De Cecco no.12
Abruzzo · £
"The supermarket benchmark that isn't actually bad."
Strengths
- Available everywhere
- Consistent bite
- Under £2/pack
Compromises
- Smoother surface than boutique rivals
- Mass-produced, dried faster
Comparisons
When there are three good options, we pick three.
Short, honest, opinionated head-to-heads between Italian products you can actually get delivered to the UK. We name the tradeoffs. We say what we'd buy. We link the search on Amazon UK so you can check current stock and price.
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Bronze-die pasta: De Cecco vs Rustichella d'Abruzzo vs Martelli
Three bronze-die dry pastas that dominate UK Italian shelves. Same basic recipe — durum semolina, water — but wildly different textures, drying times, and prices.
Rustichella d'Abruzzo
Abruzzo · ££
"Slow-dried at low temp, rough bronze surface grabs sauce hard."
Strengths
- Noticeably rougher texture
- Al dente window is generous
- Single-family mill since 1929
Compromises
- 3–4× De Cecco's price
- Easier to overcook in a busy pan
Martelli
Tuscany · £££
"Yellow packet, hand-wrapped, the shopping-list item at every Roman trattoria."
Strengths
- The texture is not subtle — like coarse linen
- Flavour-forward, almost nutty
- Family-run, output-limited
Compromises
- Expensive
- Often out of stock in UK
Our pick
Buy all three. De Cecco for weeknight. Rustichella for guests. Martelli for the Sunday ragù you spent six hours on.
Everyday EVOO: Frantoi Cutrera vs Filippo Berio 'Gran Cru' vs Colavita
The £8–£18/L band: better than supermarket own-label, more forgiving than the £40 single-estate stuff. Good for dressing, pouring, and the occasional aggressive pan-drizzle.
Frantoi Cutrera 'Primo'
Sicily · ££
"Grassy, peppery, almost bitter — classic Sicilian profile."
Strengths
- Single-origin
- Harvest date on bottle
- Massive flavour for the price
Compromises
- Bitterness throws people off on first taste
- Not everyone wants pepper in their salad
Filippo Berio 'Gran Cru'
Tuscany blend · £
"Step-up from the green-label Berio; still widely stocked."
Strengths
- Reliable, rounded flavour
- Available at most major UK retailers
- Good for 'I need oil tonight'
Compromises
- Blend, not single estate
- Less character than regional specialists
Colavita 100% Italian
Multi-region blend · £
"The workhorse of the American-Italian kitchen. UK supply is patchier."
Strengths
- Mellow, all-purpose
- Big tins available (good price/L)
- Low bitterness
Compromises
- Flavour is quiet
- Don't use it where oil is the star
Our pick
Cutrera for flavour. Berio for ubiquity. Colavita if you're cooking with it every day and the price-per-litre matters.
Moka pot: Bialetti Moka Express vs Bialetti Brikka vs Alessi 9090
Three pots you can still buy in the UK, three wildly different results in the cup. One is classic, one is crema-chasing, one is museum-grade Alessi industrial design.
Bialetti Moka Express (6-cup)
Piedmont (Italian design; modern production often PRC) · £
"The original 1933 Bialetti design. Aluminium octagon."
Strengths
- Cheap
- Parts replaceable for decades
- Instantly recognisable
Compromises
- Aluminium (not induction-compatible)
- Requires practice to avoid burnt coffee
Bialetti Brikka (4-cup)
Piedmont · ££
"Moka with a pressurised valve — actually produces visible crema."
Strengths
- Crema layer on espresso-like output
- Same simple two-piece ritual
Compromises
- Still aluminium
- The 'crema' isn't espresso-pressure crema, it's fine foam
- Noisier when pressurising
Alessi 9090 (6-cup)
Crusinallo (Alessi HQ) · £££
"Stainless-steel, induction-compatible, in the permanent collection at MoMA."
Strengths
- Works on induction hobs
- Heirloom object
- Exceptional build
Compromises
- £150+
- Heavier than you'd expect
- No performance advantage over a £25 Express
Our pick
Moka Express for the tradition. Brikka if you specifically want the crema-layer hiss. Alessi 9090 if you like looking at it on the stove.
Parmigiano Reggiano: 24-month vs 30-month vs 36-month
Proper Parmigiano Reggiano DOP comes in three broad age brackets at UK delis. They are genuinely different products — not 'same cheese, slightly older'.
Parmigiano Reggiano 24-month
Emilia-Romagna · ££
"The legal minimum for the DOP. Soft, milky, grates cleanly."
Strengths
- Best for melting and sauces
- Softer flavour — family-friendly
- Cheapest of the three
Compromises
- Lacks the crystalline crunch
- Less savouriness
Parmigiano Reggiano 30-month
Emilia-Romagna · £££
"The sweet spot. Crystals begin, flavour deepens, paste stays translucent."
Strengths
- Balanced — table cheese and cooking cheese
- Visible tyrosine crystals
- Consistent from wheel to wheel
Compromises
- Pricier
- The extra months do cost you
Parmigiano Reggiano 36-month 'Stravecchio'
Emilia-Romagna · £££
"Long-aged. Crumbly, savoury, almost umami-concentrated."
Strengths
- Gift-grade
- Pairs beautifully with aged balsamic
- The 'special occasion' wedge
Compromises
- Expensive per 100g
- Not ideal for melting — breaks unevenly
Our pick
24 for cooking, 30 for everything else, 36 for eating off the rind in front of the fridge.
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