The Italian coffee guides

Six short reads on ordering it, naming it, and drinking it the way Italy does.

1. How to Order Coffee in Italy Like a Local
2. Types of Italian Coffee: Every Drink at the Bar, DecodedEspresso, macchiato, cappuccino, lungo, ristretto, corretto.
3. Cappuccino After Lunch in Italy: Is It Really Against the Rules?Yes, cappuccino is a breakfast drink in Italy, but the 'no cappuccino after lunch' rule is wildly overblown.
4. Regional Italian Coffee: Bicerin, Marocchino, Caffè LecceseBeyond espresso lies a map: Turin's layered bicerin, the chocolatey marocchino, Lecce's iced almond caffè leccese, and the shakerato.
5. The Moka Pot: How Italy Makes Coffee at HomeThe moka pot has made coffee in Italian homes since 1933.
6. Caffè Sospeso: Naples and the Suspended CoffeeCaffè sospeso is the Neapolitan tradition of paying for an extra espresso and leaving it, anonymously, for a stranger who can't spare the change.

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Italian coffees, drink by drink

What to order and what lands in your cup, every drink decoded in the guide.

1. EspressoThe shot everything else is built on: short, intense, drunk standing at the bar.
2. RistrettoAn espresso pulled short: less water, more concentrated, a little sweeter.
3. Caffè LungoAn espresso pulled long: more water, milder and bigger than a standard shot.
4. Caffè MacchiatoEspresso 'stained' with a spot of milk foam, between an espresso and a cappuccino.
5. CappuccinoEspresso under steamed milk and foam: a morning drink, never after lunch.
6. Caffè LatteMore milk than a cappuccino, less foam. Ask for 'caffè latte', not just 'latte'.
7. Latte MacchiatoSteamed milk 'stained' with espresso, served layered in a tall glass.
8. MarocchinoEspresso, cocoa and milk foam in a small glass: Piedmont's little indulgence.