Thank you Sally for sharing your coffee habit. You bring a good point that I did not mention in my letter, the low cost of coffee in Italy. Making it possible for everyone to enjoy it with some spare change in their pocket. 👌
Because I am of Italian background, many people over the years have asked me how much water to put in the bottom of a Moka coffee maker. They often say, *"I don’t want the coffee to overflow out the top."*
My response is always the same: "You're asking the wrong question. Instead of asking how much water goes in the bottom, you should ask how much water goes in the top—because that’s the answer you already have!"
Here’s the trick: fill the top chamber of your Moka pot with water until it reaches the notch in the centre tube. Then, pour that water into the bottom chamber.
In Montreal, I began using CIMO coffee and also decided to try their decaffeinated version—an unconventional choice for an Italian, I admit. However, to my surprise, the decaf also has as rich flavour. An 85-year-old aunt had recommended it to me, and she was absolutely right—it is an excellent decaf Italian coffee.
“Ritual”, I think, as you point out, is the one constant of making and drinking coffee. Not matter how you like it, the familiarity of the movements, the hiss of the espresso machine, the gurgling of the moka as the creamy coffee comes pouring out of the spout and you lift the lid to see the beautiful liquid filling the pot. Asking someone to share a cup of coffee is different than having a drink. I still have my mother’s Moka, which was a wedding present for them in 1948. I never use it because it’s too big, 12 cups I think, but I cannot part with it. The espresso machine you lent us last September made our holiday a lot more enjoyable. The number of cups we squeezed out of it was impressive. The morning shout of “where is my coffee Mike” started our day.
You are absolutely right Mike, that morning ritual is precious. I remember your mom, zia Teresa on Verville street in Montreal making us coffee in that Moka. And it’s so nice of you to keep that. And wow I did not know it went all the way back to 1948. Amazing. Hey Mike where is my coffee!!! 😎😉
Étant un amoureux du café ( cappuccino et flat White ) j’ai beaucoup apprécié ton article. D’après ce que je viens de lire, je crois même que prendre un café le matin c’est un rituel qui est profondément encré dans la vie des italiens. Je dirais même, une religion.
Merci pour la description de cette tranche de vie des italiens.
Thank you Tino, love this article. I just recently bought a moka pot after traveling to Spain last fall and falling in love with espresso. I live in the states and had only had drip coffee up to that point.
As a non-coffee drinker (I can hear the gasps already!) I can’t speak personally about the sacredness of the coffee ritual but I can say that your article is engaging and informative. You always manage to balance information and story-telling and the fact that a non-coffee drinker (I heard that!) can get excited reading about coffee is a clear testament to your ability to write resonating stories with wide appeal. 👏
Loretta, your words mean the world to me. Knowing they come from you, a gifted and accomplished writer, makes them even more special. And thank you for guiding me back on track when I feel uncertain or adrift. For that, I am deeply grateful. (Loretta reviews my letters before I post them). But, honestly, I never understood how can you go without coffee!! ☕️😉
J’ai la chance d’avoir un barista passionné à la maison. Donc, tous les matins je déguste une variante que tu n’as pas mentionné dans ton article: le flat white. Originaire d’Australie, c’est un double espresso avec du lait chaud. Par rapport au cappuccino, il n’y a pas de mousse ou presque pas. Bravo Tino, tu réussis à nous faire ressentir l’atmosphère italienne.
Hi Tino. A great read! As you know, coffee has been part of my entire life with my parents bringing espresso to Montreal oh so many years ago. As a child, I never thought anything of it as for me it was always ‘there’, in great quantity :) But as I grew older, I realized that this wonderful beverage was more than just a drink. It is in fact a morning ritual that cannot be skipped. So much so that when I travel, half my suitcase is my coffee making paraphernalia! Would love to see you. You know where to find me!
Hi Susan, so nice to read your coffee experience and your traveling habits. 😀 I remember your dad making me coffee as we shared stories in the Faema store. Priceless memories. I remember also when you sold me the Pavoni machine which I love and still going strong. (Now being used by my son while I’m away)
Sally, not only is your post informative but you capture the feel, the essence of the Italian coffee experience.
