Home Espresso Then & Now
Home espresso equipment is exploding onto the home gadget market in ever skyrocketing numbers and designs with ever more affordable prices, but what is the true definition and roots of espresso coffee and what are the crucial factors in a great home espresso ?
Cafe espresso or just, espresso, as it is now commonly known, is a concentrated coffee drink brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.
The term cafe-espress was first coined in the late 1880s, long before espresso machines were invented and simply means coffee made to order, expressly for the person ordering it.
The first espresso coffee machines were introduced in the early 20th Century, and the first patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901. However these early machines used steam pressure not water to brew the coffee and it wasn't changed until the mid-1940s, when the design was updated to the piston lever home espresso machine.
Thanks to the pressurised water involved in the brewing process, the flavours and chemicals in a good espresso become extremely concentrated. Because of this, espresso is employed as a base for other coffees like latte, cappuccino, mocha and macchiato.
The main differences between a good espresso and either drip or coffee from other brewing processes are a thicker consistency, more dissolved solids and crema, a brownish foam that floats on the surface of the coffee which is a mixture of oils, proteins and sugars.
Even though it clearly relies on the individual coffee beans used and the maker or barista, as a rough guide there is customarily two to three times the quantity of caffeine in an espresso than in the same amount of drip brewed coffee. An expert operator of an espresso machine is a barista, the Italian word for a barman.
Home espresso machines have surged in popularity with the general rise of interest in espresso, largely since the 1990's and the huge upsurge in the number of coffee houses and chains in every street & mall.
We are presently experiencing a new wave of invention as the electronics industry turns it's attentions to home espresso machines and we will now find a large range of espresso equipment in consultant kitchen and appliance stores, online vendors and shops.
Many are fully automatic, press button home espresso machines which both grind and brew a fresh cup with only one touch. They generally make a much better espresso than badly trained people, but not as good as the top trained baristas.
It could be that the success of the large coffee chains in educating the masses in the joys of espresso will be their downfall as more people now enjoy their espresso at home.
Cafe espresso or just, espresso, as it is now commonly known, is a concentrated coffee drink brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.
The term cafe-espress was first coined in the late 1880s, long before espresso machines were invented and simply means coffee made to order, expressly for the person ordering it.
The first espresso coffee machines were introduced in the early 20th Century, and the first patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901. However these early machines used steam pressure not water to brew the coffee and it wasn't changed until the mid-1940s, when the design was updated to the piston lever home espresso machine.
Thanks to the pressurised water involved in the brewing process, the flavours and chemicals in a good espresso become extremely concentrated. Because of this, espresso is employed as a base for other coffees like latte, cappuccino, mocha and macchiato.
The main differences between a good espresso and either drip or coffee from other brewing processes are a thicker consistency, more dissolved solids and crema, a brownish foam that floats on the surface of the coffee which is a mixture of oils, proteins and sugars.
Even though it clearly relies on the individual coffee beans used and the maker or barista, as a rough guide there is customarily two to three times the quantity of caffeine in an espresso than in the same amount of drip brewed coffee. An expert operator of an espresso machine is a barista, the Italian word for a barman.
Home espresso machines have surged in popularity with the general rise of interest in espresso, largely since the 1990's and the huge upsurge in the number of coffee houses and chains in every street & mall.
We are presently experiencing a new wave of invention as the electronics industry turns it's attentions to home espresso machines and we will now find a large range of espresso equipment in consultant kitchen and appliance stores, online vendors and shops.
Many are fully automatic, press button home espresso machines which both grind and brew a fresh cup with only one touch. They generally make a much better espresso than badly trained people, but not as good as the top trained baristas.
It could be that the success of the large coffee chains in educating the masses in the joys of espresso will be their downfall as more people now enjoy their espresso at home.
About the Author:
As a coffee connoisseur, Daniel Markovic has traveled the globe in search of the perfect coffee. Nowadays, he spends many hours with his home espresso coffee machine testing a wide variety of coffee blends. For more information on equipment you can visit his blog in it's quest for the perfect home espresso.
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