Every wonder how an espresso machine works and who came up with the idea?
The first espresso machine goes all the way back to 1822 when it was invented in France (not Italy). The first patent for an espresso machine was filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy in 1901, however the first automatic model was perfected in Italy in 1933 by Dr. Ernest Illy, and it was called the Illeta.
The first modern style espresso maker was created by another Italian – Achilles Gaggia in 1946, who came up with the idea of a high pressure machine that used a spring powered lever system. It wasn’t until 1960 that the first pump driven espresso machines were developed by the Faema Company.
The idea behind espresso is straightforward. It is simply a highly concentrated form of coffee created by forcing pressurized hot water through extra-finely ground coffee beans. It has a higher concentration of dissolved solids and a thicker consistency than regular coffee – and a higher concentration of caffeine. It also has crema, or foam that rises to the top. This is not to be confused with the milk froth of cappuccino.
Espresso is the national beverage of Italy.
The appeal of espresso comes from its unique brewing process. Pressurized brewing concentrates the flavors one would expect to get from a normal cup of coffee, giving the drink a special “kick”. This concentrated coffee taste also provided the inspiration for all of the various espresso-based drinks, such as cappuccino, latte, mochas and macchiato.
So you see, the Delonghi 3300
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