Have you ever wondered where coffee is grown? This exquisite beverage, which you practically take for granted, is actually the fruit of a real supply chain that originates in faraway countries. Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Peru are just some of the states known for their rich coffee production.
Thanks to the particularly favourable climate they have, in fact, these lands have managed to create the finest blends and the most intense aromas: a record that unfortunately Italy is very unlikely to achieve, although attempts at cultivation have been made here too. Having clarified this, therefore, let us discover together which are the world’s largest coffee producers!
Brazil
Let us start with the country that holds the record for world coffee production: Brazil. With its 3 million tonnes per year, it has broken all records, becoming famous not only for the quantity, but also (and above all!) for the quality of its blends.
Arabica, Cohillon (i.e., the local version of the better known Robusta) and Bourbon Santos are the three workhorses that have made Brazil the world’s most important coffee producer. That said, if you would like to enjoy one of these exquisite blends, remember that it is important to prepare them with the right machine, such as one of our lever machines. In this regard, we invite you to consult our catalogue and discover the right coffee machine for you!
Peru
If you are irresistibly attracted to Arabica blends (and we, who know about coffee, can understand you very well!), your country of reference is definitely Peru. This is where the best Arabica quality coffee you can taste is grown, characterised by a sweet and delicate aroma that is unmatched anywhere else in the world.
Colombia
We stay in Latin America but move to sunny and colourful Colombia. This country is known for being the second largest producer of coffee after the aforementioned Brazil, but its blends are so good that they rival, if not surpass, it in quality.
Distinguished by the initials M.A.M, from the names of the three centres where they are grown (Medellin, Armenia, Manizales), they are called Medellin and Armenia. The former is known for its full-bodied flavour, the latter for a distinctly milder aroma.
Ivory Coast
Latin America is not the only continent known for its coffee production. In Africa, for example, the Ivory Coast is able to produce such quantities of coffee that it is able to meet a large part of the world’s needs. Its best known and most appreciated quality is undoubtedly Robusta, but Arabusta is also worth mentioning: a blend of Arabica and Robusta, particularly in demand on the French market.
Jamaica
Jamaica deserves a separate mention as it produces the finest coffee in the Caribbean. Grown in the mountainous areas, it is known for the countless qualities of its blends, which include Blue Mountain, High Mountain, Jamaica Mountain Choice and Prima Washed.
Mexico
With more than 100,000 coffee plantations scattered throughout its territory, Mexico rightly ranks among the world’s largest producers. Among its best-known and most popular blends are Altura Coatepec, characterised by a delicate body and a delicious chocolate flavour, and Pluma Coffee, renowned for its particularly rich aroma.
Venezuela
Still in Latin America, we find yet another country known for producing excellent quality blends, considered among the best in the world. We are talking about Venezuela, famous for a series of coffees called ‘Maracaibo’ and divided into the blends Meridas, Caracas, Caracas Blue, Tachiras and Cucuta. Each is known for producing a coffee with a particularly sweet and delicate aroma, characterised by a light taste.
Hawaii
Although not one of the most famous coffee producers, the Hawaiian Islands nevertheless deserve to be mentioned for a particular variety produced exclusively in their territory. This is the well-known Kona coffee: a peculiar blend whose plant grows on the slopes of the (still active) Mauna Loa volcano and is characterised by a medium body, an intense aroma, and a rich aromatic bouquet.
Vietnam
Although the main production of this country is rice, coffee takes second place. In fact, more than two million tonnes of coffee are harvested in Vietnam and exported all over the world, almost all of them of Robusta quality.
Burundi
Burundi is mainly home to coffee plantations of Arabica and Robusta qualities. The former, in particular, is exported mainly to the United States, where it is particularly appreciated because of its full-bodied nature. Being a very poor country, Burundi also considers its coffee production as a real resource.
Costa Rica
Coffee production in Costa Rica developed at the end of the 18th century, when the first plants were imported from neighbouring Cuba. What really makes the history of coffee in this country special, however, is the prohibition to cultivate species of the Robusta quality.
The remaining blends, on the other hand, have given rise to some of the most popular coffees in the world, known for their sweet body characterised by a pronounced acidity. Their names are: San Marcos of Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Heredia and Alajuela.
Sumatra
Sumatra is a paradisiacal Indonesian island known for producing two of the world’s best-known and most appreciated coffees: Mandheling and Ankola. Both dry-processed, they come from plants that are cultivated and harvested by hand, generating a coffee with a really strong taste, to the point that it is advisable to mix it with a little milk.
Italy
We conclude our compendium of the best-known coffee producers by also mentioning Italy where, as we already told you in the introduction, an attempt at cultivation has been made. In 2018, in fact, a pioneer named Rosolino Palazzolo started a small coffee cultivation in Sicily, taking advantage of the favourable climate of this region.
Although he managed to harvest and roast a certain amount of beans, producing them on a large scale would have been unthinkable due to the huge costs. Nevertheless, that first, small harvest officially marked the birth of ‘made in Italy’ coffee: an event that absolutely deserved to be mentioned in our ranking.
Conclusion
Reading the names of all the exquisite blends we have mentioned, you will undoubtedly have a craving for a cup of coffee. Regardless of which aroma you decide to savour, always remember that the credit for this indispensable pleasure goes to the countries that cultivate the raw material, among which, unfortunately, Italy does not feature.
Our country, however, can boast other records, which concern the tools used to prepare coffee. If the very Italian Alfonso Bialetti invented the Moka pot, his compatriot Angelo Moriondo has the merit of having designed the first coffee machine, back in 1884.
Many years have passed since then and these machines have evolved and improved, to the point that today you are spoilt for choice. After all, if you want to drink a good cup of coffee, you have to do it with the right machine, and the aforementioned lever machines certainly hold this supremacy: perfect if you want to enjoy your favourite blends at 100% of their taste. So don’t wait any longer and choose the right coffee machine for you now!
