The Story behind the Espresso

Us humans have been drinking coffee since as early as the 15^th Century. We now consume an estimated two billion cups of coffee each day, and this number is increasing. How we drink our coffee of course is different based on personal preference, but a significant proportion of what we drink is espresso-based (think latte, flat white, mocha). As a coffee roastery we thought the simple espresso, without which we wouldn’t be able to enjoy most of our favourite drinks, deserves a bit of attention.

Before we move on a quick definition of what an espresso is. An espresso is a strong concentrated shot of coffee (around 60ml for a standard double shot), brewed at 9 bars of pressure or more, with a water temperature of around 88-93C.

This is not to be confused with ‘espresso blends’ or ‘espresso roasts’. An espresso is a type of coffee brewed with specific criteria, rather than a roast level or type of bean. Espressos are however traditionally brewed using darker roasted coffee.

Now we’ve defined what an espresso is we can move on to how it came about. Interestingly, the espresso wasn’t created out of a desire to make a strong concentrated coffee. It was created as a solution to a problem. With coffee rising in popularity at the start of 20^th Century and coffee taking up to 5 minutes to brew, coffee houses needed a way of being able to serve more people in less time.

In 1903 Luigi Bezzera created the concept ‘espresso machine’ which significantly reduced brew times compared with existing machines thanks to the addition of steam pressure.

Bezzera, and an investor called Desidero Pavoni, introduced the ‘Ideale espresso machine’ to the public for the first time at the 1906 Milan Exhibition.

After this is was Pavoni who brought the patents and largely took control of the business. These early machines were not perfect. Temperature control was difficult as the boiler was controlled by a flame, often resulting in bitter tasting coffee, and the machines only reached 2 bars of pressure. The concept was however popular, owing the time efficiency compared with previous machines, and they started appearing at coffee bars across Italy.

Fast forward 30 years and we begin to see something that more closely resembles the espresso machines today. Enter Giovanni Gaggia (if this name seems familiar it might well be as they continue to make machines to this day). Gaggia’s machines suddenly increased brew pressure from 1-2 bars to 8-10 bars of pressure through the introduction of a spring-loaded piston that was controlled by the barista pulling down a leaver. This is where the term ‘pulling a shot’ originated.  

The increase in pressure offered by these machines meant that the espresso developed its now characteristic crema. Customers were dubious at first, even asking what the ‘scum’ was on top of their coffee. To make the drink sound more appealing, Gaggia coined the term ‘caffe crème’, and a good crema is now associated with good quality espresso shots.

The next leap forward came in 1961 with the introduction of Ernesto Valente’s Faema E61. Although traditional lever machines can still be seen at some bars and cafes, the E61 was the first machine that very closely resembles most of the espresso machines we see today.

The Faema E61 introduced a number of innovations. The first was that of an automatic pump. This provided 9 bars of pressure consistently, compared with lever machines which were more variable. The second was that of a heat exchanger. Prior to being in contact with the coffee, the water passes through a heat exchanger ensuring it is the right temperature, consistently. Thirdly the E61 also introduced pre-infusion. By wetting the coffee grounds prior to extraction, there is better extraction of all the elements of an ideal espresso from the coffee. The Faema E61 was also considerably smaller than previous machines which was part of its appeal.

There have been minor innovations since the E61 but overall, most current manual espresso machines are quite similar. This brings us on to where things might go in the future.

One quite recent development is the switch to super-automatic machines. Pret-a-Manger, Starbucks, and other big names have already largely switched to these automatic machines, such as Pret’s Cimbali E60. These machines provide good quality coffee, consistency, and efficiency. As businesses try and reduce costs, especially in the current climate, we might see more of these machines around in the future.

Other interesting developments include the PuqPress, which provides an automatic tamping system for baristas working on traditional machines. Automatic milk steamers which steam milk to flat white, cappuccino, or latte standard depending on which colour jug is placed underneath are making their way onto the scene.

It is thanks to innovators such as Bezzera, Gaggia, and Valente that we can all enjoy our flat whites, espressos, and lattes today. So next time you are enjoying a freshly-made coffee, give a quick thought to them. In the meantime, feel free to check out our range of over 40 roasted-to-order coffees, bean-to-cup-machines, and plenty more on our website today.