The History of Espresso Coffee Makers

Espresso coffee makers came out of man's need for a faster cup of coffee. Not only did espresso machines produce more coffee faster, they produced a better cup of coffee. The first machines had a few kinks to be worked out but coffee maker inventors didn't let little issues deter them.

Who made the first espresso coffee machine? The answer depends on which records you read. According to some records, Louis Bernard Babaut created the first known espresso coffee maker in 1822 with Edward Santais commercializing and marketing the machine in 1843. It debuted at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1855.Image by tonx via Flickr

Records say the coffee maker produced one thousand cups of espresso in an hour, using steam to push water through coffee held in a filter. New inventions often carry risk and this espresso coffee maker was no exception. It tended to blow up from time to time. It also had a tendency to occasionally burn the coffee.

The original espresso coffee makers weren't easy to use. Operating them involved some degree of skill and left plenty of room for diversity. The operator controlled the intensity of the heat and the length of time the water valve remained open. Users could put in less coffee grounds and get stronger coffee or use more water and get a diluted result.

Other records credit Luigi Bezzera, a manufacturer, with the invention of Espresso in 1903. Bezzera wanted to make coffee faster. He added pressure to the process and 'voila' the birth of the Fast Coffee Machine. The machine made coffee faster and better than other available methods. Bezzera invented a machine that used the pressure of steam to push water through a fixed filter containing coffee.

While skilled in inventing, Bezzera lacked marketing ability to promote his creation. In 1905, the rights to the espresso machine were purchased by Desidero Pavoni and successfully marketed the invention, changing the way everyone drank coffee. Pavoni sold the coffee makers throughout Europe.

Franceso Illy created what some believe to be the first automatic espresso coffee maker . Invented in 1935, the Illeta used compressed air instead of steam for his machine. This solved the problem of exploding espresso coffee makers and resulted in a more stable result.

Achille's Gaggia invented the espresso coffee maker that bears his name in 1945. His invention used lever action.Modern versions of both Illetta and Gaggia espresso coffee makers are available today.Ernest Valente created an electric rotating pump in 1950. The pump allowed a continuous, even flow of water through the coffee maker.

Illy, still producing espresso, went on to simplify the espresso coffee maker process even more in the 1970's when he introduced a machine that combined the best parts of previous espresso coffee maker methods. His machine used double filters, cost less than other coffee makers and was simple to use.

In the 70's, super automatic espresso coffee makers were born. They are now the norm in many countries. The machines continue to evolve. Debate over which methods and which machines produce the best espresso will continue as long as people continue to enjoy their cup of Joe.

Colombian Coffee Bean

Consider the lowly Colombian coffee bean, it is quite small, and grown in a poor country. But even with such humble beginnings, it gets brewed into a hot liquid that everyone including kings, and heads of state enjoy. If there ever was an important plant, that meant a lot to every one around the world, the Colombian coffee plant is one. Millions of people around the world, especially in the west, depend on their coffee to get them going in the morning. There are as many ways to make coffee, as there are ways to enjoy it, from iced mocha's, to coffee cakes, and hot coffee with cream. Let's take a look at the history of Colombian coffee bean, how it is harvested, and how it is imported.Image via Wikipedia

In the nineteenth century, Colombia discovered the coffee bean, and they started growing it to export it in 1836. Coffee that comes from Colombia is also known as Colombian Mild, and is grown on certain types of the Coffea arabica plant. These plants have large white flowers, and equally large green leaves. Certain regions of Colombia, such as the regions of Norte de Santander, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, Tolima, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio, and Cundinamarca, are designated as the Protected Designations of Origins. These are protected areas, that the government has designated for planting, and harvesting coffee. Most of the coffee is grown in the regions of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindo, making this area known as the Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis. Most of the Colombian coffee beans grown, actually over seventy percent, will be exported to other countries. Such countries are The United States, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, and Japan. This covers our lesson on where the Colombian coffee bean grows, now on to how it is harvested.

Colombian coffee beans harvesters, work in the coffee fields, pick the little berries that grow on the coffee plants. They then put the cofee berries in bags, made out of a natural fiber called fique. Then the little berries are taken to the pulp machine, and the resulting coffee beans are left in containers for twenty four hours. After this the beans are washed, and left in the sun to dry, and the harvesters take special care of the beans, even covering them in the rain. This simple step helps to differentiate Colombian coffee, from other countries that do not wash theirs. The next step in the Colombian coffee beans journey from the fields, to our tables, is the way it is roasted.

Colombian coffee beans, are roasted in a special gas oven, for around ten to twenty minutes, at temperatures ranging from four hundred degrees, to four hundred twenty five. Different names are given to the color, and taste of the coffee beans, such as the popular french roast. The beans are roasted to a dark brown, almost black, and the taste is slightly bitter. So the next time you are having your favorite cup of coffee, think of the journey that the Colombian coffee beans have taken.

The Flavors And Aroma Of Canned Coffee

Canned Coffee Roots

Coffee is an important beverage which most of us generally must have each break of day in order to wake up to the real world from the impulse of night dreams to work normally for the day. Each one of us have his/her own unique way that they take pleasure in their morning coffee, while some cannot even open their eyes before the coffee aromas hit their nostrils and they grab on to their canned coffee to make a cup, others manage by taking one on their way to work.

It is very much easier said than done to linger on an article where presentation is key to good reading and that is what we have tried to do with this article about canned coffee.

A Brief History of Coffee

The source of coffee is believed to be in Ethiopia dating as far back as the 9th century. The magical drink rapidly became more and more popular and passed through Egypt to Europe and the rest of the world.

Many countries have made a ceremony out of drinking coffee such as Turkey where the word coffee in the beginning meant wine and was considered as an intoxicating drink. Europe soon revealed that the strength of coffee was in its taste and aroma alike and opened many coffee houses where artists and intellectuals would get together over a cup of this wonderful drink.
Coffee gained status and praise over the centuries and nowadays there is not one place in the world where they don't serve a cup of coffee.

Coffee Types

There are an enormous number of coffee beans and types but they all are supposed to derive from two major mother plants which are: Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora. The latter is believed to hold more caffeine by about 50% than its sister plant. Both coffee plants come from Ethiopia and in our day they are planted all over the world generating many diverse variety of beans, flavors and aromas through the blend of beans and different soil.

To begin with the coffee was named after the port that they were shipped from such as Mocha, Yemen and Java. These days all that has changed and detailed information can be found about the coffee on the package such as its origin, blend, caffeine content and so on.

Your Daily Dose Of Coffee

Coffee makes its way into our homes from all over the world and lives daily in jars as granulated version, in vacuum packs as fresh ground and prepared to drink as canned coffee. If you ask me, (a coffee addict) I will always recommend fresh ground coffee as the version every single time. Still, I will have to see eye to eye that instant and canned coffee has come a long, long way.

Famous companies such as Starbucks have even corrupted me to get canned coffee in summer time. I was a disbeliever at first because I was fearful the taste and aroma would be lost in the process and, honestly, what a coffee without its aroma is, but I was proved wrong. Some canned coffee retains both its taste and aroma in wonderful harmony providing an outstanding cold coffee beverage on a hot summer day for those of us coffee addicts.

So, try with confidence a canned coffee today and you may get pleasurably astonished to find yourself really enjoying it. Don't blame me for providing yet a new way to have great tasting coffee even when you are away from your espresso machine. This is the conclusion of this commentary about canned coffee. The hope is that the information made available here would be of assistance to you.