Francesco Illy founded illycaffè in 1933, where he began to revolutionize coffee preperation, starting with invention of the illetta in 1935 which is considered the blueprint for modern espresso machines. In the 1940's, his innovative pressurized packaging method enabled illy’s initial exports to Sweden and Holland. Today, Francesco Illy’s packaging method remains the standard for preserving and enhancing coffee’s freshness during transport and storage.
Ernesto, Francesco’s son, earned a doctorate in chemistry and joined the company in the late 1940's. His passion for learning gave rise to illy’s formal scientific and technological research efforts, starting with an in-house laboratory dedicated to coffee chemistry. In the 1950s, he spear-headed the illy's expansion into homes, selling smaller cans of ground coffee. In 1965 he moved the company to its current Via Flavia headquarters, still in Trieste.
In 1974, Dr. Illy intoduced yet another coffee innovation to the market with ESE, the first pre-measured espresso pods, making café-quality espresso simple and easy at home or a cafe. In 1988, he introduced and patented a photo-chromatic means to identify the highest quality beans, one by one, right at the source.
The 1990s saw the creation of the illy Art Collection, a new logo by renowned pop-artist James Rosenquist, and establishment of the Brazil Award, recognizing excellence in coffee cultivation. Today, illy is synonymous with premium Italian coffee in over 140 countries worldwide under the guidance of Ernesto’s son, Andrea Illy, who continues the tradition of innovation and coffee excellence.
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