In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, two Italian inventors, Angelo Moriondo and Luigi Bezzera, independently pioneered the invention of the espresso machine, and it changed the way people consumed coffee globally.
The Problem with Patience
Coffee was very much in vogue in Italy during the late 19th century, but it was a slow brew. It took anywhere from several minutes to make one cup and was a huge hurdle for the busy bars and cafes, particularly during peak hours. Moriondo, whose entrepreneurial family had on their resume the Grand-Hotel Ligure and the American Bar in Turin, noticed a business opportunity. He realized that if he could somehow make coffee quicker, he would be able to have more customers and compete. This necessity for efficiency prompted him to come up with his invention.
The Genesis of the Espresso Machine
Moriondo’s invention was a groundbreaking break from what had come before. His machine was a giant, steam-powered apparatus that consisted of a boiler to propel hot water through a bed of coffee grounds and a second boiler to produce steam to finish the process. On May 16, 1884, he was granted a six-year patent for his “New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage, method ‘A. Moriondo’.”
The device was displayed at the General Expo of Turin in 1884 and was awarded a bronze medal. Unlike later espresso machines, which made a single serving, Moriondo’s machine was a bulk brewer, and it was able to fill multiple cups at once.
While Moriondo’s invention was the start, Luigi Bezzera, a Milanese producer, significantly developed the espresso machine in 1901. Bezzera updated Moriondo’s concept using the inclusion of some significant inventions that had made the espresso machine more convenient and effective.He patented a single-shot espresso machine that included a portafilter, multiple brewing groups, and a steam wand. Bezzera’s design allowed for single servings of coffee to be made with speed , and the portafilter addition ensured that ground coffee was easily loaded and unloaded, thus making it far quicker. The steam wand was a necessary addition, enabling baristas to froth milk for popular coffee beverages like cappuccinos and lattes.
But Bezzera, like Moriondo, had limited scope for commercializing his invention on a large scale. It was another businessman, Desiderio Pavoni, who was impressed by the commercial appeal of Bezzera’s patents and bought them in 1903. Pavoni then went about creating and mass-producing Bezzera’s design, leading to the “Ideale” machine, which proved a commercial hit at the Milan Fair in 1906 and actually brought espresso into the mainstream.
A Legacy of Innovation, Not Commercialization????
Despite personal contribution, neither Bezzera nor Moriondo commodified the commercial potential of their inventions. Moriondo only deemed it fit to build a few by hand machines for his own companies, believing that they were an effective advertisement for his companies. Bezzera, while more interested in production, saw his innovations popularized by Pavoni.
But their combined efforts mark a milestone in the history of coffee. Moriondo’s early concept for rapid brewing of coffee and Bezzera’s single-shot brewing advancements and the ability to generate steam gave the world the foundation it needed for the global craze of espresso. They were true pioneers who solved one of the largest problems in the service of coffee and began a series of developments which revolutionized the consumption of coffee forever.
