by those who work so hard and with such passion and dedication.R.S. Difficult to summarise all we learnt during the training camp. The first thing I want to highlight is the sheer breadth of the subject, so much detail and so many different facets. The coffee world is unbelievably huge and being a barista is no easy, mundane job, rather it requires a great deal of study, training and of course practice. The training camp helped me understand that behind all the myths, legends and stories, both true and false, there is a whole universe still to discover.How are you going to share this experience with your colleagues and partners?C.G. I would like to transform the inclination for obtaining a quality in-cup result, already a marked tendency in the Rancilio Group, into a deeply ingrained attitude and working habit. Let me explain. It would be great to have a more in-depth and wide-reaching understanding of how to obtain

a quality product at each and every stage of the coffee supply chain, making better use of the concept of temperature, something already dear to us at Rancilio and that can be profiled with the Xcelsius system.R.S. We have gained a greater awareness and become more reactive in our recognition of the quality of the raw material, in other words the coffee beans that we will be using with our equipment. The experience in Honduras has left me with a solid base for providing valuable input for the development of new technologies and to raise the performance of our coffee machines to even greater heights. What’s more, we are more aware that everything happening around us and market trends are not solely to do with our own business but require 360 degree vision.

COFFEE BREAK

The attendees of Honduras Coffee Camp at Cafetalera Capucas Ltda Cooperative.

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COFFEE BREAK

CLASSE 11 XCELSIUS: NOW READ THE BOOK!October saw the appearance in Italian bookshops of the volume Latte Art, published by Hoepli and written by Chiara Bergonzi, several-time winner of the Italian Latte Art championship and runner-up in the 2014 World Latte Art Championship in Melbourne. The book takes you on a journey in the world of coffee-making, telling of the writer’s experience and presenting a feast for the eyes, unveiling the secrets of decorating cappuccino, with some magnificent illustrations of in-cup decoration, the fruit of all the expertise of a talented daily practitioner.One of the star images in the book shows off all the excellence of the Rancilio Group in the shape of the Classe 11 Xcelsius, used at the Cofficina HQ in Assago where the photoshoot for the book took place. Cofficina is not just a brand, but also a store, complete with coffee tasting area alongside a bakery, the ideal place for a relaxing snack or lunch. The training centre adjacent to the store offers courses for all levels of the SCA Coffee Diploma as well as courses in Latte Art held by Ms Bergonzi herself. The Classe 11 Xcelsius machine also accompanied the writer, now an international judge in Latte Art competitions on the World Coffee Events circuit, at the book launch on 3 December held at the Hoepli bookshop. This historic bookshop in Milan is equipped with one of these professional machines, further proof, if any were needed, that the top professionals cannot do without the most innovative equipment to guarantee the absolute quality of their in-cup result.

Giorgio Rancilio (Rancilio Group President and CEO) with the author of Latte Art book, Chiara Bergonzi.

HEADQUARTERS, PRODUCTION PLANT AND R&D CENTERS

Rancilio Group S.p.A. con socio unicoViale della Repubblica 4020015 Villastanza di Parabiago - Milano ItaliaPh. +39 0331 408200 / Fax +39 0331 551437

Egro Suisse AGBahnhofstrasse 665605 Dottikon - SchweizTel. +41 (0)56 616 95 95 / Fax +41 (0)56 616 95 97

WORLDWIDE BRANCH LOCATIONS

SPAINRancilio Group España, S.A.Gran Vía de Carlos III, 84 3ª-Edificio Trade08028 Barcelona - SpainPh. +34 902 884 275Ph. +34 934 923 414Fax +34 934 965 701info-es@ranciliogroup.com

PORTUGALRancilio Group Portugal LdaRua José Vicente Gonçalves n°14-Armaz.-2Parque Industrial do Seixal2840-048 Aldeia de Paio Pires-SeixalLisboa - PortugalPh. +351 21 493 52 58

Rancilio Group Portugal LdaCentro de Negócios da MaiaRua Albino José Domingues, n.º 683 4470 – 557 Maia - Porto - PortugalPh. + 351 22 490 39 77info-pt@ranciliogroup.com

CONTACTS

GERMANYRancilio Group Deutschland GmbHIsenburg - Park Schleussnerstr. 9063263 Neu-Isenburg - GermanyPh. +49 (0)6102 799030info-de@ranciliogroup.com

SWITZERLANDEgro Suisse AGBahnhofstrasse 665605 Dottikon - SwitzerlandPh. +41 (0)56 616 95 95Fax +41 (0)56 616 95 97info-ch@ranciliogroup.com

USA/CANADA Rancilio Group North America Inc.1340 Internationale Parkway / Suite 200Woodridge, IL 60517 - U.S.A.Ph. +1 630 914 7900Fax +1 630 914 7901Toll Free: +1 877 726 2454 info@ranciliogroupna.com

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