Coffland Corp: Brief History of the Espresso Machine

Join your wistful with a retro coffee cup.

Before the modern espresso machine we all know existed, there only was one way to brew coffee: the Turkish style. This coffee was very bitter and unscented, and it was made using a bowl with grounded coffee and boiling water.

Coffee lovers waited until 1802 when a French pharmaceutic man, called Descroizilles, put two bowls within a holey metallic plate: in one container, the boiled water passes through the plate, reaching the grounded coffee in the other one.

The result was a coffee with a smoother and tasteful infusion than Turkish coffee. This invention was called Caféollete, a French derivation of "coffee machine." Descroizilles’s device was a success around the world, and his creativity led to other experiments making coffee.

Years later, in 1901, Luis Bezzera patented a coffee machine which used steam water controlled by levels, like locomotors. Bezzera gadgets were a significant breakthrough in the coffee science: he achieved a great coffee cup in less than two minutes! His design was hefty, and it was mostly used in coffee shops.

The term "espresso machine" started being used after this invention, and the world began to experiment with this kind of devices which offered a quick option for coffee.

Melitta Benz, a German housewife, introduced in 1907 a redesign of Caféollete that replaced the metallic plate with a rough paper as a filter. This change was significative for the final product. Benz's espresso was even more concentrated and aromatic. Sadly, the paper wore away after several uses, but she never gave up. She perfected her filter, making her espresso machine patent a millionaire idea and the beginning of a big company.

Ten years later, an Italian named Bialetti made a coffee device which was smaller, but clever. He wanted to make an espresso machine that can be used from home, and that's how the Moka espresso was born.

Moka espresso is the perfect mix of engineering, design, and marketing. This coffee machine was created eighty years ago, but nothing has changed over the years!

Here at Coffland Corp, we know how important is this beverage for you! The evolution of espresso machines had a huge impact on the way we drink coffee. Now, we hope that we can join you in the next step to innovate your coffee experience.