Lavazza Espresso Barista Intenso: dialling in the bar-style bean

Barista Intenso is a bean that expects a portafilter and a pump. Give it a sensible starting recipe and it tolerates small mistakes without turning dull.

A starting recipe that works

Begin with 18g of ground coffee in a double basket and aim for about 36g in the cup over 25 to 30 seconds. That is a one-to-two ratio and a sound place to start. Stop the shot sooner, at around 27g, and the cup turns heavier and sweeter; let it run longer and it thins while the bitterness comes forward. Change one thing at a time.

Set the water between 92 and 94 degrees. Because the roast stops short of scorched, it can take slightly hotter water than the darkest beans before any harshness appears. Many machines without a temperature dial already sit in that range, so the grinder deserves your attention first. Grinding fresh on a burr grinder does more for a home setup than almost any other change.

Where Intenso sits in the Barista line

Barista is Lavazza's bar-style range, roasted for the short shot a caffe pulls rather than a long filter mug. Intenso is its darker, heavier member, with more body and roast depth and less of the bright acidity a lighter espresso bean carries. Body is its strongest suit, thick and coating, with a bitterness that sits under the sweetness rather than on top of it.

It is built to survive steamed milk, and you notice it late in a flat white, when a thinner blend would already be fading. It will also work in a moka pot or a cafetiere, but its natural home is an espresso machine with a pump and a basket. Among the other Lavazza beans we stock, Crema e Gusto Classico comes in a one kilogram bag, and Decaf Intenso and Decaf Classico are the decaffeinated choices.

How far a 500g bag goes

At an 18g dose the bag gives around 27 double shots, roughly a fortnight for someone drinking two a day, and once the habit sets in half a kilo goes quickly. Whole beans keep their aromatic oils sealed inside until they are ground, so grind only for the shot in front of you and keep the bag rolled down tightly, with its one-way valve left to do its job.

Grinding is part of the pleasure. The moment the burrs start, the kitchen fills with a big smell of cocoa and toasted hazelnut, something a pre-ground tin cannot give you. In the cup it is thick, bitter-sweet and low in acidity, so it pairs best with biscuits that bring either richness to match it or a sharp contrast to cut through.

The packs we stock

• Lavazza Espresso Barista Intenso Coffee Beans, 500g (barcode 8000070050983)

What to eat with it

• Thomas Fudge's 6 Dark Chocolate Florentines: Dark chocolate florentines bring enough richness to meet a thick, bitter-sweet shot.
• Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies, 340g: Plain butter cookies let the espresso lead and soften its long finish.
• Border Lemon Drizzle Melts Organic Biscuits, 150g: Lemon gives a sharp contrast to a cocoa-leaning, low-acid cup.

Elsewhere in the Lavazza range

• Lavazza A Modo Mio Dek, Decaf Eco Caps, 16 Capsules 120g
• Lavazza A Modo Mio Lungo Dolce Coffee, 16 Capsules
• Lavazza A Modo Mio Passionale Coffee, 16 Capsules
• Lavazza A Modo Mio Qualita Rossa Coffee, 16 Capsules 120g
• Lavazza Crema e Gusto Classico Coffee Beans, 1kg
• Lavazza Crema E Gusto Classico Ground Roasted Coffee, 500g

The full range is on the Lavazza brand page.

FAQ

What is the Lavazza Barista range? Lavazza's bar-style line, roasted for the short shot a caffe pulls. Intenso is its darker, heavier member.

What dose and shot size should I start with? 18g in a double basket, about 36g out over 25 to 30 seconds, then adjust the grind one small step at a time.

How many shots are in a 500g bag? Around 27 doubles at an 18g dose, which is roughly a fortnight at two a day.

Do I need a grinder? Yes, or a bean-to-cup machine with one built in. These are whole beans.

Is it good with milk? Yes. It has enough body to carry through steamed milk, which shows most in a flat white.

Curator's note: Weigh the dose and the shot for the first week. Once the recipe is settled, this bean repays the effort every single morning. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Lavazza Espresso Barista Intenso: dialling in the bar-style bean

More from the tea wiki

• Tea vs Coffee: Taste, Caffeine and Switching
• Caffeine in Tea
• Tea vs Coffee
• Tea for Coffee Drinkers: Where to Start
• Chai vs Coffee

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