Is there any better way to start a day than with a shot of espresso? A good cup of joe can make or break your day. But unlike other varieties of coffee, espresso is very special. People can enjoy it as is or with hot water or with steamed and frothed milk.
In essence, espresso is a very strong brewed coffee that was brewed under intense pressure. The water is passed through finely-ground coffee in a fell sweep and the pressure is so high that it forms a thin layer of lighter foam called crema.
Coffee came to Italy during the Renaissance, but espresso was only invented in the early 20th century. It was created by businessman Luigi Bezzera who was at the time experimenting with techniques to brew coffee faster. In 1903, he was running a business, and he found making coffee a frustrating and long process. So, he began experimenting and noticed that adding steam to the process not only makes coffee faster but also stronger. The Italian word espresso is translated to fast in English.
However, Bezzera was able to sell the product in the market and in 1905, sold the business to Desidero Pavoni. Pavoni had the entire thing patented and so the machine was always associated with him. In 1906, Pavoni and Bezzera worked together to improve the machine and presented it together at Milan Fair.
Soon enough, Pavoni went solo with his patent and set up a successful business. Unfortunately, the machine had its faults, so competitors saw an opportunity to create new products.
In 1938, Achille Gaggia created a new machine very different from the original with specified pressure. This model solved the issue of the coffee having a bitter, burnt aftertaste which the previous models had. Gaggia went on to build more machines.
The machines that we use today are based on the principles of Gaggia’s machine.
