Who Invented The 1st Espresso Machine: The History of Coffee Shops, and How Instant Coffee is Made?

Who Invented The Espresso Machine?

You might be surprised to learn that the espresso machine has been around for quite some time too. In fact, it was invented by Angelo Moriondo in 1884. Despite this early invention, the espresso machine would not become popular until much later. The first espresso machine was used during the Turin General Exposition but did not become available for commercial sale until later.

Two men called Luigi Bezzerra and Desiderio Pavoni are responsible for bringing the first espresso machine to the world. They acquired the patented machine Moriondo had created many years ago and implemented some changes that would make it suitable for commercial use.

Many of the changes made to this first espresso machine can still be found in modern espresso machines today; this includes accessories such as the brewhead and portafilter.

Bezerra originally made the changes to the first espresso machine, but it was not finished until Pavoni purchased the patent from Bezzerra several years later. In 1903, he added more things to the design of the espresso machine, including the pressure release valve. While this invention was useful for baristas, you will rarely find it in espresso machines in most people’s houses.

Once he was done with the espresso machine, Pavoni was the one to start to market it. Shortly after his espresso machine hit the market, other Italian manufacturers aimed to bring out cheaper and better espresso machines. This is how espresso became popular throughout the world.

The History Of The Coffee Shop?

Coffee shops have an extensive history, just like coffee plants and the coffee bean itself. The first coffee houses can be traced back to the late 15th century in Mecca. While it is currently impossible to discover which was the very first coffee house, it is believed that the first one may have opened in the late 1400s.

In the early 16th century, coffee houses were extremely popular throughout Mecca. Despite their popularity, there is some historical evidence that coffee houses as well as coffee were banned between 1512 and 1524. 

A lot of political talks took place in the coffee houses in those days. Evidently, that made the ruling class very nervous, so they decided to ban coffee and coffee houses altogether, fearing it may have an influence on their regime.

The ban did not stop the spread of the coffee shop though. In 1529, a coffee house opened in Vienna. Shortly after that, a coffee house also opened in Damascus. Then, one opened in Constantinople in 1555.

In the 17th century, the coffee house started to become popular in England too. The 17 century was quite the time of discovery in England, as new ingredients such as coffee, tea, and chocolate were all introduced in the country during this time. This eventually led to the first coffee house opened its doors in England in 1652.

And the number of coffee shops increased dramatically in fifty years, as it is believed the country counted a whopping 8000 shops by the end of the 17th century.

While there is nothing better than roasted coffee, there are some other reasons why these shops were so popular. Since roasted coffee is an alcohol-free beverage, it promoted a sober lifestyle at the time.

Clean water during the 17th century was a real luxury, so most people went to pubs and taverns to drink beer and ale. Coffee was a nice change, as boiling the water killed the bacteria and did not leave consumers slightly inebriated.

As these coffee-orientated establishments became more popular among the population, they also became a meeting ground for businessmen. However, women were not allowed in these establishments.

As you may know, women’s rights at the time were pretty much non-existent. Women eventually revolted and started a petition known as “The Women’s Petition Against Coffee“.

The History Of Coffee Culture?

While the demand for coffee beans obtained by coffee plants increased dramatically with every century going by, the coffee plant only became a valuable commodity with the arrival of instant coffee manufacturers. This, in turn, led to the creation of Starbucks.

As Starbucks rang in a new era of great-tasting coffee, the focus was no longer just on the coffee plant and the coffee plantations where coffee beans came from. No, preparation, techniques, and other related things soon became increasingly important.

Nowadays, great-tasting coffee is almost a requirement. Coffee beans tell a single part of the story, as barista techniques and even machines used for roasted coffee used inside the home are vital for an excellent brew.

The History Of Instant Coffee

Instant coffee has been known under many names, including soluble coffee, coffee crystals, and even coffee powder. Like regular percolated coffee, instant coffee is derived from coffee beans. However, the grind does not have to go through a special filtration process. Consumers only need to add some warm water and their preferred amount of sugar or milk.

The first type of instant coffee can be traced back to Civil War America, where instant coffee was created for the troops under the name “Essence of Coffee”. However, the brew was not as nice and the idea was soon nixed as no soldier would willingly have it.

This would all change in 1876 when instant coffee was first created by Paterson & Sons Ltd. in Scotland. Instant coffee would not get patented until 1881. The new type of coffee was patented by Alphonse Allais in France. Another instant coffee would obtain a patent in 1890 in New Zealand and was sold under the name Strang’s coffee. 

Strang’s coffee was based on a principle called the Dry Hot-Air process. This process was an invention of a Japanese scientist called Satori Kato. Satori Kato worked in Chicago in 1901 and introduced New York to a unique powdered substance at the Pan-American Exposition.

Many businessmen had an interest in instant coffee, including a man named George Constant Louis Washington, who sold instant coffee for the first time in 1910.

There are many advantages to instant coffee. One of the main advantages is that it is extremely quick to prepare, so you don’t need to mess around with a coffee machine or worry about its maintenance. You only need to add the required amount of instant coffee and water to a cup.

Recent studies have also shown that instant coffee has a lower carbon footprint than other types of coffee. Evidently, this could be advantageous for coffee lovers who are also concerned about the environment.

It is also important to mention that instant coffee is also available in espresso form. However, instant espresso is more concentrated, so make sure to follow the instructions to the letter to get the best cup of espresso in your home.

Evidently, instant coffee can create many variations of standard coffee. With instant coffee, it is possible to create a weaker brew, but also very strong brews depending on the amount of instant coffee you add to the cup. Some cultures even mix instant coffee with milk instead of water; this often happens in Spain, Portugal in India. South Korea uses instant coffee in a different way too, as their instant coffee is automatically mixed with non-dairy creamer and sugar, which is locally referred to as a coffee mix.

Interestingly, instant coffee is not solely used to make a quick coffee drink these days. Instant coffee is needed to make a compound called Caffenol. Caffenol is actually used as a black-and-white photo developer and can be made at home.

How Is Instant Coffee Made?

Now that we have covered the background of instant coffee, it is also important to know how instant coffee is made. Basically, manufacturers will start with a green coffee bean and roast it to get premium flavor and aroma.

Once the roasting and grinding process is completed, the manufacturer has to extract both soluble and volatile content of the beans. To obtain these compounds, manufacturers will heat up water to a whopping 347 degrees Fahrenheit and then extract the compounds needed for an instant coffee drink.

One of the interesting byproducts of instant coffee production is spent coffee powder. The spent coffee powder can, fortunately, be used in other industries, as it functions as biomass. In other words, spent coffee powder can be used to generate heat during instant coffee manufacturing processes. No wonder why instant coffee can be considered more environmentally friendly than some other beverages.