coffee

I'm not saying that they are not there, but I have never in thirty years of traveling to Italy ever seen a drip coffee maker any where. So you will have to be content with what my dad does while in Italy ;-) Order a cafe Americano with an extra pot of hot water and complain about how strong and terrible it is while drinking it.

Nope. And they don't have grande-sized cups either. Your best chance is McDonalds. Or Dunkin' Donuts. There's one right behind you as you face the Trevi Fountain.

The question reminds me of the woman who posted a travel tip a couple years ago about being sure to bring instant coffee so that you can have a good American cup of coffee in the morning. I guess it is just a matter of taste. As a result of our first trip to Italy in 93 we toss out the can of Folgers, bought a grinder, and an espresso machine and never looked back. And I have never seen a drip coffee maker in Italy.

I saw a Mister Coffee in use in a B&B in Siena, but the proprietor made a fantastic cappucino for me. I much prefer Italian coffee, especially in Italy. There's something about "going local" Leslie. Give it a try for a couple of days. Order a caffe americano or a caffe lungo to get a little more liquid if you drink it black. It's strong, but smooth. Or go the cappucino route! We bought a Bialetti espresso maker when we returned home.

As a previous reply mentioned, coffee is strong but SMOOTH in Italy and it isn't drip. No harsh after effects like Starbucks. Italy is the only place I drink coffee and it is always delicious. Just be careful: If you order 'latte' in Italy, you will get plain milk (or maybe heated/steamed milk).

Blasphemy! Italy, especially Rome, is the coffee connoisseur's Mecca. I adore wine, but when in Rome, it's coffee all the way. Give it a try as the locals like it. Kidding aside, I took my Mom a couple of years ago and all she likes is Maxwell House drip and she left Rome feeling the same way but she didn't mind the cafe Americano. It's coffee with hot water, but still better than drip in my biased opinion. I have rented several apartments in Rome and have never seen a drip coffee maker though so you may be short on options. I have had them in every other place outside of Italy, but all I have had in country is a Bialetti (which is awesome with Illy coffee by the way).

To Leslie- thats hilarious!
OK so I haven't had Italy's espresso and will definitely give it a try. I'll be honest, I was already comparing it to the espresso found here. I'm sure it isn't even comparable, well I hope not anyway. =) I guess I was hoping for the quantity aspect of a drip coffee drink. espressos are so small. but I look forward to trying them!

Well, to each his/her own, I suppose. But for me one of the reasons I travel to other countries is to have new experiences, not to insulate myself with a bubble of the familiar. Open yourself up to trying something new. Just order "un caffe'" and try it. You might be surprised. Good luck.

I did just say that I will try the coffee there. I even said I look forward to it.

If you found a cafe with one it'd be a fluke. I used to drink alot of coffee (drip) but I think I'm forever ruint on it after doing the espresso for the last year. My wife gets the caffe americamo. Order with latte calda (hot milk) othedrwise you'll end up with a cold/lukewarm coffee.

Leslie, A few comments to add to the others (I did note that you're looking forward to trying the Coffee in Italy). Italians tend to be "purists" when it comes to Coffee, so I think it's safe to say there won't be any drip coffee in Cafés any time soon. However, as previously noted you can often find it at McDonald's and other chains in larger cities. I've also found that many Hotels that cater to a lot of tourists from North America provide drip coffee at breakfast. I usually just assume there's no drip coffee available, and order Café Americano most of the time, along with the occasional Espresso or Doppio. Happy travels!

Leslie, expresso has only a quarter of the caffeine because the water/steam is only in contact with the coffee for such a short time that caffeine does not have time to dissolve out of the bean. And the quantity of coffee is less so the total amount of caffeine is very low when compared with brewed or drip coffee.

