Espresso is the most Italian thing about coffee, and its story is mostly about machines: a series of Italian inventors chasing a faster, better cup.
A machine to brew faster
In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin patented a steam-powered machine for making coffee quickly, in bulk, for his hotel and bar. It brewed big batches, not individual cups, and it never went into wide production, but it’s considered the first espresso machine.
In 1901, Luigi Bezzera of Milan patented improvements that made single servings practical, including the portafilter, the handle that holds the coffee. Desiderio Pavoni bought the patent in 1903 and began producing machines under the La Pavoni name, including the Ideale. They introduced “caffè espresso” to the public at the 1906 Milan Fair. The name means coffee made to order, quickly, in the moment.
Those early machines used steam pressure, about one and a half atmospheres. The water was too hot and the pressure too low, so the coffee came out strong but bitter and a little burnt.
Gaggia and the crema
The breakthrough came from a Milan bar owner, Achille Gaggia. He patented a piston system in 1938, and after World War II he began selling lever machines that pushed water through the coffee at around nine atmospheres, much higher pressure than steam alone, at a lower temperature. The result was smoother, sweeter, and topped with a golden foam that customers had never seen before. Some thought it was scum. Gaggia marketed it as “caffè crema,” natural coffee cream, and it became the defining sign of a good shot.
The E61 and the modern machine
In 1961, Faema introduced the E61, designed by Ernesto Valente. An electric pump replaced the barista’s arm, a heat exchanger kept the water at the right temperature, and a heated group head kept every shot consistent. Its basic design is still the template for most espresso machines today. Meanwhile, at home, Italians made stovetop “espresso” in the Moka pot, invented by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933, which brews strong coffee but not true espresso.
In Italy, espresso is a quick ritual. You order at the counter, drink it standing at the bar in a minute or two, and leave. The price is low, and many Italians would be offended if it weren’t.
Espresso in America
Espresso arrived with Italian immigrants. Caffe Reggio in Greenwich Village, which opened in 1927, says it was the first to serve cappuccino in the U.S., and its huge 1902 espresso machine still sits in the room. For decades espresso stayed mostly in Italian-American neighborhoods. Then, in 1983, a Starbucks employee named Howard Schultz visited Milan, fell for its espresso bars, and set out to bring them to America. By the 2000s, the latte was as American as drip coffee, and third-wave cafés were dialing in single-origin espresso shots like sommeliers.
A quick guide to espresso drinks
- Espresso: about an ounce, pulled in 25 to 30 seconds.
- Ristretto: a shorter, sweeter, more concentrated shot. Lungo: a longer, more bitter one.
- Macchiato: espresso “stained” with a little milk foam.
- Cortado: espresso with an equal amount of warm milk, popular in Spain.
- Cappuccino: espresso, steamed milk, and thick foam in roughly equal parts.
- Flat white: a stronger, silkier latte from Australia and New Zealand.
- Latte: espresso with lots of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam.
- Americano: espresso topped up with hot water. The legend says it was invented for American GIs in Italy.
For a former barista’s take on dialing in espresso, how much caffeine is too much, and a coffee cocktail for a world without the Espresso Martini, listen below.
Listen to the episode
“How Much Espresso to Kill You with Patrick Dunmire” is Season 2, Episode 2 of Drinking With Robots. Rob and Ingrid talk espresso history with Patrick Dunmire of Foundation in Raleigh. Listen above, on Buzzsprout, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Drinking With Robots is sponsored by Remedy Cocktail Company, makers of handcrafted cocktail bitters.