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Forlì · Italy

Gardelli Specialty Coffees

Since 2010 · Rubens Gardelli

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Overview

Rubens Gardelli started roasting in Forlì in 2010 on a 50g roaster, taught himself the craft (no SCA courses) and went on to win the Italian Coffee Roasting Championship four years in a row before taking the World Coffee Roasting Championship in 2017. He also placed second at the World Brewers Cup in 2014. Gardelli runs a single roast profile per coffee — no separate filter and espresso roasts — and the shop's slogan, "Acidity is not a crime," sets the tone. The Caffeteca, his pink-marble flagship cafe in Forlì's center, opened in late 2020 and serves the full range on a La Marzocco Leva.

Known for

  • World Coffee Roasting Champion 2017
  • Italian Coffee Roasting Champion four years in a row
  • World Brewers Cup runner-up 2014
  • Slogan "Acidity is not a crime"
  • Distinctive pink packaging and white-swan branding (Cignobianco signature blend)
  • Experimental processing methods (Gardelli RED, ORANGE, WHITE) at origin

Why it matters

Gardelli is the most decorated competition roaster in Italy and one of the few Italian operations producing genuine third-wave specialty in a country still dominated by traditional dark-roast espresso culture. The championship-driven buying power lets him pay outsized premiums to producers, and his self-taught path makes him a reference point for roasters outside the established training pipeline.

Production

roaster machine
Genio 15kg (built his own 700g earlier in his career)
cupping frequency
blind cupping for every lot before roast profile decision
roastery location
Panighina, Forlì-Cesena

Café

This roaster operates a café.

Recognitions

  • World Coffee Roasting Champion (2017)
  • Italian Coffee Roasting Champion (4x consecutive)
  • World Brewers Cup runner-up (2014)

Sources

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