Coffee Snobbery

The cafe's of Italy have turned me into somewhat of a coffee snob, I ashamed to admit. I used to drink coffee but was never really that anal about it and I never really got into the cappuccino/mochaccino thing. However, after visiting Italy for 2 months, I can no longer drink standard, drip coffee; doing so is quite disgusting. I still don't go in for the cappuccinos and other "exotic" coffee drinks, but I like my espresso's and very strong, rich, dark roast coffee. The challenge is how to get that in the U.S. without spending $1,000 on an espresso maker or going to an expensive coffee shop.

Luckily, Italy gave me the solution in the little Bialetti coffee makers. In addition, I have resorted to grinding my own coffee beans. The other challenge, of course, is finding fresh coffee beans, but that aspect of coffee snobbery is a bit more forgiving as you can still make a fine cup with higher-end brands you can buy at a regular grocery store; no matter what you may think of Starbucks, their whole bean packages are pretty good (get the French Roast, Espresso Roast, or any of their Indonesian varieties).

When I do go to Starbucks, or any other coffee house, I will order a Cafe Americano. The one thing about Italian coffee lifestyle is that the espresso's and cappuccino's are morning drinks and not designed to be lingered over. The men come into the cafe, order and pay for the drink and usually some pastry, and then shout their orders to the barrister. Then they will drink their coffee and eat their snack, converse with whoever is around the bar, and then leave. My first time in a real Italian cafe was a bit unnerving (mostly because I did not speak Italian) and it is very fast paced. But after a few tries, picking up some of the language, I could at least order what I wanted without getting the "hurry up" sneer from the barrister.

Ciao

Note, that picture is at Positano, Italy