Vinabarista

One of the earliest patents that included most of the features of the “basic” espresso machine was the German patent of Gustav Kessel in 1878

Angelo Moriondo of Turin patented the same type machine in 1885 for bulk brewing of approximately fifty cups at a time. It took a specially trained barman / engineer to operate these complicated machines. The boiler had to be regulated by hand to prevent over-pressure that could result in an explosion.

In 1901 Luigi Bezzera of Milan patented a number of improvements to the existing machine, notably the addition of a single-cup portafilte 

In 1905 the patent was bought by Desiderio Pavoni who founded the “La Pavoni” company and began to produce the machine commercially (one a day) in a small workshop in Via Parini in Milan.

In 1912 Giuseppe Cimbali, a coppersmith from Milan patented the modern style heat exchanger submerged in the boiler water and went on to build his own machines.

In 1938, M. Cremonesi, a technician at a coffee-grinding factory in Milan developed a hand crank, spiral cam operated piston pump for espresso machine groups that forced the hot water through the coffee in the portafilter. His device was an after market accessory he sold to existing machine users and manufacturers. The piston pump eliminated the burnt taste that occurred in the long extraction by boiling hot water used in the Pavoni machines.

In 1945, Gaggia re-commenced experiments, making new modifications in operating the piston and in 1946, after an agreement with Cremonesi’s widow, Signora Rosetta Scorza, his “lever group” was ready. This system took hot water from the pressure boiler, forcing it through the filter containing the coffee by means of the spring-loaded piston creating a pressure of ten atmospheres. (135 psi)

Until then boiling water from the tank was forced through the portafilter at the much lower boiler pressure which required the ground coffee to be much coarser for the water to flow through it. The high temperature of the water and the slow flow rate left a bitter over-extracted taste to the brew and no crema on the surface. At last, with this new innovation, coffee no longer had a burnt, over extracted taste, and it was very creamy as well. This led to the era of “Crema Caffe”, Espresso with a layer of coffee foam on its surface.

In 1955 Giampietro Saccani of Lecco patented a hot water circulation system from the boiler through the group to keep it warm when not in use. It is standard on all machines today.

In the meantime, Ernesto Carlo Valente’s, Milanese company F.A.E.M.A., studied the existing coffee-machine types and near the close of the fifties perfected a new model. It revolutionized the machine and spurred the industry. A high-pressure, electrically driven pump was used to force the hot water, held constantly at a temperature of about 950C, directly through the coffee. “See Procon”

In 1960 the Faema Company launched the famous “E61”, also known as the “distribution” machine.