Italian Espresso Is not What You Suppose: A Information-Pushed information

Ask most specialty espresso folks what they give thought to Italian espresso, and also you’ll get the identical reply: too darkish, burnt, bitter, caught prior to now.

I had similar-ish assumptions earlier than I went to Italy not too long ago. However I’d by no means truly examined it myself. So I packed my refractometer (a device to measure espresso power) and spent ten days measuring pictures all around the nation – from Milan to Naples.

(Heck, there have been even a number of pictures within the country-side!)

In complete I examined the power of 29 espressos, however I truly consumed much more.

What I discovered challenged all the pieces I assumed I knew about Italian espresso. On this article, I’ll inform you how Italian espresso seems in 2025 from the angle of a third wave espresso snob – eh – lover.

The place all of it started

Italy is the birthplace of espresso. And that essentially makes it completely different from some other place on the planet.

Whereas café tradition elsewhere is now closely influenced by the American (aka Starbucks) mannequin, Italy has remained true to the outdated methods.

When you consider espresso outlets, you’re in all probability additionally pondering of massive milk drinks, signature drinks, and the well-known “third place” idea the place prospects camp out with laptops for hours.

That vibe is sort of the alternative in Italy. All the things is fast-paced, energetic, and kinda rustic. Even as we speak.

It may be obscure till you actually see the rapid-fire service of an Italian espresso bar. Espresso stays essentially the most consumed beverage and baristas pull pictures in fast succession with a type of muscle reminiscence you don’t see elsewhere.

The workflow is particularly a stark distinction to the convoluted routine you see amongst fashionable house baristas.

It’s simply:

That’s it.

No single dosing, no scales, no fancy distribution instruments.

(In fact, a lot of their espresso machines and grinders use volumetric measurements, so it’s not utterly random what leads to the cup…)

You additionally see many extra veteran baristas who’ve been working at it for years, as a substitute of the everyday younger barista you discover in Western espresso outlets.

In lots of nations worldwide, being a barista is usually a part-time job whereas learning, it’s not seen as a legit profession. However in Italy, it’s truly an actual occupation that individuals keep for many years. These baristas are likely to have a “seen all of it” kinda perspective.

They’ll speak to folks from all walks of life, they’ll crack jokes with locals hanging out on the bar, focus on the day’s sports activities information, and so forth.

The Darkish Roast Delusion

There’s this persistent concept that Italian espresso is tremendous darkish roasted, however that’s not fairly the truth once you’re on the bottom.

I already had a touch of this earlier than my journey. I’ve beforehand reviewed Illy and Lavazza blends and observed that neither model roasts as darkly as their repute suggests, a minimum of not their foremost espresso blends. Sure, they do have some darker choices of their lineup too, however the core espresso choices are relatively medium from my perspective.

Once I arrived in Italy, this statement was confirmed.

Northern Italian espresso is just not the charcoal-black espresso that specialty espresso folklore would have you ever imagine.

In actual fact, the overwhelming majority of what I tasted in Milan, Como, La Spezia, and Rome was lighter than Starbucks’ Pike Place and that kind of stuff.

One other intersting factor I noticed: You additionally see far more manufacturers than simply Illy and Lavazza.

Infact, these two aren’t even that distinguished. You’ll see simply as a lot Kimbo, Segafredo, and a bunch of regional manufacturers that haven’t any presence overseas.

However then I went to Naples, and all the pieces modified.

The Naples Exception: A Completely different Espresso World

In Naples (Napoli), you actually have a very completely different espresso tradition. It’s a special world down there.

Not solely are the pictures a lot stronger (that is one thing I measured and received statistical significance to verify), they’re additionally pulled with lever espresso machines.

I used to be actually stunned by this, however just about 100% of the espresso outlets in Naples use an old style La San Marco Leva espresso machine. From what I might inform it was additionally precisely the identical mannequin – the one distinction was whether or not it had 2, 3, or 4 levers!

In the remainder of the nation, it’s sometimes a pump-driven espresso machine – fairly often from the model La Cimbali.

La San Marco is from nearly the alternative finish of the nation, being situated within the Nort East, near Slovenia, so it could be fascinating to know the story of how they got here to utterly dominate within the south.