Leslie, thanks for asking your coffee questions--we're planning our first trip to Italy in early June and I've wondered the same things. My sister owns a Dunn Bros in WI and I'm addicted to using their fresh roasted beans and a french press. I bring one whenever we go camping. I'm not able to have caffeine so it was interesting to read that I may not have to skip cappucinos, etc after all while in Italy! Thanks for all the other posters' input :)

Living in Italy, we owned both a drip-coffee maker and an espresso machine. The "drip" was when our American Embassy friends came over... as they bought their units in the US commissaries and embassy exchanges. The calcium concentrate in the Roman water is SO heavy we had to replace the drip unit a few times - despite anti-calcium and de-lime treatments! Each time, it was a HUGE undertaking to find a drip coffee maker. When we found one - at a far off appliance outlet - it would be the only "lonely" unit... Once we were forced to buy the display unit! And of course, the Italian sales person would try and convert to you... to a REAL coffee maker (of which there were 100's of espresso variations). We even used our Embassy connections to purchase a drip coffee maker (and of course crunchy peanut butter, pickles, relish, American bacon, cheddar cheese, deodorant....) oops, lost my train of though there. I too was never a coffee drinker until I moved to Italy, but it's a social requirement when visiting an Italian's home and I ended up falling in love with the taste of Italian coffee. Now I only drink espresso-style coffees. I just never acquired a taste for "drip-coffee;" I'd rather have a Diet Coke when I'm in the States. For some fun - and info on Italian coffee options - read Coffee in Italy My Italian friends say you've never had coffee, until you've had an espresso in Italy. And to me, they're right - it's just an altogether different taste. Maybe it's being in Rome that "influences" the taste.

After reading all of the posts your original post made me chuckle. Generally, usually, almost always...people travel to experience and enjoy other cultures and their differences. Italy is not Idaho and their cuisine is not like the Olive garden. I grew up in an Italian home and have traveled in Italy for 30 years, so I feel comfortable in my comparisons. You can find drip style coffee in hotels, IMHO, but it is very strong and not what we are accustomed to drinking. You will have a great time and the coffee will be another taste experience for you to enjoy. When you return add a post to tell us about your adventure. Buon viaggio,

I like coffee the instant I wake up and when traveling in europe I bring a small hot water heater and some good old american coffee along with my own packets of cremora.

And please remember that in Italian coffee drinking etiquette, a cappuccino should only be ordered in the morning. : )

We HATE it when the B&B serves you that lousy American coffee. If that is all they serve (and we have been to a few that serve it) we just skip the 'free' breakfast and have some good cappuccino at a bar down the block. It's the coffee of the Gods!
We are renting an apartment that comes with an American coffee maker this March and we wrote we would prefer a good cappuccino maker to an American one. They said they will provide one so we hope so.

Take some Starbucks Via if you must but I think the experience of having a quick espresso in a little shop is part of the experience that should not be missed. I am amazed at how good the little stands are even in the train stations. The off the beaten path bars are wonderful. They take their coffee seriously and its a great place to practice a bit of Italian. (As an aside, It is also generally a great place to pop into the restroom)

We had an American style breakfast buffet including drip coffee at a hotel in La Spezia. And it was the worst coffee we had during 3 weeks in Italy - drinking coffee every single day several times/day.

Leslie, let us know what you think when you come back. On our 1st trip to the EU we stayed with friends in Germany. Their coffee pot was a small Bialetti stove top coffee pot; which forces the water on the bottom up thru the coffee, to a chaber on top. We loved this coffee...it is strong (expresso), but sweet. When we got home we thru out our drip coffee maker, and bought a Bialetti. It is a very simple machine. We grind our own beans ( I like French Roast beans) and use the Bialetti daily. We have found this type of coffe pot in many of our
EU apartment rentals. A simple design that makes awesome coffee.

Thank Ron for the link! I do love coffee and even before posting this had planned on trying as much Italian coffee as possible. I wasn't trying to replace Italian coffee by my question I guess I was hoping for the best of both worlds. But it sounds like drip coffee there isn't what it is here, which is absolutely fine with me. So I will stick to what the local caffe has. Infact the best espresso I've had, in the US cause I've not traveled anywhere else as of yet, was at an Italian bistro in Missoula, so I'm sure the real thing is even better.
Thanks all for the input!

