Italians take their coffee very seriously. Italians are famously passionate about their food and this passion is particularly true about their coffee. With a discerning taste for quality coffee over complex concoctions, the classic espresso for example has its roots in Italy.
This love of coffee has translated into the coffee being a staple in Italy and so Italians have perfected the art of making the perfect coffee. Here’s how to put their methods to good use to make a flawless cup of coffee. 
The Machine
Making the perfect Italian coffee starts with using the write coffee machine. Italian coffee can be made with the traditional Moka pot or with an espresso machine.
Moka Pot
Turin’s Alfonso Bialetti invented the Moka pot in 1933. The Moka pot is an angular, metallic stovetop pot that became a worldwide phenomenon because it made making coffee in the comfort of one’s home easy.
The Moka pot has three main components:
- The bottom chamber or the boiler, which is where the water goes
- The funnel cup is on top of the bottom chamber and is where the coffee is held
- The top chamber is where the coffee is drawn as the boiling water in the boiler is forced through the funnel cup where the coffee grounds were placed
Super Automatic Espresso Machine
Espresso machines are great, but even greater is the new crop of espresso machines, the super-automatic ones.
Do you want to make coffee at the push of a button? Then you’re in luck because these technologically advanced machines are fully automatic coffee and espresso makers with built-in coffee grinders that make coffee drinks with the push of a button.
In addition, many super-automatic espresso machines are designed so that you can set your preferred coffee strength, drink volume, temperature, and more. As a bonus, if you want cappuccinos, macchiatos, and lattes the milk frother on these espresso machines are automatic as well so you can easily make those too.
Water
The water you use for brewing your coffee is not to be overlooked. There are different opinions about the type of water to use. Some say the temperature of the water makes no difference, others maintain that your coffee will taste better if you use hot water instead of cold, and yet more others say that the opposite of this is true and insist that cold water must be used in the brewing process.
For Italians, the trick about the water is using bottled water instead of tap water.
Coffee
Find the balance with the ground coffee. Coarse coffee grounds will make your coffee less flavorful, but finely ground coffee in an espresso machine will prevent the water from passing through properly which will make your coffee bitter. Use medium ground coffee.
A tip is to pile the grounds into the machine in a small pyramid-like mound. If you prefer to keep the coffee level that’s fine too, just remember to never press down on the coffee. A common old-fashioned practice by many nonna’s (Italian word for grandmother) is to poke three holes into the coffee grounds with a matchstick or a toothpick.
Heat
Burnt coffee is the worst. Fortunately, if you make coffee the Italian way there’s little chance of this happening. When brewing the coffee use low heat, preferably on your smallest stove burner. This way the water is drawn through the coffee grounds slowly. This is how your coffee will get its flavor.
At the sound of a distinctive gurgle which is the sound of the coffee coming into the top chamber, double-check by lifting the lid, then turn off the heat just before the coffee is done.
Don’t worry, your coffee will continue coming through, this is so your coffee is less likely to burn. If you’re using the super-automatic espresso maker, adjust the heat settings to low.
Cups
Much like gin and tonic is best served in the tall sleek shape of the highball glass or the spacious, wide bowl of the cola glass, coffee needs to be served in the right vessel to enjoy it.
For example, Italian coffee is served in little espresso cups because coffee is to be drunk in small amounts and not sipped. A ceramic or glass coffee cup is the most common, but some insist that porcelain is the most ideal because it maintains the temperature of the coffee evenly. If you really want to impress, pour hot water into the cups to warm them, then tip it out and dry it off just before serving.
As well as being delicious, coffee has numerous health benefits like boosting energy levels and helping to burn fat. A delicious cup of coffee is awesome anyway!