Lavazza

Lavazza was founded in 1895 in Turin (Italy) by Luigi Lavazza, a passionate grocer from Piedmont. It was at his home, on Via San Tommaso in Turin, that he invented the concept of the multi-origin blend — a balanced mixture of several coffees from different countries — which would become the signature of modern Italian espresso.

The brand will thus celebrate its more than 130 years in 2026, while remaining a family business run today by the 6th generation of the Lavazza family.

Lavazza is roasted in Italy, mainly in the historic factories of Turin and Gattinara (Piedmont). The green beans are sourced from more than 20 producing countries (Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, India, Honduras, Guatemala…), selected within the Lavazza Training Center in Turin by the Qualità Prima.

The blend is then composed and roasted using the slow Italian method (approximately 15 minutes of roasting), which preserves the essential oils and develops the crema . Each blend is packaged in a protected atmosphere or under vacuum to maintain freshness.

Lavazza offers 4 proprietary capsule systems, each designed for a specific use:

• A Modo Mio — domestic home. Jolie, Idola, Deséa, Voicy machines. Eco-responsible biopolymer capsules, box of 16 capsules.
• Blue — Ho.Re.Ca., office, catering. Machines LB 300, 400, 900, 2500. Box of 100 caps.
• Espresso Point — industrial, vending, office. LB 1000 and EP Mini machines. Box of 100 capsules, unit cost ~€0.27/cup.
• Firma — premium office/home (not currently distributed by Cafemalin).

In addition to this, there are the aluminum capsules compatible with Nespresso Original (Maestro Classico, Maestro Lungo, Ristretto) — but which are not a proprietary Lavazza system.

The two systems are NOT compatible with each other — each capsule only works with the dedicated machine.

• A Modo Mio — Home System. Biopolymer capsule, box of 16 capsules, unit price ~€0.37/cup. For use with Lavazza Jolie, Idola, and Deséa home coffee machines. Blends suitable for home use (Passionale, Soave, Dolce…).
• Blue — PROFESSIONAL system. Plastic/aluminum capsule, box of 100 capsules, unit price ~€0.25/cup. Lavazza LB Ho.Re.Ca machines (300, 400, 900, 2500). Blends adapted for intensive Ho.Re.Ca. use (Blue Intenso, Tales of Venezia…).

In summary: A Modo Mio for home, Blue for the office or restaurant. A machine can only read one type of capsule.

Yes. Lavazza sells several certified organic and fair :

• ¡Tierra! Bio-Organic — Lavazza's signature committed line. Organic Arabica coffee, development projects in producing countries through La Fondazione Lavazzacapsules Blue.
• Aroma Più organic — Voice of the Earth organic, Arabica blend in whole bean coffee 1 kg, European organic certification.

More broadly, Lavazza is progressively committing all of its sourcing towards Rainforest Alliance and UTZ certifications , with a target of 100% of packaged coffee being sustainably certified by 2030.

The choice depends on your machine and your intended use :

• Whole bean coffee — for automatic machines with integrated grinder, professional espresso machines with grinder, separate coffee grinder. Best value for money, optimal aroma (ground just before extraction), sizes from 1 kg household to 30 kg professional packs. Absolute bestseller: Crema e Aroma Expert 1 kg.
• Lavazza capsules — for dedicated capsule machines. Convenient, guaranteed dosage, no grinding required. Unit cost ~€0.25 to €0.40/cup depending on the system. Ideal for home: A Modo Mio Passionale. Ideal for office: Blue Intenso.

In terms of pure cup quality, freshly ground coffee beans remain superior to capsules. However, in terms of convenience and consistency, capsules win.