Expresso is really strong stuff when it’s prepared right, and I think some people didn’t realize that at first. About 25 years ago, I was passing through a small town in the Deep South and saw a neon “Expresso” sign in the window of a cafeteria. I was coming from Europe and was delighted at the prospect of having real coffee for the first time in weeks. I mentioned this to the owner, who was preparing another customer’s order, and she said the machine had cost nearly 5,000 dollars. That’s when I realized that she was filling a large paper cup to the brim. Something like half a quart of uncut expresso in one of those big wax-coated paper cups that you’d get when you ordered a Coke at movie theaters. The customer went about paying, and that’s when I noticed that her hands were trembling. The owner asked, “How’s Floyd doing?” The customer replied, “Oh, he’s okay. He ain’t sleeping well, though.”
Add a dollop of nicotine and I think you may have something there.
Well, not a dollop. Maybe just a smidgen. Or something between the two.
I suspect the correct answer to the OP is “about two dollars”.
That’s the beauty of McDonald’s in Italy - you can order a large cappuccino at any time of day from a self-serve kiosk and avoid the condescending stare from the cashier.
I would have guessed the beauty of a (possibly) mediocre coffee from an Italian fast food place was you could sit down without paying an extra euro or two. 
Nitpick: it’s espresso, not expresso.
I once had a couple of straight espresso shots at a cafe in Almeria, Spain. Bad idea. My stomach was so upset I tossed my cookies. I now prefer milk in my espresso beverages.
This could be a whoosh but Lordy did it make me laugh. In my experience traveling for my job multiple times in Italy if you ask 3 for their opinion you will get 4 “definitive” answers. I admit this may just be limited to the Italian wine/spirits trade but I strongly suspect not.
As to coffee, I would always recommend caffè corretto when ordering an espresso after 10 am - a shot of espresso with a shot of grappa though other liqueurs are options.
And I will confirm what another poster said, if you order a cappuccino after about 10am, Italians will look at you like you are weird. It is considered a breakfast coffee and as I was told only a child would request it after that time. Better to order an espresso and request some milk or cream added.
Thanks, been making that mistake for years.
Yeah, many people find it’s hard on their stomach. Milk helps but, when I have a coffee in the morning, I’ll still have a sour stomach by the evening. Took me a long time to realize that.
not really a whoosh. In my experience, Italians are fundamentalists when it comes to food, which I generally admire, though it can be tiring at times. Just ask an Italian about how to make carbonara. And for god’s sake, never make amatriciana with mere pancetta!
The 10:00 rule for capuccinos is a perfect example (though I have heard it as 11:00 as well). And espresso with grappa is indeed very correct! But when I really feel like drowning, I go for an affogato al caffe, which is espresso with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
For a deep dive into why, the sage of coffee James Hoffman:
tldr: it’s due to a level of lactose intolerance and drinking it later makes the symptoms worse.
I figured out I had this problem if I drank coffee on an empty stomach. Now I always make sure I eat something first (doesn’t have to be much) and I almost never have that problem any more.
Rat milk is so cringe,
cockroach milk is where its at.
Gelato, please.
The flat white is the only one without double letters
I have had bulletproof coffee, which has butter and coconut oil blended in. It was very similar to a latte, and rather good.
Czech Republic=Precision Engineering?
I have to admit to ignorance to most things Czech, but when I hear the phrase “precision engineering” I think Germany, or maybe Switzerland. Was Cece being sarcastic?
Not at all. The Czech economy has long had a large, successful and respected engineering sector. One of the reasons Hitler was so keen to seize Czechoslovakia was its engineering and armaments capacity.
Specifically the Skoda works; many Czech tanks were used in the Battle for France.