4) Espresso Technology

A good espresso is a sublime experience: rich, sweet, and wonderfully caffeinated. But, who woke up one morning and thought to themselves, ‘I’m going to build a contraption that forces a tiny amount of super hot water with incredible pressure through a bed of very finely ground coffee’?Well, the fact is, the first “espresso” machine built 150 years ago was awful in almost every way. Worst of all, if you gave that coffee to anybody on the street, nobody would say it’s even an espresso!But, over the decades, problems begat solutions that begat more problems that culminated in espresso machines like Eversys that produce gorgeous espressos at just the push of a button. And it’s got me wondering: what is the perfect espresso machine? How far can we go?But, before clicking play, be warned: this story gets explosive and bloody!-------Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram storyWrite a review on Apple PodcastsLeave a 5 star rating on Spotify Learn more about how Eversys espresso machines (this episode’s sponsor) produce high quality espressosListen to my A History of Coffee podcast series with Prof. Jonathan MorrisWant to listen to more documentary podcasts about coffee? Check out my other podcast, Filter StoriesPictures of the espresso machines featured in this episodeAngelo Moriondo (1884, “Big water boiler with gnarly bits”)La Pavoni Ideale (1905, "Fire hydrant")Gaggia Tipo Classica (1947, “Lever”)Faema E61 (1961, “Retro 60s toaster”)Eversys (2022, “push button”)Want to go deeper into espresso machine technology? Coffee Technician Guild’s Educational CoursesBarista Hustle’s The Espresso Machine courseRead Prof. Jonathan Morris’ book ‘Coffee: A Global History’Do your own coffee museum tour in Italy!MUMAC (Milan)Rancilio Officina 1926 (Milan)Accademia del Caffè Espresso (Florence)Connect with my very knowledgeable guestsJonathan Morris - InstagramHylan Joseph - LinkedInGiorgio Rancilio -