Do You Know Who Invented the Espresso Machine?

Walk into any coffee shop and, beyond the decor, the thing that catches your eye is usually the row of espresso machines, each one showing off the character of the place!

These machines come in every shape and size, yet they all work in remarkably similar ways. A few simple steps and you are rewarded with a cup of rich, crema-topped coffee. But have you ever paused mid-shot and wondered: who actually invented this thing?

Who Invented the Espresso Machine?

Before the espresso machine existed, people brewed coffee with moka pots, saucepans, and all manner of drip devices. Without exception, every one of those methods demanded a long wait. Someone was always going to tire of it, and Mr. Angelo Moriondo of Italy was one such man. He set about dedicated research, proposed the concept of a coffee machine, and unveiled the machine itself at the World Expo held in Italy in 1884!

This machine featured primary and secondary boilers -- the main boiler for producing hot water and the secondary boiler for generating steam. When someone wanted a coffee, steam from the secondary boiler forced the hot water from the main boiler through the coffee grounds to complete the extraction. At this stage it was not quite an espresso machine, but its arrival held epoch-making significance for coffee culture worldwide.

Mr. Moriondo built this first coffee machine, but he only applied for a patent on a "steam-operated device for quickly making coffee" and never put it into commercial production. Still, it is worth noting that this was the fastest coffee-making device of its time.

Fast forward to 1901, when a mechanic from Milan improved the original design, making it far more suitable for widespread public use, and applied for a patent on a commercial coffee machine. Four years after the application, in 1905, Desiderio Pavoni of La Pavoni Company bought the patent and improved it, adding brewing groups. Thus the world's first espresso machine was born!

Because the earlier machine only produced black coffee rather than espresso, that first design can only be considered the world's first coffee machine, while this one was truly the world's first espresso machine.

The Evolution of Espresso Machines

The machines we commonly see today are mostly box-shaped, but La Pavoni's first-generation espresso machine looked nothing like that -- it actually resembled a fire hydrant. It used a 140°C high-temperature brewing group and 1.5 bar extraction pressure, letting coffee be extracted within 45 seconds! As for how the coffee tasted, it would inevitably have been inferior to today's. After all, besides the relatively backward technology, the beans of that era were nothing like today's refined ones, so there is no real comparison to make. Nevertheless, its arrival led to the term "espresso" entering Italian dictionaries in the early 20th century, annotated as "concentrated coffee made using pressurized machines or filters!"

The Path to Modern Espresso Machines

The reason our modern machines can hit 9 bar is thanks to a Milanese barista in 1947. (Baristas back then really were more competitive -- they had to know not only how to make coffee, but how to build the machines too!) He invented the piston manual lever coffee machine, which allowed greater pressure to draw out more of the coffee's flavor while also producing a larger volume of golden crema.

That patent was also acquired, this time by a company called Faema. Using the technology, they launched the "Faema E61" in 1961, and it won worldwide acclaim. The machine employed a water pump to raise pressure to 9 bar and performed very steadily in both water temperature and extraction. On release it became a phenomenon and made its name overnight, and many modern semi-automatic machines are still researched and upgraded from its blueprint. It is no exaggeration to call it the father of semi-automatic espresso machines.

Modern Coffee Machine Diversity

Gradually the market grew richer, with all sorts of novel machines and their different strengths dazzling consumers -- even compact home units that let friends enjoy a rich espresso at home. Speaking of which, FrontStreet Coffee is going to turn around and pull themselves a cup, finally satisfying a craving that has been lingering for a while.

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FrontStreet Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Owning a machine is one thing; feeding it the right beans is another. FrontStreet's Classic Blend is built for exactly this job: a traditional Mamba-style recipe combining Indonesian Mandheling, Brazilian red bourbon, and washed Vietnam. It is low in acidity yet full-bodied, with a rich, fine crema and a warm, rounded profile that flatters both a home machine and a moka pot, and it is the easy first choice for a new setup.

If you would rather run a single-origin bean through your machine, FrontStreet's PWN Indonesia Golden Mandheling is a deep-roasted Sulawesi classic: very low acidity, a long, thick body, and layered herbal and dark chocolate aromas with a faint earthy note underneath. It suits drinkers who like a bold cup and shy away from acidity.

And for a blend that keeps every day affordable, FrontStreet's Black Cocoa Base Blend uses 100% arabica for a generous crema, a full body, and a gentle price -- quality and value in one bag.