The Kimbo Story

THE FOUNDERS

In the 1960s , the Rubino brothers seized the opportunity offered by new packaging techniques, with a revolutionary vacuum-packed can, meaning authentic traditional Neapolitan coffee could be brought everywhere. With this, Cafè do Brasil SpA, now Kimbo SpA, was born. Quickly Kimbo became one of the most important European coffee roasters. The coffee became famous throughout Italy and then worldwide under the Kimbo brand.

 

THE BIRTH AND EVOLUTION

Kimbo SpA is the company founded by the Rubino brothers in 1963, which gave rise to the Kimbo brand itself, a name that evokes the exotic lands where coffee beans originate. In 1994, it achieved second place in the Italian packaged coffee retail market, a position it maintains today. Its growing success is certainly due to rigorous loyalty, tradition, and qualitative excellence, but also to a strong communications presence and investment in corporate infrastructure.

RAW MATERIAL

A good coffee starts with the choice of raw materials.
For this reason, Kimbo takes great care in selecting green coffees
directly in the countries of origin. Every stage of coffee plant cultivation
is carefully monitored and subjected to multiple checks .
This allows the plant to grow healthily and produce high-quality red berries.
These same berries conceal their most precious treasure: the green beans. These
are sun-dried, hulled, and finally shipped to Italy.

Selection

There are two main coffee varieties: Arabica , intense and sweet, and Robusta , with a spicier and bitter aroma. Kimbo experts select the best green coffees of the two main varieties on site and immediately send the samples to the plant in Naples, where a team of experts perform product and chemical tests. Then it's time for the tasters , who give the green light to the raw material using their sense of smell and taste buds.

Roasting

Once the coffee batches have passed the tests, they are stored and sent to the roasting plant. The coffee is heated to a temperature of 160° to 250°C for 8 to 12 minutes. Roasting takes place in three phases: drying to eliminate moisture, roasting itself, and cooling to room temperature. It is during this phase that the coffee acquires its aroma. More or less intense roasting determines its colour and flavour. The experience of the Kimbo team is therefore essential in determining
the ideal temperature and duration each time, monitoring the process in real time.

Blending

Blending is the most important step. Each
batch of coffee is selected and qualified based on its
sensory profile, and each blend must combine the various prized qualities of different origins to achieve the ideal result: a perfect balance of flavour and consistent quality. Here, the human element is crucial.

Packaging

The final phase, essential for maintaining quality.
Whole beans are processed in a protective atmosphere, while ground coffee is vacuum-packed as soon as it's made. Time stands still inside: so when you open it, you can enjoy the aroma and flavour of freshly roasted coffee.