The original concept of espresso was a beverage that could be prepared quickly.

Did you know that espresso is regulated by the Italian government because it is considered an essential part of their daily life? In other words, it's a national treasure! But this type of coffee is also the world’s favorite. Its brewing method uses high pressure to force nearly boiling water through ground coffee.

It happens in seconds, and as a result, you will also enjoy a thick crema on top. The flavor is intense because you need at least 50 coffee beans to make a good cup of espresso. The process is only possible thanks to a machine specially designed to prepare coffee faster. That is why it was called “espresso”, an Italian word that means "fast".

Its invention was known at the moment as “new steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage,” just as it was described in the patent documents in 1884. Coffee was becoming a huge business in Europe. Soon enough cafés were flourishing across the continent. And then, it became a culture itself. Now we are part of it!

We are more than pleased to take you through the espresso machine history, so keep reading!

The invention of the espresso machine

The first espresso machine prototype was created in 1884 by Angelo Moriondo in Turin, Italy. He designed a large boiler, that once heated, pushed water through a bed of coffee grounds. Afterwards, a second boiler would produce steam to flash the bed of ground coffee so it could brew coffee. His invention was shown in the Turin General Exposition, but no photographs of his work were taken, and sadly we do not know anything about what happened next.

The Industrial Revolution in Europe motivated more than one inventor to establish an improvement for the Moriondo prototype in the early 1900s. Luigi Bezzera wanted to create a method for brewing coffee directly into the cup quickly. For this to come true, Bazera invented a portafilter, some multiple brewheads, and many innovations still associated with espresso machines today. His device also needed a large boiler but with chambers filled with water. The hit pushed water and steam through a tamped puck of ground coffee. He then added a heat radiator that lowered the temperature of the water before serving the cup.

Bazera did not have the money to improve his invention as much he wanted to optimize the process. The coffee did not have the perfect consistency to please everyone’s taste, so he was not able to expand his business. That was why he sold his patent to Desiderio Pavoni in 1903, who produce the first commercial espresso machine and called it “The Ideale”.

Pavoni invented the pressure release valve because Bazera’s machine needed an open flame to heat, making it difficult to control pressure and temperature. He also created the steam wand to access and free the steam collected inside the machine’s boiler.

This pair of Italian connoisseurs went to the 1906 Milan Fair, and introduced together the “cafeé espresso”, with the slogan “made on the spur of the moment.” History was made!

Espresso machines today

Around the 1960’s many more innovations were introduced to the espresso machine. Instead of relying on the manual force of the barista, pumps were created so they could control the pressure needed when brewing. For this to happen, the spiral copper pipe was implemented and replaced the boiler, along with a heat exchanger. All these new parts were smaller, more versatile and made of stainless steel. The machine name was Faema E61, invented by Ernesto Valente.

Today, Valente’s motorized invention has electrical components, computerized measurements, and portable pneumatics. And like these, there will be more changes that will improve the way we drink coffee. But no matter how its evolution will be from now on, Italians always say that a good espresso must have the four Ms on point:

Macchina: an espresso machine in perfect conditions.

Macinazione: the use of the proper grinding techniques.

Miscela: how the coffee is blend and roasted.

Mano: barista’ ideal skills.

We bet you didn’t know those last inherent requirements! And probably you read them with an Italian accent! At Coffland Corp, we know which machines are the ideal ones for your coffee business. Contact us to know about our services as coffee product providers and keep visiting our blog to learn more about the coffee culture we all love.