The Espresso Machine: History, Technology and the Road to Crema

Few devices have shaped coffee culture as much as the espresso machine. It stands gleaming behind every counter, hissing and steaming – and turns ground beans into a small, intense drink with a golden crown in a matter of seconds. Yet behind that familiar image lies a surprisingly young history, full of inventors, impatience and one decisive moment in 1948.

This text tells how the espresso machine came about, how it works and what, in the end, makes a good espresso.

How it all began: steam and impatience

Espresso is a child of haste – and the name gives it away. "Espresso" means something like "made expressly and quickly for you". At the end of the 19th century, people no longer wanted to brew coffee for minutes on end, but cup by cup, to order.

An early pioneer was Angelo Moriondo, who patented a steam-driven machine in Turin in 1884. It still prepared coffee in larger quantities, though, not individually. But the idea was born: drive hot water through the coffee grounds with pressure, instead of letting it merely drip through.

Bezzera and Pavoni: the espresso is born

The next step was taken by the Milanese Luigi Bezzera. In 1901 he registered a machine that prepared coffee cup by cup – with so-called brewing groups where the portafilter locks in. The espresso as we know it began to take shape.

The invention became a business through Desiderio Pavoni, who acquired Bezzera's patent and marketed the machine from 1905 under the name "La Pavoni". Its triumph began in the cafés of Italy. But these early machines worked with steam pressure alone – about one and a half to two bar. That was enough to brew quickly, but often led to bitter, over-extracted coffee. Something crucial was still missing.

The revolution of 1948: Gaggia and the crema

That something was delivered by Achille Gaggia. He had patented a steam-free system back in 1938 and the spring-driven piston lever in 1947; in 1948 he launched the commercial machine in Milan. Instead of steam, a piston now pressed hot water through the grounds at much higher pressure – around nine bar.

The result was a small sensation: a golden-brown layer of foam on the coffee that hadn't been there before. The crema was born. Gaggia even marketed it at first as "crema caffè naturale", a natural coffee cream, and made it the sign of a properly pulled espresso. From this era comes the phrase "to pull" an espresso – you literally pulled the lever.

The modern machine: Faema E61 and the pump

The last great leap came in 1961 with the Faema E61. It replaced the hand lever with a motor-driven pump that delivered a constant nine bar – independent of the barista's strength. On top of that, a clever system kept the water at the ideal temperature.

The E61 became the model for countless machines to this day. By the way: its name alludes to the total solar eclipse of 1961. Since then the technology has been refined – with precise temperature control and pressure profiling – but the basic principle of 1948 has remained.

From ristretto to lungo: the espresso family

From the same espresso you can pull different drinks – depending on the amount of water and time. A ristretto ("restricted") runs shorter, with less water: more intense and often sweeter. A lungo ("long") runs with more water and becomes larger – due to the greater extraction, though, not necessarily milder. And a doppio is simply a double espresso, the base for most milk drinks.

From here it's only a small step to the Viennese classics: the Verlängerter, for instance, is essentially an espresso stretched with water. If you want to meet the whole family, you'll find it in our overview of the Viennese coffee specialties.

What makes a good espresso

Impressive as the technology is, the machine alone doesn't make a good espresso. It comes down to the interplay. As rules of thumb, around nine bar of pressure, a temperature near 90 °C and an extraction time of about 25 to 30 seconds produce a small, concentrated sip.

Just as important are the things beforehand: freshly roasted beans, a suitable, fresh grind and the right dose. And finally the person at the machine, who tunes all of it to each other. A good espresso machine is a tool – the quality is created in the hands that guide it.

Espresso at our place

At MORGEN in the 4th district, the espresso is the foundation for much of what we do: for the Melange in the morning, the flat white with breakfast, the small black one in between. We see the machine for what it is – a precise piece of craft in the service of good beans.

How this new care connects with the Viennese tradition is in our piece on specialty coffee in Vienna and in our overview of Viennese coffee house culture. And what's in our cup right now is on our menu.