Meet Valentina Palange, a passionate coffee professional and content creator, originally from the picturesque Taranto in Puglia, Italy. Valentina currently lives in Milan but you can see her travelling a lot around the country and beyond creating coffee content that not only entertains but educates. She is a big advocate of coffee innovation and with respect to the classic Italian traditions, she tries to unite both worlds.
Valentina is an avid coffee competitor. She is the finalist of the 2024 Italian Barista Championship and the current Italian AeroPress Champion. We are sure that we will see Valentina on stage again where she can use her creativity and love for specialty coffee.
Valentina, what is your first memory with coffee?
A very long time ago when I was a child I prepared the moka pot for my dad every afternoon.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the coffee industry, and how did you get started? What did you do before coffee?
I was a sales advisor (I sold sunglasses and worked for many multinational companies). From 2014 I started to sell coffee pods and I fell in love with one Ethiopian coffee during a coffee tasting. From that moment I started to study coffee in a serious way.
You have an interesting career path. Can you walk us through it?
As I told you before I started to work with a multinational coffee company and then I started to study coffee in a very serious way. The first time I saw a live coffee competition was in 2018 at the World Of Coffee Amsterdam. I was very impressed by the barista competition. I was already a content creator but from that moment I felt that I would like to be something more. I love (and I hope very much) to become one day an international coffee judge. I keep working on it! 🙂
I’m a Social Media Manager specialising in the coffee industry. I started with Allegra, the company that created the London, Paris, Amsterdam and Milan Coffee Festivals.
Then I continued to study for my role – you know social media changes often and you have to be always updated! Actually I create content and manage several social profiles.
What is your favourite part of the day, and why?
It’s hard to say… but maybe it’s the morning setting of the espresso and batch brew. It’s a bit of a ritual and feels like a responsibility because you taste everything and try to make it as delicious as your knowledge and skills allow.
What inspired you to start creating content around coffee, and how has that journey shaped your perspective on the industry?
In the past, I was inspired by beautiful pictures of many coffee tools and at the beginning of my journey, Luca (my husband) took pictures for me.
Over the years, my inspirations have changed a lot. Social media has evolved (hello, reels!), and so has the way I communicate. At some point, I realized my main audience was Italians, and there was a real need to talk about coffee culture something that’s still pretty limited in Italy, though it’s improving. That’s when I started looking up to profiles that focus on education and spreading knowledge, even in other areas.
You’re a big promoter of Italian coffee culture and specialty coffee. What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about Italian coffee?
The fact that we are a culture based a lot on traditions. We live in the past and progress is seen many times as a terrible “intruder”.
What are the current trends in cafes in your region? Are there any trends you promote yourself and would like to see more often in other places?
You know, we are very classic so cappuccino is still an evergreen trend. But the difference is that in specialty coffee shops, you can taste a good cappuccino presented with lovely latte art and a good milk texture. I’d love for Italians to get to know flat white better. It’s a great way to wake up with that extra touch of sweetness from the milk. And let’s not forget about filter coffee—though I’ve noticed it’s being embraced much more now compared to the past!
You have some amazing achievements in championships. Can you tell us more about them? What are the next championships you’d like to compete in?
I won the Italian AeroPress Championship and I competed the same year in the Barista Championship. I started competing almost by chance, thanks to an invitation from Francesco Sanapo, founder of Ditta Artigianale. I think he saw something in me because I absolutely loved it! I placed fourth in the 2024 National Barista Championship, but unfortunately, I was disqualified during the preliminaries for next January’s 2025 Championship (guys, make sure you read the rules carefully!). But I’m not giving up—I’ll try again!
How did it feel to compete on the World AeroPress Championship stage?
Very exciting and a way to meet a lot of great champions around the world!
And is AeroPress your favourite brewing method?
It depends. I change my mind a lot but AeroPress has always remained my best travel brewing buddy. I bring it with me always everywhere. Especially when I come back to Puglia, my home region!
What are your passions/hobbies besides coffee?
Coffee. Ahauhauah.
Jokes aside: I like to discover new coffee shops and If I have to think of something else I would say Pilates! I love it and it’s a discipline that helps me a lot during the hardest time of my life!
If you could give one piece of advice to young coffee professionals entering the field, what would it be?
Be brave, be unique and don’t be scared about what other people can think about you. It can be challenging at the beginning but so many times it is only because people don’t know you and what are you doing. It happened to me the same when I started to talk about coffee in Italy.
What coffee challenges are you looking forward to? Any new projects or collaborations?
To prepare for the next barista championship (2026) and other top-secret projects… I’m kind of superstitious, so I won’t say anything until it actually happens!
Quick Fire Questions for Valentina Palange:
Would you serve filter coffee with milk, if asked for it?
Maybe yes, but I’d probably cry afterwards. However, I think everyone should be free to drink whatever they like.
Do you ever take sugar with your coffee?
Yes, when espresso is bad at the bar I have to somehow survive!
Espresso or Filter coffee?
Espresso after lunch, filter coffee in the middle of the morning or the afternoon.
Milky or Black?
Milky.
Do you aim for Sweetness, Acidity, or Body?
I love acidity and sweetness, body is not so much important for me!
Slurp or Spit?
Slurp.
Favourite piece of barista equipment?
WDT (Weiss Distribution Technique) Tool.
The number one coffee shop in Europe that every coffee geek should visit is:
Dreamin Man in Paris! Because it is like its name: a dream!
What’s your favourite city to have a specialty coffee tour outside of “your city”, why?
Naples!!! It left me speechless to see how many beautiful coffee shops are popping up. You can find tradition and innovation in this city! Amazing!
