National Espresso Day: Espresso History

Over 200 years ago, Scotsman Sir James MacKintosh said, “The powers of a man’s mind are directly proportional to the quantity of coffee he drinks.” Many of us would agree with this statement and start our day with a favorite coffee drink. These days, Lattes, macchiatos, and cappuccinos are all very popular choices. However, none of these drinks would be possible without espresso, and espressos would not be possible without espresso machines. Unless you are a coffee enthusiast, espresso brands’ names are not likely to be top of mind.

Espresso is a method of making coffee in which a small amount of nearly boiling water is forced under pressure (expressed) through finely-ground coffee beans. The first espresso machine was patented in 1884 by Italian Angelo Moriando. The design was improved upon by Luigi Bezzera, from Milano. Desiderio Pavoni bought Bezzera’s patent in 1903 and started to produce espresso machines in 1905, founding “La Pavoni” company, becoming the first espresso brand. La Pavoni continues to manufacture espresso machines to this day.

La Pavoni is not the only long established brand when it comes to espresso machines. Here is a list of leading espresso machine companies that are over a fifty years old: La Pavoni, La Victoria Arduino, Bezzera, La San Marco, La Cimbali, Rancilio, La Marzocco, La Carimali, Gaggia, Faema, Nuova Simonelli, Elektra, La Spaziale, Astoria, Vibiemme.

Here are some advertisements for espresso machines over the years.