Espresso is the most popular type of coffee. Many people consider espresso to be coffee, rather than its type. Coffee was hugely popular in the world and people were trying to come up with ways to make it even better or for the brewing of coffee to take less time. So we learn here how they came up with espressos and espresso machines. So let the History of Espresso Machine begin!
The 19th Century and Angelo Moriondo of Turin
History of Espresso MachineIn the 19th century, coffee had taken Europe and the whole world by storm. The consumption of coffee was huge and people were trying to come up with ways to lessen the brewing time of coffee. People started using steam to try to fasten the brewing speed of coffee.
It was an Italian inventor from Turin, Italy by the name of Angelo Moriondo who came up with a prototype machine in 1884, that used steam to brew coffee faster. His invention helped others come up with espressos and espresso machines.
Luigi Bezzerra and Desiderio Pavoni
Sadly for Angelo Moriondo, his invention didn’t survive long and was misplaced and lost. But it was by using and improving his designs that Luigi Bezzerra and Desiderio Pavoni came up with the single shot espresso machine and patented on APR. 28, 1903. Patent no: US726793 A. The best thing about it was that it brewed up in no time.
Luigi’s machine was a little problematic because it used to brew coffee on an open flame, which meant that managing the temperature and pressure was nearly impossible.
Seeing the problem Luigi was facing with his machine, Desiderio came up with a machine that had the pressure valve system, in 1906. It allowed the machine to release the pressure, making the machine easier to use.
Early Machines’ Production
Desiderio Pavoni showcased his invention is the Milan Fair of 1906. Soon such machines started emerging from different manufacturers. All of them could produce a thousand cups of coffee in 60 minutes but all of them worked on steam. The coffee made from these machines tasted burnt and bitter. These machines burnt the coffees if they tried to produce more than two bars of atmospheric pressure.
Pier Teresio Arduino
Pier Teresio Arduino was an inventor who rivaled Desiderio Pavoni. He was the one who tried air pumps with machines but wasn’t successful. He was a business man and an excellent marketing strategist. This enabled him to export machines all over Europe and also made him the owner of a larger production factory than Desiderio.
Milanese Café Owner Achille Gaggia
The first machine to be able to produce more than 2 bars of atmospheric pressure without burning the coffee was invented after the end of the Second World War. The inventor was Achille Gaggia, a café owner in Milanese. He designed a lever to control the pressure and he also made the machine to a more standard size. He was hailed as the father of the modern espresso machine.
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Faema E61 by Ernesto Valente
Arduino failed to put pumps but the idea didn’t die. Instead people tried to improve his idea till in the 1960s, when it came to life. Ernesto Valente had been successful in making the motorized pump which he used in his espresso machine, the Faema E61. It was a revolutionary machine and a huge step forward in the world of espresso machines.
Today’s Technology
Nowadays, there are many different types of espresso machines. They vary from simply straightforward to very advance with different features. Some of the simple ones make you espressos in a short while, while the more advanced ones can also make you a cup of coffee or a cappuccino. You can adjust the pressure, the number of filters it has to go through, how long does it grind the coffee beans etc. There are cafes that can make designs with the milk in your coffee and so much more. Nowadays there are numerous different types of coffees and as the types of coffees grow, the types of coffee making machines grow as well.
Eventually
Coffee is a very popular drink. From its discovery in the 12th century to present date, we have seen the amazing growth the coffee industry has gone through. There are many different types of coffee; one of the most popular is espresso. The journey of espresso and espresso machines began way back in the late 19th century when the first espresso machine was designed. But the designed was flawed and in early 20th century, a new espresso machine emerged. From there it is pretty much one revolutionary invention in espresso machines after another. Machines with motorized pumps and much more were invented. Now there are as many coffee and espresso machines as there are types of coffee. It is a billion dollar industry and it’ll only grow with the coming years.
