Espresso Coffee Machines - History, Types and Features
June 8, 2008
Espresso coffee machines are used to make espresso coffee, a type of coffee beverage invented in Italy. For making espresso coffee, the coffee beans should be roasted until they turn to dark brown and become slightly greasy to touch. After that, the roasted coffee beans should be finely ground.
The history of espresso coffee machines dates back to early nineteenth century. In 1822, the first espresso machine was invented in France. More than a century later, Dr. Ernes Illy designed the first automatic espresso coffee machine in 1933. However, it was Achilles Gaggia who made innovations in the machine and invented the modern espresso machine in 1946. Gaggia’s machine was pioneer to the coffee machines that came later and it used spring lever system to produce the high pressure to make espresso coffee.
A decade later, in 1960, Faema Inc made the first pump or traditional espresso coffee machine.
Espresso coffee machines can be classified depending on the size of the machine. In fact, there are several models and you can browse our reviews of the latest espresso machines to know the extensive features and the cost details of each model.
Jura Home Espresso machine
Smaller espresso machines are suitable for domestic use in kitchens and they do not need much space and they are also easy to install and use.
- Commercial espresso coffee machines are used in restaurants cafes.
- Pump or traditional espresso machines: They use pump to pour the pressurized hot water through the coffee powder straight away into the cups.
- Steam type espresso machine is a primordial type of espresso machine that uses steam energy to make espresso coffee.
Gaggia commercial Espresso coffee machine
Krup XP 5080 Pump espresso machine
Krup 872 Steam Espresso machine - 4 cup capacity
Espresso machines have a boiler where water is heated until it becomes steam and gets high pressure which drives the hot water through the fine ground coffee. In pump espresso machines, the electrically driven pump forces the hot water into the chamber where it is blended with coffee and finally coffee is poured directly into the cups. In the smaller, domestic espresso machines, the pump is enclosed within the machine and uses a pressure levels between 10 and 20 bars.
Espresso coffee is usually thicker than filter coffee and it can be blended to make other coffee drinks like cappuccino and cafe mocha.
Here are some useful tips on buying an espresso machine that suits your needs:
Price range
When you shop around for espresso machines, you will find that price ranges allow you to choose cheap as well as expensive, high-end espresso machines. Entry level espresso machines are ideal for beginners and may not cost over 35. However, you may find some good models in the price range of 75 - 100 and they are suitable for any modern kitchen.
Pump driven or steam driven?
Pump driven machines are better option than the models that use steam. They produce better quality espresso coffee and also easy to use and maintain. However, steam type machines are relatively cheaper and can be consider if you are bound by budget concerns.
Drip tray
Make sure that you get removable drip tray with your machine. Some machines will provide a surface for keeping the cups warm and check out for this feature.
Check for Thermoblock
To get thick espresso with frothy crème on the top, the machine should be able to produce enough pressure levels for the hot water to blend with coffee. Make sure that your Espresso machine has minimum 15 bar pressure.
Check for Thermoblock
Most Espresso machines come with thermoblock that maintains the temperature levels in the machine. Typically, the milk needs to be heated to 120 C to have creamy appearance while the temperature should not exceed 90 C. So, make sure that your Espresso machine has the thermoblock feature.
Brass filter holder
Espresso machines come with filter holder made up of brass or aluminum. Brass filter holder is better option than aluminum as it conducts less heat so keeps coffee warm for longer.
Durability
Cheaper machines may have components that are less durable. For better durability, Espresso machines with components made of metal rather than plastic are preferred option.
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i have a briel coffee machine but no address to get the spare part could you you please help me
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