Pellini Espresso Bar No 4 Traditional Cream - Coffee Beans - 1 kilogram

Both are printed on the back of the bag. That is where Pellini puts the best before date together with the batch or production number.

Italian roasters usually do not print a separate roast date, they work with a best before date that runs from production. Still want to know exactly when your bag of Pellini Espresso Bar No 4 Crema Tradizionale was roasted? Send us the batch number and the date on the bag and we will check it with the supplier for you.

Good to know: the bag is not vacuum sealed but fitted with a valve, so the beans can degas quietly after roasting. A bag that does not feel tight is not a bad sign at all.

Just about any machine that handles whole beans, so both a bean to cup machine and a semi automatic espresso machine with its own grinder.

Pellini Espresso Bar No 4 Crema Tradizionale has a medium roast, which makes the blend friendly to bean to cup machines: you get a lovely creamy crema without the beans being too oily for the grinder. On a semi automatic you simply play with the grind size until the espresso tastes exactly the way you like it.

Want to use it in a moka pot or filter machine? That works fine, you just grind the beans yourself, a little coarser than for espresso.

The number refers to the blend, and every blend has its own character.

• No 4 Crema Tradizionale: medium roast, creamy and balanced, with notes of dark chocolate and a hint of liquorice.
• No 9 Cremoso: aromatic and rich in flavour, the slightly fuller choice.
• No 82 Vivace: traditional and fine in taste, but noticeably more powerful in the cup.
• No 3 Gran Aroma: 100% arabica, medium to dark roast, with chocolate and honey.

Not sure which to pick? The No 4 is the most approachable all rounder and works just as well black as with milk.

Dry, dark and at room temperature, in packaging that closes properly. The Pellini bag has a valve; seal it with a clip after opening or transfer the beans to an airtight storage tin.

Do not put the beans in the fridge. Coffee absorbs smells and moisture, and you will taste that later in your cup. A cupboard near your machine is ideal, as long as it is not right next to the oven or in direct sunlight.

Does a kilo last you longer than a few weeks? Then keep part of it separately in a second, well sealed tin and only open that one when the first is finished.

We only stock the No 4 Crema Tradizionale as whole beans, in the 1 kilo bag.

Looking for ground Pellini? Then have a look at Pellini Top ground coffee in a 250 gram tin. That is a different blend (100% arabica), so expect a different flavour profile than the chocolate and liquorice of the No 4.

Set on having this blend ground? Then grind the beans yourself. That actually has an upside: freshly ground coffee gives noticeably more aroma than a pack that has been open for a while. Set your grinder fine for espresso and a little coarser for a moka pot or filter coffee.