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The shelf life is only 25 seconds! Italians don't take out coffee. Drink before you go.

Published: 2026-08-22 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/08/22, Schematic diagram of ▲ Cafe. (photo / taken from Pixabay) I can't imagine living without coffee. The Times publishes that as the most frequent coffee drinker in the world, Italians drink at a different pace than others. Italian cafes are always open from morning till night, and there is no time to be deserted all day. People like to drink espresso in cafes, while espresso

Schematic diagram of ▲ Cafe. (figure / taken from Pixabay)

Text, pictures / "I can't imagine life without coffee", published by the Times

As the most frequent coffee drinker in the world, Italians drink at a different pace than others. Italian cafes are always open from morning till night, and there is no time to be deserted all day. People like to drink espresso in cafes, and espresso is actually an Italian word, meaning "fast", so this kind of coffee is made and drunk quickly, usually in a small cup and can be finished in two or three mouthfuls. On the other hand, Italians usually require that they finish a cup of espresso within 25 seconds, because in their opinion, the shelf life of the essence of a cup of coffee is only 25 seconds, and the essence will evaporate after that, so drink it quickly.

Drink when you should, don't drink when you shouldn't!

Although Italians can drink coffee so much, they don't drink it indiscriminately, and they are very particular about what kind of coffee they should drink at any time. Milk coffee such as lattes and cappuccinos is drunk in the morning or used as a breakfast drink. According to Italian custom, milk coffee will not be drunk from afternoon to evening, and iced coffee will be considered. Italian concentrate is suitable for drinking throughout the day.

Drink standing up, like David!

When you come to Italy, you will find that there are usually no seats in cafes here, because people here are used to drinking standing up. It is a tradition to drink coffee standing up. After two or three sips of espresso, people begin to talk about the architectural art of the last century, or to praise the beautiful women who pass by in front of them.

Drink it right here!

If you are a new visitor to Italy, you will inevitably ask the waiter for coffee to take out. It's not tricky anywhere else, but in Italy, the waiter won't let you do it. They will put on a charming smile and advise you to stay in the cafe before you leave. Then you can see why many Italian cafes don't have paper cups. In their eyes, using paper cups or plastic cups is a blasphemy to the coffee gods! In fact, it takes less than five minutes to drink a cup of espresso, but you can experience centuries of cultural precipitation.

Imagine walking into a cafe in an old square and a handsome waiter says to you enthusiastically, "Buongiorno!" Good morning! ) and make you a cappuccino as if you were born with a flower-pulling technique. You sip the mellow coffee with foam and silky taste, look at the statue of David and the church in the square, and from time to time hear the voices of scholars talking about classical culture, literature and art, accompanied by the exaggerated body language peculiar to Italians! This moment seems to travel back to the last century!

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