Video: The History of Espresso Machines (quickly summarized)
From the first espresso machines to today, the “recipe” for how they do their magic has been a combination of temperature, pressure, and water flow rate over time. In this video, we use the Decent to show you the “recipe inside the machine” from famous and important machines from espresso's past.
This is a deliberately simplified, whirlwind tour of the history of espresso machines, from my perspective. I show photos of important machines from history, that were typical of that stage.
My version of espresso's history is overwhelming about Lever machines, a brief E61 mention, pressure profilers like the Bianca and Rocket R9, and then Slayer, who were the first to suggest a radically different view on espresso extraction, finally addressing the different needs of light roasts.
Many thanks to Claudio and Simone of The Lever https://thelevermag.com/ magazine, who greatly aided me through lever machine history in the making of this video. I'm currently working with them on an article-length version of this historical view for their magazine, which I really wish were called “Be-Lever magazine”.
-john
AI Summary & Highlights
This video provides a brief history of espresso machines, highlighting key innovations:
- E61 Machine (1961): Introduced a stable 9-bar pressure system, later modified with pre-infusion.
- Lever Machines (Pre-E61): Used decreasing pressure during extraction, with early models reaching only ~6 bars, later improving to 9-10 bars with dual springs for pressure control.
- Pressure Profiling Machines: Allowed for real-time control of peak pressure, with 6-8 bar options becoming standard.
- Slayer Innovation: Introduced slow pre-infusion (~1ml/sec) for more saturation before full 9-bar extraction.
- Lever Machines vs. Modern Profiling: Lever machines naturally decline in pressure, similar to profiling machines, but technology enables precise control over curves for different roasts.
- Light Roasts & Manual Levers: Spring levers were optimized for dark roasts, making manual levers ideal for light roasts as users can control pressure manually.
This evolution led to modern espresso machines offering flexibility and precise control.
Updated 2021/09/27