Tuscany is better known for Sangiovese than single origins, but look closer and you’ll find a remarkably rich coffee-roasting culture from century-old Florentine brands that helped shape Italian espresso to contemporary specialty roasters pushing transparency and lighter profiles.
This guide maps out the most important coffee roasters in Tuscany, why they matter, and how to taste them.
What makes a Tuscan roaster “important”?
Three things: heritage (brands that shaped local espresso culture), quality & sourcing (from farm relationships to roast craft), and influence (barista education, cafés, international reach, or visitor experiences). With those lenses, here are the roasters that define Tuscany today.
Heritage cornerstones (1898–1950s)
Manaresi (Florence, 1898). Often cited in the story of the Italian espresso al banco, Manaresi traces its roots to the Caffè de’ Ritti near Orsanmichele, where drinking coffee standing at the bar became fashionable at the turn of the 20th century. The brand still roasts classic Tuscan espresso with a historical throughline to that first bar.
Mokarico (Florence, 1936). Born in early 20th-century Florence and relaunched under the Paladini family in 1936, Mokarico embodies the city’s long espresso tradition; in recent years it has also embraced quality control and training for modern tastes.
Mokaflor (Florence, 1950). A Florentine fixture founded by Vasco Bernini, Mokaflor evolved from a tiny shop behind Piazza della Signoria into a third-generation roastery producing blends and single origins from its base in west Florence.
Caffè New York (Montecatini Terme, 1930s). In the spa town of Montecatini, bar owner Ugo Incerpi began roasting to satisfy a demanding clientele; his coffee drew drinkers from Florence and beyond and became the Caffè New York brand Italians and export markets know today.
Arcaffè (Livorno, 1895). Established by the Meschini family, Arcaffè is one of Tuscany’s oldest coffee names and a pillar of Livorno’s port-city coffee history (a historic gateway for “colonial goods”). Its signature blends, like Roma, still nod to that heritage.
Trinci (Cascine di Buti, Pisa; origins 1939). Starting in Florence before moving to Pistoia and then to Cascine di Buti, the Trinci family refined a slow, artisanal roast style and later expanded into craft chocolate. Visiting the workshop is a lesson in Tuscan craft tradition.
The Tuscan flagship with global reach
Caffè Corsini (Arezzo, 1950). Tuscany’s best-known industrial-artisanal hybrid, Corsini combines scale with a quality focus (you might know the Compagnia dell’Arabica line). Founded by Corsino Corsini, it exports widely and has strengthened distribution via collaboration with the Melitta Group without abandoning its Tuscan base.
Specialty pioneers & new-wave names (1990s–today)
Le Piantagioni del Caffè (Livorno, 1994). Among Italy’s first roasters to champion single-estate coffees, Le Piantagioni built relationships at origin long before it was fashionable, focusing on terroir clarity and traceability. Today it remains a reference for single farms and transparent sourcing.
Ditta Artigianale (Florence, 2013). Founded by barista champion Francesco Sanapo and Patrick Hoffer, Ditta helped kick-start Florence’s specialty scene with a micro-roastery model, multi-site cafés, and an ethos of quality + transparency from farm to cup.
D612 Coffee Roasters (Florence, 2016/17). A micro-roastery dedicated to small, traceable lots and lighter, modern roasts, D612 has become a darling of Florence’s specialty cafés, emphasizing ethical sourcing and recyclable, low-impact packaging.
Gearbox Coffee Roasters (Borgo San Lorenzo, 2018). Created by Tommaso Bongini (from the Mokarico family), Gearbox blends specialty craft with a playful brand narrative, roasting on the Mugello doorstep and championing seasonal single origins and competition-style profiles.
Piansa (Florence, 1976). An artisan stalwart, Torrefazione Piansa grew from Pietro Staderini’s quest for quality beyond what he found on the market; today the Staderini family still roasts blends and single origins for discerning Tuscan bars and home drinkers.
(Honourable mentions to historic names with local roots such as Nannini in Siena and Bei & Nannini in Lucca, both with a century-plus connection to coffee and pastry culture.)
How and where taste Tuscan roasts
Florence: build a day around Ditta Artigianale tasting flights and a stop at cafés serving D612 and Gearbox; for classic profiles, seek out Manaresi and Mokarico at traditional bars. This mix shows how Tuscany moves from caramel-leaning espresso to citrusy, filter-friendly roasts.
Livorno & Pisa area: plan a coastal detour to pick up Le Piantagioni del Caffè or Arcaffè, then head inland to Trinci in the Valdera for an old-school roasting lesson (and, if you’re lucky, a peek at their bean-to-bar experiments).
Arezzo & Val di Chiana: explore Caffè Corsini’s portfolio to understand how a Tuscan roaster scales while maintaining origin character through curated lines like Compagnia dell’Arabica.
Montecatini Terme (Pistoia): hunt down a bar pouring Caffè New York to taste a piece of 1930s Tuscan coffee history born in a Liberty-style spa town.
Buying tips: matching profiles to your palate
- Classic Tuscan espresso (caramel, cocoa, low acidity): look to Manaresi, Mokarico, Mokaflor, Caffè New York, Arcaffè.
- Single-estate clarity & terroir focus: try Le Piantagioni del Caffè.
- Modern specialty (lighter roasts, fruit-forward): explore Ditta Artigianale, D612, Gearbox.
- Artisan blends with a family signature: Piansa and Trinci.
- Widely available Tuscan brand with origin range: Caffè Corsini (and Compagnia dell’Arabica line).
Practical notes for coffee travelers
Many roasteries have factory shops or café outlets; opening times and tour availability vary seasonally. Always check the official websites for hours, locations and shipping options especially if you want to bring beans home freshly roasted. Florence’s center is walkable between cafés; Livorno/Pisa and Arezzo areas are best visited by car or regional train.
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