Espresso Coffee Makers and Their Evolution

It has taken over one hundred and twenty five years and the efforts of many brilliant minds to develop the state of the art espresso coffee makers we enjoy today. Today we look at espresso making machine types and their evolution.

The first espresso machine was invented in the late 1800's and was steam operated. It was merely a closed vessel with a flame beneath it, a few valves to let water in and coffee out and a chamber where the coffee grounds were contained. When the water in the vessel boils the steam is created and the pressure within the vessel increases. Upon opening the valve, water and some steam is released and pushed through the coffee grounds brewing a cup of espresso much faster and also much stronger than normally brewed coffee. Today we will discuss the three types of espresso coffee makers that have evolved from those early years; they are steam, piston and pump operated.

The steam operated espresso coffee maker:
While the original patent for the first espresso machine was granted in May of 1884 it was not until 1905 that the manufacturing process began. Desiderio Pavoni purchased one of the original versions of the patent and founded his company LaPavoni and production started at the rate of one machine a day.

As mentioned earlier the steam type espresso coffee maker is very basic in its operation. Still in use today, it has been improved upon substantially over time now using electricity instead a flame for heating the water. The machines produced today are attractive, easy to use and very inexpensive. The downside, due to less engineering and features is a lack of quality in the shot.

The piston/lever operated espresso coffee maker:
Achille Gaggia developed the piston operated machine in 1945. It was later introduced as a lever type; piston operated espresso coffee maker by La Cimbali. LaPavoni became for the first to produce this machine for home use.

Although not for everyone this machine is the absolute classic. It is blessed with that throw back look of old Italy and can be a conversational piece as much as an exceptional espresso coffee maker. These are machines that require some study and some practice if you are not already accomplished in what is considered by many a true art form. The end result can be amazing but can also be botched if not taken somewhat seriously.

It is worth noting that there are two types of piston machines, the non-spring-loaded and the spring-loaded. The non-spring-loaded type requires the operator to exert and maintain the pressure on the lever. This leaves room for inconsistency and varying quality of shots. The spring-operated machine uses a spring to control the pressure once the lever has been pulled and eliminates that human element. The shots now become more consistent.

The pump operated espresso coffee maker:
The advent of the piston driven lever type machine only opened the door for more technology and hence the pump operated machine arrives. This machine was introduced in 1961 by Faema and is the model E61.

The primary difference when it was first introduced was that the pressure of the water through the coffee was provided by an electrical pump instead of a lever. As years have passed there have been innovations and improvements leading to three new categories of pump driven machines. These are the semi-automatic, fully automatic and super automatic espresso makers.

The most distinct differences between these three categories are:

The semi automatic must be started and stopped manually and does not have as much programmability as the others. Grinding and tamping are done externally.

The fully automatic can be programmed to start and stop the process and has a much broader range of program options including drink programming. Grinding and tamping are done externally in this machine as well.

The super automatic espresso coffee maker will basically do it all. It measures, grinds, tamps and brews the espresso and will create many of your favorite drinks with the push of a button or touch of a screen. There are even machines that will read finger prints and program the users drink selection accordingly. These machines are also mostly self cleaning.

The pump operated machines are now the consumers favorite with many choices of very high quality manufactures such as Gaggia, LaPavoni, Rancilio, Pasquini and Saeco.

As you can see from the original steam machine first patented in 1884 to the super automatic espresso coffee makers of today there has been a true evolution.

The Evolution Of Espresso

In the early 1900s the idea of Espresso was invented by a business owner named Luigi Bezzera, who was just trying to figure out a way to get his hands on a cup of coffee without having to wait so long.  The way that he figured out this could be done was by adding more pressure to the process.  This is how the Espresso machine came to be.  He got more than he bargained for when he realized that he had created a cup of coffee with more kick, stronger taste, on top of the process that completed much more rapidly.
What he had discovered was that the fast brewing process extracted the flavor more quickly and efficiently than the traditional style of making coffee.
The espresso machine later became in more demand when the rights to it were bought by another individual named Desidero Pavoni, who was also a very successful business person and was able to market the product extremely well.  The popularity of espresso caught on quickly and we began to see espresso stands being opened throughout the U.S.  
Here are some important dates for the evolution of Espresso:
The patent for the espresso machine which consisted of a boiler and compartments for holding different sized filters was filed in 1901 by Luigi Bezzera.  This machine created espresso by forcing boiling hot water through one of the filters into a coffee cup.
Two years later, in 1903, Desiderio Pavoni purchased the patent from Bezzera and began marketing the idea of the espresso machine heavily throughout the U.S.
Production of the espresso machine was initiated in 1905 and in 1927 the craze began to spread throughout the country as the first machine to be installed was located at a placed called Regio's which was located in New York.
A newer pump was designed for the espresso machine that increased the rate at which boiling water was pumped through the coffee, creating an even more impressive result.  This took place in 1938.
A commercial sized espresso machine was produced in 1946 that would increase the amount of espresso that the ordinary machine was capable of making.

How to Choose an Office Espresso Machine

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Coffee is as essential to an office as are desks or computers. The coffee that is provided in the workplace helps employees to be alert and perform their jobs at a high level. The caffeine contained in coffee provides a burst of energy to keep workers sharp and alert. Espresso is no different in its beneficial effects, and as a result, many companies are choosing to place an office espresso machine in their offices.

An office espresso machine has all of the same components of your standard home espresso machine. The only difference is that an espresso office machine is specifically designed to produce larger amounts of espresso at a faster rate. Choosing the right espresso machine for the office will largely depend on the number of workers it will be serving. This number will determine how many cups you will need the espresso maker to produce.

One feature you will want to look for in an espresso machine for the office is an overall ease of use. Several different people will probably be using the machine so you want to be sure that it is not too difficult to operate. It should also be fairly easily cleaned, as some espresso machines can be quite difficult to clean.

I would highly recommend purchasing a fully automatic office espresso machine, which as the name indicates is automatic and can produce espresso on its own without any human effort. If you have a larger office, a fully automatic office espresso machine is probably your best option.

There are a number of great places to find an office espresso machine, both online and offline. Many office supply stores carry espresso machines designed specifically for an office setting. However, if you want to get a truly great deal on an espresso machine, shopping on the internet will find you the best bargains. eBay in particular has an extensive selection of espresso office machines, both new and used, and at unbeatable low prices.