ESE Review: Lavazza Grand Crema Espresso Pods

Based in Northern Italy, Lavazza got its start over a century ago when Luigi Lavazza bought a little grocery store for the sum of about $20. Customers soon found that his coffee blends were spectacular, and their future was made certain. Today, that grocery store has grown to one of the largest producers of coffee in the world and the #1 coffee in Italy. There are several varieties of Lavazza available as either whole bean or ground coffee, and there are two types of Lavazza widely available to us in ESE Pods. Today, for this review, I am testing the Lavazza Grand Crema ESE pod, and I have to say it lives up to its name and it makes a great cup of espresso.

These ESE Espresso pods are made to be used in popular makers like the Breville Café Roma, the Krups XP4050 and the Hamilton Beach 40729 espresso machines; all have the ability to use ESE Espresso pods.

The brewing is typical, if not uneventful until you see the beautiful light colored crèma emerge and you know that there’s something different here. You have to see it to believe it.

The espresso has impressive intensity of flavor, with hints of chocolate in the aroma. The espresso is very full bodied, while still having good balance. The Lavazza Grand Crema has great balance of flavors, which is what hit me after experiencing this rush of flavors from all directions; it just works. It's nicely rounded with the acid balancing out the dark roast, all being pushed along by plenty of base coffee flavor. This is one espresso shot that will not shrink in the face of frothed milk.