The main places of consumption of coffee in Italy are home, the coffee shop and the workplace. In all three cases, coffee is prepared and consumed on the spot. At home, the moka pot continues to be used a lot, with capsules and pods that have grown over the years. At work, Italians rely above all on single serve coffee or on vending machines. At coffee shops the espresso in the cup wins.
For several months during the pandemic, coffee shops were unable to accommodate guests. Customers therefore only had the possibility to have coffee delivered to their premises or to collect it without entering the shop. For the first time in Italy there has therefore been a massive use of take-away and delivery.
With the complete reopening of coffee shops, take-away has lost once again its importance. The first reason is that coffee shops for Italians are not only places of consumption but above all places of social relations: drinking a coffee is a way of being in company.
Furthermore, Italian espresso is not particularly suitable for take-away. In fact, it is a short drink that is drunk hot in a cup which guarantees a certain thermal insulation. When it cools down it not only loses its olfactory intensity, but it becomes also more bitter.
Morevoer, plastic and paper containers are generally unsuitable due to the poor ability to manage the temperature of the beverage. Coffee is quite hot at first and then quickly loses its temperature. In addition, low-quality paper cups tend to transmit odors to the espresso.
Photo by Unsplash / Dan Burton
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