The one outlets in Naples that used a daily pump-driven espresso machines (that I noticed) had been both situated within the airport or prepare station. And I suppose they’re in all probability owned and operated by nation-wide manufacturers relatively than Southern ones.

So there are literally two espresso cultures inside one nation: South and North. I’m not precisely positive the place to attract the road geographically, however the divide undoubtedly exists.

The espresso in Naples can also be noticeably darker roasted than what I skilled up north. I attempt to be openminded about all the pieces espresso, however for my style buds, it edged too darkish. You do begin getting a few of these bitter, charcoal flavors which might be largely absent elsewhere in Italy.

However right here’s the factor: in Naples, it’s nearly unthinkable to drink an espresso shot with out including a sachet of sugar. I suppose the sugar tames the bitterness.

So when folks use phrases like “Italian espresso roast,” it could be unfair to imagine tremendous darkly roasted espresso. Whereas that exists, it’s primarily one a part of the nation. The stereotype doesn’t maintain up once you truly measure and style the espresso throughout completely different areas.

What the Numbers Say

I not too long ago had espresso veteran and researcher, André Eiermann, on my YouTube channel. Right here, he shared a number of fascinating insights from his analysis measuring the TDS of espresso pictures all around the world. So impressed by him, I had introduced my refractometer on this journey.

One of many first pictures I examined in Milan measured 9.81% TDS. I braced myself for harsh bitterness.

Nevertheless it was easy. Cocoa-powder ahead. Chocolate and nuts. Straightforward to drink.

I stored testing. Shot after shot, throughout completely different cities and bars. The sample held. Northern Italy stored delivering sturdy espresso that one way or the other by no means tasted punishing.

Right here’s what stunned me most: I stored ready to make “the pucker face” (, that involuntary grimace when espresso is just too harsh). Nevertheless it didn’t occur. Many of the pictures had been sturdy, however nonetheless very forgiving.

My buddy touring with me, who doesn’t even drink espresso at house, stored saying: “That is truly fairly simple to drink.”

So how does Italy pull off sturdy espresso that’s nonetheless easy?

The reply grew to become clear the extra I tasted: Italian espresso is intentionally roasted and blended to reduce acidity. Virtually each shot tasted like cocoa powder, chocolate, or nuts. Solely on a number of events dried fruit. By no means citrus. By no means the brilliant, fruity notes that specialty espresso celebrates.

In Italy, fruits are for consuming. They don’t seem to be a part of your espresso course. It’s a enjoyable coincidence to see that the World Barista Championship is held in Milan in 2025. Just about all the opponents are serving Geisha-shots with notes like mango, peach and lemon. That couldn’t be farther from the truth out within the Italian cafés.

That is the elemental distinction. Specialty espresso pursues complexity and origin expression by way of lighter roasts and excessive acidity. Italy pursues drinkability by way of darker roasts, cautious mixing (usually together with Robusta), and low acidity. They don’t need espresso to style particular, they need it to be comforting.

That is fascinating to me as somebody who’s used to a number of (let’s be sincere) bitter or bitter specialty espresso espresso pictures. When a specialty espresso espresso is unhealthy, it’s usually very unhealthy. However in most of Italy, you don’t get the extremes.

That’s till you go to Naples.

Within the metropolis subsequent to Mount Vesuvius, the pictures jumped to 12.24% TDS on common and 12.48% median. That’s extremely sturdy! Sometimes espresso is between 8-12% TDS, so that is loopy.

Throughout all 28 pictures I included within the dataset, the typical was 10.40% TDS.

Nevertheless, if I take the Napoli pictures out of the equation the typical drops right down to 9.39 % TDS.

For context, that’s about the identical power as what you’d get in a specialty espresso store.

André and a number of the knowledge collectors serving to him along with his TDS-project had additionally gathered knowledge from varied elements of Italy. So together with my numbers we now have statistically related TDS-data on the North/South divide.

(I believe the extra knowledge from the South is from Sicily – the typical shot seems a bit milder right here in comparison with Napoli).

Earlier than coming to Italy and measuring all these pictures, I had truly assumed that they might be weaker. In all probability nearer to eight% power.

There are a number of causes for that. The very first thing is that business espresso in the remainder of the world is weaker, whereas specialty espresso tends to remain in a fairly slender 9-10% vary – I do know that due to André’s analysis.