Sylvia runs our village café here in Surrey. She’s from Liguria. She’s been in Britain for years but remains very Italian. Her coffee is sourced from an artisan Italian coffee company.
My wife and I go to La Fontana twice (maybe three times) a week. We are met with “Hi, how are you today” and somtimes if she’s not too busy we get a hug. “Your usual?”, she asks, and we are at home.
It feels like Sylvia and her partner Anna (also Italian) are our extended family.
Descrizione perfetta del rito del caffè ☕️! Ho sentito tutta l’atmosfera sia di essere al bar che quella del comfort di casa. Io personalmente, da italiana, del caffè non posso fare a meno e non inizia bene la giornata se non mi bevo la mia moka da 4 tazze 😋. I miei gusti preferiti? In cima alla classifica il caffè della moka, poi l’espresso al bar, ma solo dopo aver selezionato attentamente il bar giusto… posso fare anche molto strada per andarci.. e a volte, mi piace un caffè corretto Sambuca dopo un pasto ricco… che bello iniziare la giornata con il tuo caffè letterario 📖
Hi Tino, absolutely a coffee lover, but I only drink an Americano as milk and I don’t agree for some reason which is weird because I am ok with yoghurt. At home we drink plunger coffee but make it relatively strong. A coffee machine for us is a waste of time as we are quite happy to drink black coffee, although my husband likes his cappuccino when we are out, but only in the morning as I won’t let him drink it later… lol… bossy me. Thank you for a great explanation on coffee in Italy. The best I ever had was in a tiny town called Tuscania which cost the exorbitant price of €1, I asked whether they had made a mistake with the price, that was because I thought it was so cheap
Thank you Sally for sharing your coffee habit. You bring a good point that I did not mention in my letter, the low cost of coffee in Italy. Making it possible for everyone to enjoy it with some spare change in their pocket. 👌
Because I am of Italian background, many people over the years have asked me how much water to put in the bottom of a Moka coffee maker. They often say, *"I don’t want the coffee to overflow out the top."*
My response is always the same: "You're asking the wrong question. Instead of asking how much water goes in the bottom, you should ask how much water goes in the top—because that’s the answer you already have!"
Here’s the trick: fill the top chamber of your Moka pot with water until it reaches the notch in the centre tube. Then, pour that water into the bottom chamber.
Hello Johanna, thank you for your comments, very nice trick there you got. What’s your preferred coffee?
In Montreal, I began using CIMO coffee and also decided to try their decaffeinated version—an unconventional choice for an Italian, I admit. However, to my surprise, the decaf also has as rich flavour. An 85-year-old aunt had recommended it to me, and she was absolutely right—it is an excellent decaf Italian coffee.
“Ritual”, I think, as you point out, is the one constant of making and drinking coffee. Not matter how you like it, the familiarity of the movements, the hiss of the espresso machine, the gurgling of the moka as the creamy coffee comes pouring out of the spout and you lift the lid to see the beautiful liquid filling the pot. Asking someone to share a cup of coffee is different than having a drink. I still have my mother’s Moka, which was a wedding present for them in 1948. I never use it because it’s too big, 12 cups I think, but I cannot part with it. The espresso machine you lent us last September made our holiday a lot more enjoyable. The number of cups we squeezed out of it was impressive. The morning shout of “where is my coffee Mike” started our day.
You are absolutely right Mike, that morning ritual is precious. I remember your mom, zia Teresa on Verville street in Montreal making us coffee in that Moka. And it’s so nice of you to keep that. And wow I did not know it went all the way back to 1948. Amazing. Hey Mike where is my coffee!!! 😎😉
Étant un amoureux du café ( cappuccino et flat White ) j’ai beaucoup apprécié ton article. D’après ce que je viens de lire, je crois même que prendre un café le matin c’est un rituel qui est profondément encré dans la vie des italiens. Je dirais même, une religion.
Merci pour la description de cette tranche de vie des italiens.
François
Salut François. Tu es le meilleur barrista de Québec que je connais. Ton Cappucio n’a rien à envier à ceux d’Italie. Merci pour tes commentaires.
