Over the last couple of years, it's been hard to escape the presence of Illy Coffee in NYC. It's everywhere, from the krappy Key Foods to the C-for-effort Gristedes, up to the self-inflicted bourgeois Whole Foods aisles.I tried it a few years ago, and in an emergency coffee bind, recently picked some up for home. It wasn't bad at all, but it wasn't very good either. I take my coffee with a moderate amount of milk and sugar, and my cups of Illy coffee tasted like the milk and sugar only. In between cups, I had a drink of it straight, and frankly it was just bland.
On that note, let's take a sec: if you love Illy coffee, just go ahead and spout. Let it all out. Call me ignorant, call me tasteless. Yell at me for "probably brewing my pots with poor proportions". Berate me for calling out your little branded badge of hipsterdom. Tell me to go places.
Breathe. Breathe. Now let's agree to disagree and move on.
So I don't care for the flavor of Illy. And I certaintly don't care for the price. FreshDirect.com sells the standard 8.8 oz. Illy can for $12.99, whereas a full pound of FreshDirect French Roast goes for $6.99. If you're going to spend over 12 bucks on coffee, you might as well a) get a full 16 oz. worth and b) get the great stuff.
So what's the allure? According to their website, Illy (the man) began brewing in 1933, and it's now "available in more than 140 countries in all five continents". It's definitely making the rounds internationally. And I'll be the first to plead ignorance when it comes to my own worldly exposure to coffee. I couldn't tell you the difference between South American and Asia beans, or which one is reputably 'better'.
Ultimately, despite Illy's global successes and commitment to "the global culture of coffee through all the elements contributing to a perfect cup of coffee", it always comes back to taste, and personally, I just don't have the tongue for it. Am I missing something alluring about the flavor? Am I missing something about the culture?
What's your opinion of Illy Coffee?
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