“Vita Lenta” Is the Relaxing Italian Trend I’m Embracing This Season — Here’s How

I visit Italy once a year, and always pick a different region so I can learn about its people, history, culture, and food. Although I may physically be there for a week or so, mentally I’m there all year round. Or at least I try to be — once home, I typically incorporate some part of Italy into my New York City life, whether it’s a home fragrance I fell in love with in Milan, gorgeously scented soaps I discovered on the Sicilian island of Ortigia, or the most incredible crackers I’ve ever tasted during a stay in Ischia. 

But living an Italian lifestyle is also about one’s mindset, as I recently discovered in — of all things — an email from an Italian coffee brand I love. The company was hosting a sale to celebrate “la vita lenta,” aka “the slow life.” I’d never heard the phrase before, and after Googling, I learned that the concept is really about learning to relax, enjoy the present moment, and savor the simple things. It could mean taking time to reflect, engage in meaningful conversations with friends, appreciate a leisurely meal, or indulge in a relaxing hobby.

I decided that “la vita lenta” is for me, but also realized that I’ve long been embracing it just by the simple act of drinking coffee. The ritual has an almost calming effect on me, and it’s always been part of the pleasurable, “time out” moments I enjoy, like catching up with friends, doing crossword puzzles, and relishing a great dessert. Terra Kaffe’s top-of-the-line TK-02 espresso machine has been a key player in my “la vita lenta” lifestyle because it lets me effortlessly create all the drinks I’ve enjoyed at Italian coffee bars. Here’s why it’s such a game-changer.

Terra Kaffe’s espresso machines are as famous as their celebrity fans, which include Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox. The TK-02 is the Rolls Royce of the brand’s machines, built with a sleek design and equipped with everything you need to become an at-home barista, including a coffee grinder, a filtered water tank, a milk-frothing system, and a touch-screen panel for choosing your brews. Besides hot and iced drip coffee, the TK-02 makes espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, cortados, macchiatos, and flat whites, all customized to your preference. While you can use pre-ground coffee, the machine will also do the job for you — it even lets you decide the size of the grind. You can also choose the amount of coffee grounds for each espresso shot, as well as the temperature and amount of water used. If you like milk in your coffee, a knob on the side of the machine lets you take it from hot to frothy. 

Available in black and white, the TK-02 measures 17.5” x 10.4” x 14.3” and can be controlled by app. The app actually opens up a whole world of possibilities, as it unlocks even more functions and drink options and lets you save your preferred drinks to the machine. It also comes in handy if you want to boot up the TK-02 in advance, as it can take a few minutes while it does a system check to make sure everything is functioning properly.  

Terra Kaffe’s TK-02 makes it easy for me to prepare my favorite coffee drinks with the touch of a button. All I have to do is keep the water tank filled, decide whether I want to use whole beans or pre-ground, select my drink choice from the touchscreen menu, and the machine does the rest. The milk carafe makes it easy to create special drinks without making a mess, but I sometimes use a glass to do the job. I just fill a glass with milk, place one end of the carafe’s flexible hose in the milk, and attach the other end to the machine’s steam tube, then I use the knob on the side of the machine to choose the milk’s consistency. Out it pours, right into my coffee cup! It’s all very quick and simple, which is what you want when you’re trying to live the slow life, right? 

The Terra Kaffe TK-02 has also helped make little, everyday moments feel a bit more special and even calmer. Sipping an iced coffee and playing Wordle on quiet early mornings is a relaxing pre-workday ritual I look forward to when I wake up. Nursing a creamy cappuccino while leisurely reading the New York Times on Sundays feels almost decadent to me now. And instead of meeting friends at a coffee shop for a catch-up, I invite them over to chat over a silky latte or strong espresso. 

You don’t need a splurgy coffee maker to embrace “la vita lenta” for yourself, of course, but I’ve found that the TK-02 is a worthy investment. It takes the place of a number of different coffee-making tools and equipment, can prepare an endless number of customized drinks (which means fewer trips to the coffee shop), and it needs very little cleanup. Best of all, you can get $200 by using the code ATM200 at checkout — and a deal is definitely something we all can appreciate.

Buy: Terra Kaffe TK-02, $1,795 (normally $1,995)