😊
Thank you Tino, love this article. I just recently bought a moka pot after traveling to Spain last fall and falling in love with espresso. I live in the states and had only had drip coffee up to that point.
Thank you for your comments Noreen, enjoy your espresso.
As a non-coffee drinker (I can hear the gasps already!) I can’t speak personally about the sacredness of the coffee ritual but I can say that your article is engaging and informative. You always manage to balance information and story-telling and the fact that a non-coffee drinker (I heard that!) can get excited reading about coffee is a clear testament to your ability to write resonating stories with wide appeal. 👏
Loretta, your words mean the world to me. Knowing they come from you, a gifted and accomplished writer, makes them even more special. And thank you for guiding me back on track when I feel uncertain or adrift. For that, I am deeply grateful. (Loretta reviews my letters before I post them). But, honestly, I never understood how can you go without coffee!! ☕️😉
Thanks for the kind words, Tino, but you’re the author, I’m only a sounding board.
And in full disclosure (and some shame): I get my caffeine fix from chocolate. 🙈
J’ai la chance d’avoir un barista passionné à la maison. Donc, tous les matins je déguste une variante que tu n’as pas mentionné dans ton article: le flat white. Originaire d’Australie, c’est un double espresso avec du lait chaud. Par rapport au cappuccino, il n’y a pas de mousse ou presque pas. Bravo Tino, tu réussis à nous faire ressentir l’atmosphère italienne.
Hi Tino. A great read! As you know, coffee has been part of my entire life with my parents bringing espresso to Montreal oh so many years ago. As a child, I never thought anything of it as for me it was always ‘there’, in great quantity :) But as I grew older, I realized that this wonderful beverage was more than just a drink. It is in fact a morning ritual that cannot be skipped. So much so that when I travel, half my suitcase is my coffee making paraphernalia! Would love to see you. You know where to find me!
Hi Susan, so nice to read your coffee experience and your traveling habits. 😀 I remember your dad making me coffee as we shared stories in the Faema store. Priceless memories. I remember also when you sold me the Pavoni machine which I love and still going strong. (Now being used by my son while I’m away)
Will drop by for sure when I get back.
Salute ☕️
Thank you! Love this.
Thank you Charlene
Sally, not only is your post informative but you capture the feel, the essence of the Italian coffee experience.
Sylvia runs our village café here in Surrey. She’s from Liguria. She’s been in Britain for years but remains very Italian. Her coffee is sourced from an artisan Italian coffee company.
My wife and I go to La Fontana twice (maybe three times) a week. We are met with “Hi, how are you today” and somtimes if she’s not too busy we get a hug. “Your usual?”, she asks, and we are at home.
It feels like Sylvia and her partner Anna (also Italian) are our extended family.
Thank you Gary
Descrizione perfetta del rito del caffè ☕️! Ho sentito tutta l’atmosfera sia di essere al bar che quella del comfort di casa. Io personalmente, da italiana, del caffè non posso fare a meno e non inizia bene la giornata se non mi bevo la mia moka da 4 tazze 😋. I miei gusti preferiti? In cima alla classifica il caffè della moka, poi l’espresso al bar, ma solo dopo aver selezionato attentamente il bar giusto… posso fare anche molto strada per andarci.. e a volte, mi piace un caffè corretto Sambuca dopo un pasto ricco… che bello iniziare la giornata con il tuo caffè letterario 📖
Questo è vero mi fai scoprire tutti i piccoli bar nel fondo di un niente perché hanno un caffè migliore di quello in piazza. 😉
Hi Tino, absolutely a coffee lover, but I only drink an Americano as milk and I don’t agree for some reason which is weird because I am ok with yoghurt. At home we drink plunger coffee but make it relatively strong. A coffee machine for us is a waste of time as we are quite happy to drink black coffee, although my husband likes his cappuccino when we are out, but only in the morning as I won’t let him drink it later… lol… bossy me. Thank you for a great explanation on coffee in Italy. The best I ever had was in a tiny town called Tuscania which cost the exorbitant price of €1, I asked whether they had made a mistake with the price, that was because I thought it was so cheap
Ahhh Francine tu as bien raison le flat white de Francesco est un vrai délice. J’ai hâte de revenir à Québec. 👌