Espresso Makers: Italian Machines Are The Best

By Mark Knowles

Thanks to the commercialized coffee industry espresso has become of of the worlds most popular coffee based drinks. Espresso coffee makers can be found in coffee houses as well as the average persons home these days and there are many options available.

The espresso coffee machine was first invented in 1901 and since then there have been many versions to hit the market. Common mechanisms on an espresso machine include the portafilter which use a metal basket to hold the coffee grounds and a steam wand which can be used to froth and steam milk for drinks when needed.

There are several variations of the espresso coffee maker as discussed below. Each have their own pros and cons and the usage is dependent upon what each person prefers.

Piston: The founder of the espresso coffee maker maker Gaggia, Achille Gaggia, invented a piston driven version in Italy around 1945. Gaggia's version uses a handle and manual pumping action to push the heated water through the coffee grounds. The commonly used term, "pulling a shot", derives from the usage of this coffee machine because of the need to pull the handle several times to complete the task. There are two different styles of the piston espresso machines. The manual version which works by the operator pushing the water through by way of the handle alone and the spring driven version that uses a tensioned spring to build up the pressure.

Pump: Pump style espresso coffee machines work off of a motorized pump. This pumps builds the force needed to brew the drink properly. This is the type of machine you will see most often in coffee shops because it gets the job done quickly. Commercial styles are hooked in to the buildings plumbing making them ideal for business use while cheaper versions that are normally used at home come with a built in water reservoir.

Steam: Steam driven machines work just the way the sound. Water is forced through the coffee using steam pressure. The very first espresso coffee machines were steam powered and is still used today in low end coffee machines used in homes. They are still used because of the cheap manufacturing cost and lack of need for moving parts.

Air Pressure: Air pressure espresso coffee machines are more commonly known as Handpresso coffee machines. This name comes from the creater, Nielsen Innovation, who invented the product in 2006. It met fame in 2007 when it was first introduced in stores.

As you can see, when shopping for espresso makers, you have many options to choose from. What you choose is mainly based on the application for which you will be using the product since some types work better in a business setting and others are targeted for home use. Prices vary greatly for each type and are dependent upon the brand and other factors. All create a great tasting cup of coffee though. - 30289

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