So I had assumed that common Italian of us wouldn’t routinely drink pictures that sturdy.

The opposite cause, I assumed that Italian espresso can be weaker, was that there’s this old skool definition of a single shot from the official espresso institute in Brescia:

• Crucial portion of floor espresso 7 g ± 0,5
• Millilitres within the cup (together with froth) 25 ml ± 2,5

Usually, in specialty espresso we measure issues in grams, which is a weight-based measurement. 7 g in and 25 g out would truly be very lengthy (a 1:3.5 ratio), offering a low TDS shot.

However the 25 listed below are mililiters and never grams. So it’s a volumetric measurement speaking in regards to the measurement the shot takes up within the cup.

And also you additionally must depend the crema right here, which is light-weight, however takes up a number of house. So how a lot can be extracted espresso and the way a lot can be crema?

That was exhausting to say. My guesstimate earlier than arriving was that the typical shot can be on the weaker aspect.

I additionally thought it may need a decrease extraction yield in comparison with customary specialty espresso (19-20% EY) attributable to counting on old school baskets, in addition to single baskets.

Nevertheless, in just about all circumstances, it turned out I used to be extraordinarily incorrect. The traditional 1:2 ratio is seemingly nonetheless very alive in Italy. They usually know find out how to obtain a excessive and repeatable extraction, even with minimal puck prep.

The highlights!

The principle function of this journey was to measure TDS and quantify Italian espresso relatively than consider high quality with a essential palate. To be sincere, the final common degree was fairly comparable throughout most bars.

If i had been to rank my espresso experiences, in all probability the most effective pictures I had had been at Lavazza’s flagship café within the Napoli airport, which caught me utterly off guard.

Issues had been fairly completely different right here from most locations within the nation: they had been grinding on demand as a substitute of utilizing the dosing methods you see in every single place else. They usually supplied single-origin choices alongside their customary blends.

I attempted an fascinating Ethiopian that tasted unbelievable, showcasing what Italian espresso could possibly be when roasters and baristas stepped outdoors conventional boundaries. However even their customary mix was wonderful, pulling a really textured shot with a pleasant stability within the mixing. The chocolate and nuts right here got here with no sidedish of astringency nor overly roasty flavors. The espresso tasted contemporary and alive.

It additionally helped that the barista who served me was very chatty and open to an inquisitive espresso geek, regardless of serving a handful of pictures each minute. Spectacular effectivity merely.

Sadly, I had already packed down my TDS meter at this level, so I didn’t get to file the pictures. I assumed I used to be about to go away the nation – however little did I do know that my airplane would get cancelled only one hour later and I’d be stranded within the nation for an additional day, having to backtrack to Rome. So whereas it was an annoying detour in Napoli, a minimum of I’ve these pictures to look again at.

As talked about in my evaluate of Lavazza coffees their espresso high quality and common roasting is nothing to scoff at – however I had by no means tried a comparatively contemporary bag of it till this level.

One other nice shock: the espresso was nonetheless the identical low-cost worth as the remainder of Italy, although it was Lavazza-branded and situated within the airport. You’d anticipate airport markup, however they stored it sincere.

(Sure, I do know Lavazza contradicts what I mentioned earlier about Napoli coffees being darkish/pulled on lever machines. Clearly, in an airport with a multinational chain, they do issues in a different way than the native cafés within the metropolis. There have been additionally couple of chain cafés on the prepare station that relied on pump pushed machines.)

Starbucks Reserve: Extra Museum Than Café

I additionally visited the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan. The expertise felt extra like a museum/vacationer attraction than an actual café, which I suppose is the purpose.

The house is large and ball-room like, embellished with a singular mixture of mosaics, marble, and uncovered pipes and metal. There’s an enormous roasting machine dominating the middle of the room. Outdoors, there’s a line to get in. A bouncer solely lets a sure variety of folks enter at a time.

The overall worth degree is unquestionably not low-cost in comparison with conventional Italian cafés, though a single shot at 2 euro is inexpensive sufficient within the grand scheme of issues. They’ve tasty-looking pastries, sandwiches, and pizzas, together with each signature and traditional espresso-based drinks.

