History of Espresso Coffee
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages that millions of people from all over the world enjoy. Various coffee shops nowadays are almost always packed with coffee lovers who crave their caffeine fix which completes their day. Stemming from a simple hot beverage, coffee has evolved to different flavors and varieties.
Coffee machines are no longer exclusively home appliances; dormitories and business offices are also equipped with coffee machines. If you are a fan of this delightful drink, chances are you already know the different variations and prices of coffees in your local coffee shop.
However, there is one type of coffee that is unique in its method of preparation and history: espresso coffee. Espresso has become more popular in the past few years but it has a rich history. The history of espresso may is best understood when seen in the light of its maker, Luigi Bezzera.
Luigi Bezzera – Father of Espresso Coffee
A manufacturing business owner by the name of Luigi Bezzera invented espresso in the early 20th century. An avid coffee drinker himself, Bezzara was simply looking for new ways to brew his favorite beverage faster. What he did not realize was that he was on the brink of discovering a richer tasting cup of coffee which would become popular all over the world. Berreza uncovered two important points in the history of coffee: making brewing easier and making brewing faster.
Before espresso was discovered, coffee had been growing in popularity for more than ten centuries. Bezzara first applied his method of faster brewing manually. This is very straining and time-consuming for the person doing the work. As it often is the case, necessity was the mother Bezzara’s invention. He was soon to discover a method of brewing coffee that is much faster than traditional ways.
In his desire to hasten the process of brewing coffee, the Fast Coffee Machine was also discovered. The machine was intended to speed up the coffee breaks of the inventor’s employees. This was when Bezzara decided that the brewing process would benefit from added pressure. He figured that through a pressurized process, the drink could be produced in a lot less time.
In fact, it can be said that the discovery of espresso came as a by-product of a quicker brewing process; it instantly became a surprise hit. The new form of coffee became an instant hit and was aptly termed Espresso, which means fast in Italian.
Birth of the Espresso Machine
Bezzara patented the rights of his new espresso machine in 1901.
However, espresso was only widely recognized later, after the rights for Bezzara’s espresso machine were purchased by Desidero Pavoni. Only four years after the machine had been patented, Pavoni’s company embarked on its marketing plans. Pavoni soon learned, to his delight, that people were becoming fans of the energy-boosting drink.
Growth in Popularity
It was 1927 when the first ever espresso machine was installed at Regio’s in New York City. The machine was termed La Pavoni Espresso Machine and Americans soon began to learn about the enchanting espresso drink.
In his desire to amplify the sales and marketing of his product, Pavoni decided to improve the machine. He worked with his team to find ways to make the production of espresso even faster than it already was. All this led to the more developed version of Bezzara’s espresso machine with additional features.
Pavoni’s team made use of a piston pump in the machine. The new addition enabled faster and more efficient production of espresso. The piston pump compelled water to be forced through a tube and out into the coffee. Although the improvements made the brewing process faster and more efficient, the taste remained the same, if not, improved.
Unfortunately, further modifications of the espresso machine were delayed by the start of World War II. Still, people could not be deterred from having their favorite caffeine fix and the production quickly picked up when the war was over.
In 1946, espresso was made available to a larger market when the first commercial espresso machine was invented. Now, various manufacturing companies made their own distinctive espresso machines with different styles, colors, and features.
Espresso Today
The popularity of drinking espresso coffee produced by Bezzera’s revolutionary machine has continued grown throughout the decades. Today, millions of people enjoy this wonderful beverage everyday thanks to Bezzera’s invention. So the next time you savor a shot of espresso or an espresso based drink, thank Luigi Bezzera!
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