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This coffee machine was first invented by Angelo Moriondo in order to speed up the coffee brewing process. It utilized pressurized steam to push water through coffee grounds in order to quickly brew coffee. However, it was only made in bulk. -
Moriondo's machine was updated and patented by Luigi Bezzera, who worked with Desiderio Pavoni to sell them to the public. It used boilers to send heated water through portafilters holding coffee grounds. This machine could produce one cup of coffee at a time, but the method didn't use enough pressure to get a good taste. -
Achille Gaggia developed a spring lever that got rid of the need for a giant boiler, increased efficiency, and increased pressure. The use of steam would still send water into a cylinder, but baristas would now pull a spring-piston lever. This would force the water through the coffee at a much higher pressure, resulting in faster brewing speed and better tasting coffee. -
In order to reduce the workload of the barista, Ernesto Valente replaced the levers with the first electric pump that could customize the amount of pressure desired. The new heat exchange system drew water from the tap via pump and heated in water lines connecting to the boiler. The Faema E61, as it was called, was revolutionary in its new modern advancements. This was the first semi-automatic espresso machine. -
Previously, the amount of water used to pull a shot and the stop of the flow was done manually by the barista, but this could result in inconsistent shots. In order to automate this process, flow meters were added. They utilized pistons to control the amount of water flowing through the chamber and stop the flow of the water after the set amount moves a pin attached to the piston. The Faema E66 was the first espresso machine to do this. -
Guiseppe Bambi, one of the founders of La Marzocco, realized there were problems with temperature consistency when it came to the heat exchange system in the E61. He then developed 2 separate and smaller boilers; one for brewing the coffee, and one for steaming the milk. This helped control each temperature individually and keep the coffee from burning. -
Throughout the 90's and 2000's, super automatic espresso machines made a debut. Jura and Saeco, two espresso machine companies, started the trend. It can pretty much make any drink at the touch of a button, eliminating the need for manual work. However, the steep price and maintenance of this machine kept these espresso machines from taking the jobs of baristas worldwide. -
The first design of the flow meter was built just outside of the group head, which resulted in longer tubing and loss of heat when the water passed through. Piero Bambi, a leader at La Marzocco, developed what became known as the "Piero Group Cap" which was a flow meter built attached on top of the machine's group head. This further increased accuracy in temperature and volume of water used.