When it comes to the arts, coffee’s long been a source of inspiration—whether by playing a central role in the artworks themselves, or by helping the artist stay alert for hours in front of the easel, the desk, or the camera.
The iconic brew isn’t all though: there’s also the process of making it. In the age of the home barista, the tools used to make a cuppa may rival the cuppa in their importance. Cinema in particular has seized the possibilities offered by the growing popularity of the domestic espresso machine. The silver screen transformed it from a background prop into a plot point—or at the very least a deliberate choice that says something about the character manning the portafilter.
We’ve compiled some of the most notable, distinctive, and surprising cinematic appearances of brewing appliances below, so grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable! Be warned though: you may never see an espresso machine in the exact same way again, be it on the big screen or on your kitchen counter.
Pillow Talk (1959)
Starring the legendary actress and singer Doris Day, Pillow Talk tells the story of a young, beautiful interior decorator and a womanising playboy, brought together by a shared telephone line. What follows is a sassy comedy filled with intrigue, whimsy, deception, and, of course, love.
But how does Doris Day’s glamorous character brew her coffee? She uses a Chemex—a now-iconic manual coffee maker that was still a coveted novelty in the 1950s. Invented in 1941, Chemex actually appeared in the Illinois Institute of Technology’s list of the 100 best-designed products of modern times just before Pillow Talk hit the theatres. That’s a fact that the movie’s chic, on-trend female protagonist would’ve definitely been aware of—and it’s no accident that it’s the fashionable Chemex that graces her kitchen!
James Bond: Live and Let Die (1973)
The eighth film in the ongoing James Bond series, Live and Let Die sees the famous agent 007 take on a gang of drug-smuggling Caribbean gangsters. Sure, Bond’s stellar at carrying out his secret missions—but one scene reveals that his barista skills may not be quite as exceptional.
When visited at home by M, head of the Secret Service, Bond decides to treat him to a cup of coffee. The secret agent (played in this iteration by Roger Moore) grinds his beans freshly using a bulky vintage coffee grinder, then turns to his espresso machine—none other than the luxurious “Europiccola” from La Pavoni, a model that, at the time, only the wealthiest and the most successful could afford.
What follows is considerably less thrilling though: Bond pulls a watery shot of espresso, tops it with cold milk, then proceeds to steam the concoction straight in a cup before handing it to M on a splashed saucer. “Is that all it does?” M quips, pointing at the fancy machine, clearly unimpressed. It seems that a good cup of coffee isn’t all about the gear, after all—and that even the world’s most famous secret agent may benefit from some barista training!
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Curiously, La Pavoni’s “Europiccola”—the very same espresso machine model wielded awkwardly by Mr. Bond—appears in a second acclaimed movie more than two decades later. In The Talented Mr. Ripley, the filthy rich Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) can be seen fiddling with an espresso machine in the morning before jokingly remarking that it’s the coffee that keeps luring his gorgeous girlfriend to his fancy villa. “It’s not love, it’s my coffee machine,” Dickie proclaims. Who knows: with “Europiccola” on his counter, he may just be right!
The Sopranos (1999–2007)
Focusing on the Italian mafia, it’s no wonder that the legendary TV series The Sopranos boasts plenty of references to coffee. One of the most conspicuous mentions comes in the form of an espresso machine gifted by his mafia colleague to Tony Soprano and his family. “The Elektra semi-automatic chrome espresso machine,” Carmela, Tony’s wife, spells out after unpacking the fancy gift. It’s “Elektra Micro Casa”, a luxuriously designed, outrageously expensive model that’s certainly fit for a mafia boss.
Later on in the season, however, Tony declines a cuppa after being offered one by his wife, complaining that the last one had a weird taste. “The heating element’s corroded, I told you,” retorts Carmela, annoyed, leaving the viewers thinking that perhaps both Tony’s extravagant espresso machine and his long-suffering wife deserve to be treated a little bit better.
From Making Coffee to Making a Statement
People say that coffee’s more than just a drink—and an espresso machine is so much more than a mere brewing tool. Similarly to cinema using coffee machines as a way to make a statement about its characters and their surroundings, us coffee lovers choose an appliance that says something about us. So don’t underestimate that espresso machine perched on the kitchen counter of your new acquaintance: not only does it brew coffee, but it tells a story too!
Photo credit: pexels.com, Tima Miroshnichenko
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