“The nostalgia attached to the stovetop is what gets me out of bed in the morning. Every day as a child I was woken by clattering in the kitchen as my parents brewed their coffee. That aroma filling the house. Long lunches at Nonna’s always finished off with a massive 18 cup pot (+ grappa). I would go with Nonna to an old school roaster where she had her ‘own special blend’, to this day I’m still not sure what she had in there but I can still smell the coffee they were roasting on site.

Over the years I’ve spent some time trying to see if I can ‘break the rules’ in the way the stovetop brews, trying to retain some of the complexities in specialty coffee. Much to the disgust of all the Italiani out there (scusa!) I’ve found a way to brew quicker while retaining more of the flavour profile. I’ve let you in on the secret – brew method can be found via our Home Brewing page.

Depending on how I’m feeling I switch between Wallflower if I want some punch and fruit. Mastermind is my go to for that second or third brew as it’s subtle, super smooth and sweet. I prefer my stovetop brews with milk – just like my Nonno – who would literally have a bowl of caffe latte in the morning but both are just as delicious black.” – Manny