I love cappuccino in Italy. When I order cappuccino at home in the USA it "NEVER" taste like what I had in Rome, CT, and Venice. This post has me thinking that maybe it was the coffee they used??? I guess I need to go back to Italy to have that wonderful taste again. I saw some one say you are suppose to order it for breakfast, but I ordered all the time when in Italy.

hum..............do I dare ask this question...............=) They do have decaf in Italy, right?

Yes, "decafinato" it is available, but many folks refer to it as Caffé HAG (pronounced without the "H"). It's the primary brand name for decaf coffee in Italy - much like, say... Coca Cola!

Leslie, I didn't mean to offend. Good for you for being willing to try new things. I was just trying to address the idea that many have (not you, obviously) of trying to remain in an American bubble while traveling overseas. And btw, the Starbucks Via is a great idea, but I can't remember if it's a powder or a concentrated liquid. If a liquid, you might have troubles with it in your carryon. Have a great time!

Leslie, One other point I should mention (reluctantly) is that Nescafe seems to be popular in Italy (and other places in Europe). There have been a few occasions, including restaurants in Italy, when I've been served a disgusting cup of "instant". Judging by the way it's presented, my impression is that they consider this a "gourmet" experience? I always assume that I'm paying for a "proper" cup of Americano (or whatever), but that hasn't always been the case. One case in particular that I can remember, was an outdoor Café in Capri, as I'm SURE that I was being served "instant".

They do have decaffeinated coffee and it is called caffe decaffinato or caffe tranquillo. You must ask for it. Buon viaggio,

All this talk of coffee... actually most of Europe has the 2nd best coffee I have ever had... Costa Rica was first! And as for the Nescafe...what's up with that? It is what was advertised and served in Hungary and Romania like it was something special...horrible! I could not wait to get back to Italy for some delicious coffee. I am really picky about my coffee (hate bitterness & aftertaste) and after many trips to Italy never had a bad cup. I typically do drink either a latte or a capuccino. Enjoy!

Terry kathryn, Your experiences with Nescafe in Hungary and Romania were exactly the same as I've found in other countries. The locals are presenting it like it's a some kind of "gourmet coffee". I can't stand "instant" and will only tolerate it if there's nothing else available. I find it VERY annoying to be served that in a restaurant after paying normal prices for a cup of coffee.

A good friend with real and strong Italians roots frequently says, "There are only two types of coffee -- expresso and capuccino -- everything else was invented by Starbucks.

@Ken...I so agree...must be marketing? It's just terrible coffee...what's happening? If Nescafe can convince Europeans to drink this stuff we maybe better buy stock in it... It's like the Orange Crush that is all over Mexico and Central America...yuck

"A good friend with real and strong Italians roots frequently says, "There are only two types of coffee -- expresso and capuccino..." His roots can't be that strong is he's calling it "expresso".

I've never been much of a coffee drinker and don't drink it daily despite our Seattle culture. However, when in Italy I have a cappuccino every day and actually look forward to it; haven't graduated to straight espressos yet and may never. BTW, my daughter works at Starbucks corporate...I know...flog me...great employer though...so the opportunity to try their different coffees is always present; just not that interested.

You'll enjoy trying the coffee drinks in Italy! I find the espresso that's used, generally, is smoother and less bitter than Starbucks, so you may like that. As mentioned, cappuccino is most often drunk in the mornings, though you can order and drink it at any time. Caffelatte is drunk at any time. I tend to order this later in the day, as the amount is larger and so it lasts longer. Caffe macchiato literally translates as "stained" coffee; it's espresso "stained" with a little bit of milk. Good for if you want espresso, but not quite so strong. Caffe corretto is espresso "corrected" with liquor. If you order "caffe," that means espresso (of course). Don't be surprised if the waiter confirms your espresso order, as it's less common for English-speaking people to order espresso. He'll just be wanting to make sure that you know what you're ordering. Cafe shakerato is a nice summertime drink. It's espresso mixed with ice, some sugar and cream or milk. Sometimes it's frothy, sometimes it's served in a glass and the layers of ingredients are still separated, making for a very pretty presentation. Enjoy!