Shocking, I know, but my one month it Italy has convinced me that the difference between the way North Americans love coffee and Italians love coffee, is like the difference between true love and superficial love.
Coffee in America has higher caffeine content, and is more voluminous. Americans don’t care about their coffee looking good. They care about the coffee itself, while Italians are content with both smaller amounts of coffee as well as lesser quantities. It’s about the optics, not the coffee.
So the next time someone tells you that Italy is the place to go for coffee, point them to the nearest North American Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Tim Hortons, or A&W.