In Italy, there are just about as many kinds of coffee as there are kinds of pasta. Maybe there should be a required course about Italian coffee before a passport is accepted. There are many coffees as well as many coffee traditions in Italy, and unless you want to be labeled a maleducato (a rude or ill-mannered person), you need to know that it is ESPRESSO and not EXPRESSO (an expresso is a fast train).

If you want to have a little fun, you can ask a group of Italians how to make a perfect cup of stovetop espresso. Then you can just sit back and watch the fur fly, so to speak. You can bet the discussion will be a little more than just heated. Every one in the group will have their own individual method for making that perfect cup of stovetop espresso.

There are so many types of espresso machines that it is difficult to keep track. There are automatic espresso makers, pump-driven espresso machines, lever piston espresso machines, and, of course, the classic aluminum espresso coffee maker (a moka pot or The Moka Express). That one was invented back in the 1930s.

But we have only begun to scratch the surface of Italian coffee here. The choices of the kind of coffee to order at what time of day and under what circumstances can be more confusing that a Starbucks menu. Usually coffee is only served with breakfast. At other meals, coffee is ordered after the meal is over and you should never order an espresso after a meal. It is correct to simply order “a coffee, please.” If you are brushing up on your Italian that would be, “un caffè, per favore.”

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Coffee and all of the traditions associated with the drinking of coffee are an important part of Italy. You need to know before you go.

Related Gourmet Coffee Grinder Articles:

• Which Espresso Maker is Right for You?
• Starbucks Coffee