I did benefit from the shot I had there. It was significantly better than the everyday Starbucks expertise. It was a fairly developed medium roast with good texture and stability, pulled on a Victoria Arduino Black Eagle machine. The shot measured 11.55% TDS, fairly sturdy however not overwhelming as a result of developed roast. I’d say well worth the go to and 5-10 minutes of queuing up outisde, though you’re paying for the expertise as a lot because the espresso.

Robusta and Different Discoveries

Just a few different pictures are additionally price highlighting. In Rome, I had a 100% Robusta shot, which was fairly the expertise. Robusta will be fascinating to drink straight in case you’re not used to it as a result of it has no acidity in any respect. The flavour profile is totally completely different from what most specialty espresso drinkers anticipate. I additionally encountered some blends the place the bulk was Robusta, one thing you don’t actually see in most nations the place Robusta is demonized as unacceptable.

I do assume Robusta truly shines in espresso format. It may be boring to drink at a typical filter espresso ratio, however when you get it concentrated, it comes alive with earthy, woody notes and a stunning quantity of physique. From each an mental and gustatory perspective, it’s price it to drink straight Robusta every so often!

The Curious Case of Lacking Illy

The ultimate factor that stunned me: the absence of Illy espresso. Illy might be essentially the most well-known Italian espresso model internationally, together with Lavazza. However I solely had one single Illy shot my total journey. It tasted nice however maybe a bit unremarkable.

I anticipated to see Illy served in way more locations given its worldwide repute.

My principle: Illy appears to attraction extra to worldwide tastes relatively than native Italian preferences. It’s additionally in all probability a dearer model as a result of it’s 100% Arabica and so they have a tendency to purchase higher-scoring espresso. I put “higher-scoring” in quotes right here as a result of we’re not speaking about 85-87 level specialty scores, however coffees that correctly rating round 80 factors, so simply above the commodity scale, and pushing into the decrease finish of specialty.

Illy’s premium positioning may work higher overseas than within the bars the place revenue margins are razor skinny.

The Cultural System That Makes It Work

Italian espresso isn’t simply in regards to the espresso. It’s about all the cultural system that surrounds it.

Value: €1.20 to €1.50 per shot. Generally as little as €1. Reasonably priced sufficient to drink 3-4 occasions per day with out interested by it.

Then there’s velocity: You stroll in, order, drink your shot in 60 seconds whereas standing on the bar, chat briefly with the barista or a stranger subsequent to you, pay, and depart. Whole time: 3-5 minutes.

The bar isn’t a workspace or “third place” the place you camp out with a laptop computer. It’s a quick social touchpoint. A punctuation mark in your day.

No one’s analyzing tasting notes or discussing processing strategies. The espresso is what it’s: constant, acquainted, satisfying.

This technique works as a result of each component aligns. Commodity beans hold prices low. Extra developed roasting profiles guarantee simple and simple extraction. Easy preparation retains service quick. Standing tradition retains turnover excessive. Low costs encourage frequent visits.

Evaluate this to specialty espresso outlets elsewhere: $5 per shot, sit-down service, elaborate preparation, high-acidity espresso that calls for contemplation (and expert baristas).

Italian Espresso Etiquette

When in Italy, you should do because the Italians do, particularly relating to espresso. Right here’s what to anticipate, find out how to order, and customs to observe.

Espresso means espresso. In Italy, once you say “caffè”, you imply espresso. That’s the Italian default. A “latte” is known as a cup of milk. Due to this fact it’s prudent to memorize Italian espresso names and drink varieties.

Morning cappuccinos. Cappuccinos are a morning affair in Italy. An order previous 11 a.m. is usually frowned upon, until you’re clearly a foreigner. Pair it with a cornetto (Italian model of a croissant) for a typical Italian breakfast.

Milk-based drinks. Italians deal with milk-based drinks like a meal: filling and satisfying. Consequently, they advise in opposition to consuming them after meals for concern of hampering digestion.

After-meal espresso. Espresso-style coffees are the go-to post-lunch or dinner. It’s seen as a fast shot of power after consuming.

Caffè corretto. Italians may add a contact of alcohol to their espresso post-dinner or typically lunch. It’s often known as a caffè corretto, a drink for many who don’t wish to be too alert late within the day.

One-size cappuccino. In Italy, cappuccinos don’t are available in small, medium, giant, or venti. It’s one measurement for all: a small, completely balanced beverage.

