Why Espresso Matters a Latte

To understand the significance of espresso, it is imperative to understand its origins and history. Before the espresso machine, coffee was not able to be brewed nearly as fast (Stamp). This need for quicker coffee is what sparked the creation of the espresso machine. The true beginning of the creation of espresso was in Italy in the late nineteenth century when Angelo Moriondo created a machine that could make coffee using both water and steam (Faraj). This machine was improved upon by others to produce a single serving of coffee, or espresso. Luigi Bezzera worked to improve Moriondo’s machine so that it could serve strong coffee quickly. Though he added significant improvements, there was still much work to be done (Stamp). Desiderio Pavoni bought the patent and made additions such as the steam wand and a pressure valve. When he presented this machine at the Milan Fair in 1906, he used the term “espresso” in the name (Faraj). Achille Gaggia was the man responsible for creating the machine which made modern espresso. This was done with the addition of a spring-piston lever which significantly increased the water pressure coming from the machine. Ernesto Valente surpassed Gaggia’s machine in the 1960s with a motorized pump and other improvements, leading to the modern espresso machine (Stamp).

Espresso changed the way people view coffee. It went from being something cheap and quick to being something luxurious (Morris). We see how espresso took over Europe in an “espresso revolution.” A lot of these regions such as Scandinavia began to adopt the Italian coffee style in the mid 1900s (Morris). Around this time, espresso also arrived in America.

Overall, espresso and coffee shops make me think about how they foster connection. Coffee dates and coffee chats are ways in which people meet each other for the very first time. Cafes are meant to be a place full of noise and conversation and that is a way in which espresso has had cultural impacts. When I go to a cafe with a person, I enjoy listening to them talk while also hearing the whirring of the espresso machines and the milk steamers. I love the warmth in the air and the rich, pungent smell of the coffee beans that grabs you right as you enter. I appreciate the company of strangers caught up in their own conversations. This culture was made possible through the popularization of espresso and that is why I am grateful that food knows no bounds. It is fascinating to see the ways in which a coffee machine from Italy could create a subculture of food and connection all the way here in America.