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One single product serves as symbol for a country, for individuality, for quality, for pleasure, for bitterness and intensity - an espresso. At least as long as this is done the Italian way, in way of ingredients, preparation, brewing and serving.
The first espresso machine was developed in France. Some say it was in 1822, others claim it was the year 1848. A prototype was exhibited at a fair in France, but that did not bring any success. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that a commercial pathwas laid for the idea, which would revolutionize the world and start a wave of interest for this type of coffee preparation, as it has developed over the last one hundred years. It began with Desiderio Pavoni, working in his workshop in Milan's Via Parini and developing a machine for which he sold the rights to Luigi Bezzera. Bezerra obtained the patent for it in 1902/03, records which could be found at the corresponding council office in Milan. At the Milan International Fair in 1906 Bezzera presented the espresso machine that truly started what we know today as espresso.
On July 6, 1998 the National Institute for Italian Espresso (Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano - INEI) was founded with the intention to protect and promote the originality of the espresso. Although coffee as such has nothing to do with Italy and espresso is not an Italian discovery, no culture has done more for the development, quality and popularity of espresso, than the Italian coffee culture. This is due to the dignity with which these folks celebrate coffee and their global contribution to technology and aesthetics in the coffee industry. In order to protect this drink in its quality, the INEI issued the notification, that as of September 24, 1999, the Italian Espresso is a certified drink. Thus, when an Italian Espresso is to be sold, it must meet certain parameters and regulations set by the institute. Even though there are different espresso mixtures in the Italian market, the coffee "bean" composition, the machinery, the preparation. as well as the material and form of the cups are set. These are as follows:
- 7 gm (± 0,5 gm) espresso powder
- water temperature - 88°C (± 2°C)
- temperature of the drink in the cup - 67°C (± 3°C)
- water pressure of the machine - 9 bar (± 1)
- time given for the espresso to come out - 25 seconds (± 2,5)
- amount of drink in the cup, including the cream - 25 ml (± 2,5)
So far an Italian Espresso, in Italy simply called 'caffé'.
Especially in the western hemisphere, this is considered to be the best coffee. This is however a highly subjective view, and within the array of possibilities to obtain an espresso, there are many and significant differences. These differences could be noticed for the most part in a number of countries and areas which have done much investigation and shown constructive fanaticism towards the conservation of the quality and variety of coffees. Some examples for these significant differences are the amount used for an espresso unit and the coffee used. While in Italy it is common to use 7 grammes and a strong mixture with some robusta seeds, in countries like New Zeeland, Canada, the USA, Germany and the United Kingdom it is common to use 14, 16 and at times 21 grammes per cup. This is explained with the sole use of arabica seeds, as opposed to the 15 - 40% of robusta used in Italy for most espresso mixtures. Arabica seeds are milder and contain less caffeine.
If it is about 7, 14, 16 or 21 grammes in a cup of coffee, either way it is a matter of taste to consider an espresso to be the best coffee drink. It is without a question a loved form, but love is not necessarily connected with quality. Many types of coffee drinks have been built around rich, complex and historical developments and any choice is mostly based on preference. Certainly some of the best known and culturally richest are Turkish mocha, Ethiopian coffee and Italian espresso.
