Coffee and coffee drinks are a booming retail area. Espresso, one of the most popular coffee drinks, has a long and winding history. First, “cafe espresso,” did not refer to the drink. The term has been around since the 1880’s and means coffee made to order. Cafe espresso also means coffee fresh in every sense of the word: made from fresh beans roasted at most two weeks prior to use, ground just before brewing and brewed just before drinking.
Advances in technology led to the invention of espresso, the drink. Manufacturers tried to use steam to brew coffee, but it made the coffee taste terrible. Luigi Bezzera invented the first espresso machine in 1905. He made a steam powered coffee machine, where the steam did not come in contact with the coffee. The machine used steam pressure at the top of the boiler, to force water at the bottom through ground coffee. Since the water was pressurized, the coffee could be ground finer than in a regular coffeepot. The brewing cycle was cut from four minutes to 30 seconds. The espresso machine became the standard for making coffee in Italy, southern France, Spain and Latin America. Italian immigrants took the machine with them wherever they settled. The same technology is used today. Texans can find the Best Espresso Machine in Dallas at Espresso RMI, Inc.
Modern espresso is brewed at eight to nine bar pressure between ninety to ninety-six degrees celsius. The drink is served in a small cup and there should be a little foam on the top. According to legend, the first people who drank espresso thought it was dirty because of the foam. Shoppers looking for the Best Espresso Machine in Dallas will be amazed by the advances. Fully-automated espresso machines grind and brew a cup with one push of a button. In addition, digital machines are available that allow for more precise brewing temperature and pressure. Some of the newer espresso machines run as high as five thousand dollars. It is hard to believe that espresso started out as a way to order coffee, and evolved into a popular drink.
