Coffee is more than a daily gesture or a quick ritual at the bar. In our country it represents a cultural experience that tells stories of origins, tradition, innovation and sustainability. Gambero Rosso’s 2026 Italian Coffee and Roasting Guide photographs precisely this evolution, rewarding the Italian companies that are transforming the way of experiencing (and producing) coffee.
The 15 Torrefazione 2026 Special Awards are not simple generic awards: each roaster was awarded in a specific category or subcategory that enhances its distinctive characteristics. Some excel in absolute quality, others in sustainability, innovation, craftsmanship, respect for tradition or the ability to spread coffee culture around the world.
This Guide therefore offers consumers a clear compass to discover the best Italian roasters and understand what makes each one truly special.
Let’s immediately discover the 15 companies that Gambero Rosso has awarded.
The best 15 coffee roasters
- Roasting Company of the Year: Caffè Agust – “For the extraordinary quality of all its coffees, responding to peculiar characteristics readable by every palate and for the very fine quality of all the flavors found upon tasting” write the Gambero Rosso experts
- Home roaster of the year: Nespresso – For the quality of the entire range, served with three extraction systems and a unique coffee list
- Specialty Roaster of the Year – Cafezal Specialty Coffee Roasters – For the very high quality of Arabica Specialty coffees, selected and roasted with precision
- Gourmet roasting – Kimbo – For the qualitative increase of products and the innovative training offer aimed at the food & beverage sector
- Roasting of Excellence – Artisan Company – For excellence in roasting, training and café
- Artisan Roasting – Caffè Putto – For the commitment to artisan work and the protection of tradition
- Sustainability Roasting – Lavazza – For the 100% green single-portion format, Tablì, which eliminates the environmental impact of spent coffee
- Organic Coffee Roasting – Julius Meinl – For ethical consistency and the predominance of organic coffee in the product range
- Traditional roasting – Essse Caffè – For the respect of traditional recipes, embodied in the symbolic blend of Italian espresso, Masini
- Innovative Roasting – Caffè Pascucci – For the compostable Nipple single-portion extraction system, which transforms each capsule into natural fertilizer
- Roasting Professional line revelation – Caffè Iaquinta – For the variety of the entire product range, characterized by high quality references
- Revelation Roasting – Home Line Caffè Bontadi Roasting – For the original single-portion line, with valuable single-origin references
- Alternative Coffee Roasting – Bialetti – For the integration of coffee with original aromas, which enhance its pleasantness and drinkability
- 100% Made in Italy roasting – Caffè Morettino – For the pioneering work in the first real coffee plantation in Italy
- Torrefazione Cultura nel mondo – Mokaflor Torrefazione – For the diffusion of Italian espresso in the world thanks to the Coffee Academies present on all continents