Ordering course of. Take note of the native norm at every café. Some require upfront cost on the register earlier than ordering, whereas others settle for cost after you’ve loved your drink.

Pricing. In case you sit down and luxuriate in your espresso, be ready for a barely greater invoice, particularly in bigger cities or common vacationer locations. Standing on the bar is at all times cheaper.

Italian americano. An Italian caffè americano is just not your typical americano. You get an espresso shot and a small pitcher of scorching water individually so to alter the dilution to your style.

Takeaway espresso. The idea of to-go espresso is comparatively new in Italy, turning into extra prevalent solely post-pandemic. Most locals nonetheless desire ingesting on the bar.

The economics require treating espresso as a premium product. However a punchy, intense shot that’s over in 30 seconds doesn’t really feel price $5 to most prospects.

So espresso turns into the red-headed stepchild on many menus.

It’s an ingredient in bestsellers like lattes and iced americanos, however solely one thing that few folks order by itself.

And since few folks order it, baristas dial in pictures to be even stronger, to allow them to reduce by way of when blended milk. And in flip they develop into much more undesirable to drink straight. That’s how a vicious cycle begins.

Study extra about it on this video:

What Italy Will get Proper

After per week of testing and observing, a number of issues grew to become clear to me.

Italy nonetheless makes use of the traditional 1:2 espresso ratio, roughly 14-15 g of espresso in, 28-30 g of liquid out. This ratio unfold from Italy to the world together with espresso machines within the mid-Twentieth century.

However the espresso modified alongside the best way.

Italian espresso makes use of darker roasts, usually with 20-30% Robusta, optimized for prime solubility and low acidity. The 1:2 ratio works completely for this model.

Specialty espresso makes use of light-to-medium roasts, 100% Arabica, with excessive acidity and decrease solubility. The 1:2 ratio usually produces harsh, bitter pictures which might be troublesome to drink straight.

The specialty espresso world has spent years making an attempt to make lighter roasts work with Italian parameters. We’ve added higher grinders, stress profiling, elaborate puck prep routines.

However possibly we’re asking the incorrect query.

Possibly the difficulty isn’t that we’d like higher method. Possibly we simply must discover a recipe or drink model that works higher for our espresso tradition.

So if mild roasts, excessive costs, and longer café visits are non-negotiable, possibly which means lungos are the proper compromise? It’s simple to brew – even with lighter roasts – and would absolutely attraction to a wider viewers.

In fact, espresso can nonetheless play a job as an ingredient in different drinks. But when cafés aren’t in a position to provide palatable straight pictures, then why hold them on the menu?

The Specialty Espresso Stress in Italy

Curiously, specialty espresso is beginning to seem in Italy too, however in a method that doesn’t threaten conventional espresso tradition.

Retailers like Orsonero in Milano and Gardelli in Forlì are serving lighter roasts, single-origin coffees, and different brewing strategies (pour over, Aeropress, and so forth.). These locations entice youthful, cosmopolitan Italians and worldwide guests searching for a special vibe.

Once I went to go to Orsonero one early sunday morning, it was undeniably common with a line spilling out onto the pavement.

However I observed most individuals had been ordering milk drinks. The barista even sounded stunned after I requested for “un caffè” – only a straight single shot. It appears as if, like within the West, specialty espresso in Italy additionally features as an identification marker (younger, fashionable, cosmopolitan, instagrammable) relatively than a only a real shift towards lighter roasts and beans scoring >82 factors.

Specialty espresso in Italy isn’t a competitor; it’s a distinct segment, parallel observe. A bit like fine-dining.

Stroll by way of any Italian metropolis and also you’ll nonetheless discover the standard mannequin thriving. Locals nonetheless stand at counters ingesting €1.30 espresso pictures. The neighborhood bar remains to be a social hub.

My takeaway from this journey is that we are able to definitely nonetheless be taught some issues from the establishment that’s Italian espresso. Not by copying their espresso, however by copying their pondering: begin with the expertise you wish to create, then engineer all the pieces else round it.

Italy needed espresso to be inexpensive, quick, and easygoing. In order that they constructed a system that delivers precisely that. What does specialty espresso truly wish to be? As a result of proper now, we’re nonetheless utilizing Italy’s ratios and espresso machines with our beans, questioning why it usually doesn’t work. Possibly it’s time to cease retrofitting and begin redesigning.