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Espresso Yourself!
Traditional and Modern Italian Espresso Sets
By Michele St. Martin
Historically, Florentines and other Tuscans served espresso in their homes with handmade and hand-decorated porcelain espresso sets. Often made of white porcelain, each set was hand-painted with either a blue Renaissance design or with fruits and/or flowers, usually in blues and yellows. Still popular today, these sets – and their traditional patterns – are Tuscan specialties.
According to Wendy Paladini, co-owner of A Touch of Tuscany, a family-owned company in Florence, Italy, the coveted Italian ceramic used to make espresso sets is Maiolica, earthenware that was inspired by the Hispano-Moresque wares from the Island of Majorca. Maiolica was first imported into Italy in the 14th century.
"Before long, Italian potters began to copy and reproduce these popular wares," Paladini says. "To achieve the look, a hand-formed piece was fired, then covered with a white tin glaze. After the white glaze had dried, the piece was then hand-painted with colorful decorations before being fired again at 1,000 degrees F. This process resulted in a durable piece with a hard, shiny surface."
By the 15th century, Maiolica was nearly revered as an art form, and Tuscany produced the renowned "blue relief" wares, featuring the rich cobalt blue colors, from 1430 to 1460.
In addition to the traditionally designed sets, Tuscany now offers modern espresso serveware. Illy, the famous coffee producer, has manufactured modern espresso sets since 1992, and each year, the collections tend to sell out. Illy sets are white porcelain with vivid colors and decidedly non-traditional designs. Past collection designers have included film director Francis Ford Coppola, rock star David Byrne and artist Jeff Koons.
Whether your tastes run to the modern, whimsical or traditional, you can likely find an Italian espresso set to suit your taste. But why settle for just one when the choices are as delicious as the coffee itself?