Caffèlab: the first online coffee laboratory

Let’s start from the beginning, partly to explain what we’re doing here, and partly to introduce ourselves.

We’re Bianca, Eleonora, Robert, Simone, and Gabriele, but collectively we’re CaffèLab, and we like that better, because as a group we’re stronger!

Together, we used our strength to bring our idea for a coffee laboratory to life: a place where there are basically two protagonists: coffee, as an agricultural product, which comes from the field and has a history; and coffee connoisseurs, who become fundamental participants, who can create their special blend and enjoy a cup of coffee as a true experience, not just as a mere service or as a vehicle for caffeine.

That’s all well and good, but why did you find us in the Vinhood magazine? Simple, we like sharing. We’re sharing the philosophy, the love for good food, the desire to talk about it, experience it, and give it value, to convey the hard work, attention, craftsmanship, passion, and even little secrets that got us here. We’re here because, like Vinhood, we too are confident that we can give a social value to the simple act of purchasing food, produced by people.

CAFFÈLAB: A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GROWERS AND SOFTWARE

We created  caffelab.it in 2015 under the umbrella of Mokaflor, a historic Florentine roasting company that’s been active for more than 70 years. We felt ready to do it, because we felt able to bring together a series of abilities that we’d acquired throughout our professional and academic careers: Bianca’s skills in the world of E-commerce and associated software, Eleonora’s managerial skills, Robert’s expertise with regard to green coffee and its roasting, and Simone’s experience with tools and working behind the bar (Simone and Robert are also trainers in our  Espresso Academy).

Of course, it’s not enough to have the right people. You also need a vision, a clear project philosophy, and we, in creating CaffèLab, chose several fundamental values: 

• • a vast selection of single origin coffees (or rather coffees that come from a single plantation, not blended, and entirely traceable);
  • an incredibly wide selection of tools associated with coffee (machines, drippers for filtered coffee, tampers, scales, and even books) so as to become a true “coffee Amazon”;
  • a broad selection of specialty coffees (still very rare in Italy) which have earned more than 80 points from the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) technical tasting;
  • coffees which make it possible to have a close relationship with their growers, people like Rodrigo, Helena, Giorgio, and Carlos. Their work is the core of this project, so much so that we decided to interview them in a series of meetings on YouTube called  Meet the Coffee Farmer;
  • coffees that pay close attention to sustainability. From this perspective, we want to highlight something very important. Some coffees aren’t officially considered “organic”, even though they are. In fact, for many growers whose practices are entirely organic, whose coffees are often purchased for no more than €2/kg, it’s still too expensive and complicated to get internationally certified.

IWCA, THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S COFFEE ALLIANCE

Sustainability matters. It includes aspects related to ecology, the right price for products, the environment, inclusion, and individuals, because we want life on this planet to be healthy for many more years to come.

In this regard, we’ve taken further steps forward, with the founders of CaffèLab-Mokaflor becoming members of the Italian chapter of the IWCA (International Women’s Coffee Alliance), an accomplishment which, from the very beginning, was more than just a medal around our necks (otherwise what would there be to talk about?), but rather immediately gave us the opportunity to showcase coffees cultivated by female cooperatives, like the Peruvian girls of the Pachamama group, the women in the village of Nwar Ban Gyi in Myanmar, and the Rwandan partners of Nova Cafe Des Mamas. 

We believe. That’s why we’re in Vinhood!