The Various Forms of Espresso Coffee Machines



The espresso machine has been with us for over a hundred years and in that time, the concept of forcing nearly boiling water by means of a small quantity of finely ground coffee remains unchanged. Having said that the way the water is pressurised in espresso machines has seen its fair share of advances over the years. Nowadays you'll find 4 most important kinds of espresso coffee machine, each of which we'll have a closer look at:


Steam Driven


The first espresso machines employed steam pressure to force the hot water by means of the ground coffee. Getting no moving parts these had been uncomplicated to manufacture as well as the strategy still remains preferred today. The classic Moka-Pot espresso maker utilizes exactly the same approach as these early espresso makers, even so in this day and age they are not deemed to be bona fide espresso machines as their style is too simplistic. Having said that simplicity is in the heart of the stream driven espresso maker as this really is its beauty. The steam driven coffee maker want not be far more complex than it already is so that you can make excellent coffee each time.


Piston Driven


The Piston driven coffee machine was developed in 1945 in Italy by Achillo Gaggia, the founder of the famous Gaggia brand. The piston driven espresso maker will not rely on steam pressure to force the hot water by way of the coffee, instead the force is delivered via a hand driven piston which gives the pressure to force the hot water by means of the coffee grounds. Piston driven espresso coffee machines are by far the most 'hands on' coffee makers and are a popular device for lots of café bars and bistros as pulling a shot is often a bit like pulling a pint.


Pump Driven


In 1961 the piston driven machine was developed further and this resulted within the pump driven machine. This replaced the hand pump with and electric pump and has considering that turn out to be essentially the most well-known design in coffee bars as it delivers shots of espresso swiftly and with small effort from the barista. Given that their conception within the early sixties a further 3 variations have emerged which incorporate and separate the frothing arm by giving it a second boiler to allow two temperatures of water to be attained; boiling for the frothing arm and 90-95 degrees for the coffee to steer clear of scalding.


Air-Pump Driven


One of the most recent addition towards the espresso coffee machines family members will be the air pump machine created in 2007. This has been created to create the ideal espresso whilst on the move and if your pockets are large enough, this pocket-sized espresso maker is perfect for walking, fishing or cycling. The hot water is provided by a kettle or flask plus the pressure is supplied by a hand pump which works like a bicycle pump. This device also utilizes coffee pods rather loose ground coffee, nonetheless for such a compact espresso machine developed for coffee lover on the move, it absolutely packs a punch.