love thy Coffee ! - espresso machine !!

Did you search for anything in Google this morning – for sure, would have observed an interesting Google Doodle – on an equipment and in honour of a man who  presented his invention at the General Expo of Turin in 1884, where it was awarded the bronze medal. The patent was awarded for a period of six years on 16 May 1884 under the title of "New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection____________   The machine was actually built by a mechanic named Martina, working under the direct supervision of the inventor.

 

How do you start your day daily ?  In South Indian culture, the visitor to a House is welcomed and offered a tumbler of coffee.  It is an energizer, many have the habit of taking a cup of coffee immediately after consuming their food, especially tiffin items.  It is common to see people walking to restaurants / hotels and order a cup of coffee.  For most Indians, especially South Indians, the day begins with a coffee in the morning and perhaps at least two more during the day.  At home,  it is not simply Coffee, but Filter coffee – made from decoction dripping down from  coffee powder made of  dark roasted coffee beans, chicory – the hot water percolates through the thick powder solely by gravity and not under pressure.  To this decoction, is added milk, enough not to change the colour and aura.  The fresh coffee beverage literally wakes you up and makes you open to the day’s realities.  It has a stimulating effect on people due to its caffeine content and is the most consumed beverages of the World.

Coffee berries, which contain the coffee seeds, are produced by several species of a small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown are also the most highly regarded Coffea arabica, and the "robusta" form of the hardier Coffea canephora.  South Indian coffee (a.k.a filter coffee) is a milk coffee (perfect example of South Indians' affinity for dairy products).  

In Malls, theatres, elsewhere you would have taken ‘Espresso coffee’. Espresso (eˈsprɛsso]) is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin,  in which a small amount of nearly boiling water (about 90 °C or 190 °F) is forced under 9–10 bars (900–1,000 kPa; 130–150 psi) of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso coffee can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans and roast degrees.  Espresso is generally thicker than coffee brewed by other methods, with a viscosity similar to that of warm honey. This is due to the higher concentration of suspended and dissolved solids, and the crema on top (a foam with a creamy consistency).  As a result of the pressurized brewing process, the flavors and chemicals in a typical cup of espresso are very concentrated.  Espresso has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages, but because the usual serving size is much smaller, the total caffeine content is less than a mug of standard brewed coffee.

Once upon a time, in 19th century Italy, coffee was the hottest item around. Unfortunately, brewing methods required customers to wait over five minutes to get their drink. Enter Angelo Moriondo, the man who patented the first known espresso machine. Today’s Doodle celebrates his 171st birthday.

Moriondo was born this day in Turin, Italy  to a family of entrepreneurs who never stopped brewing new ideas or projects. His grandfather founded a liquor production company that was passed down to his son, who himself would later build the popular chocolate company, “Moriondo and Gariglio” alongside his brother and cousin.  Following in his family’s footsteps, Moriondo purchased two establishments: the Grand-Hotel Ligure in the city-center Piazza Carlo Felice and the American Bar in the Galleria Nazionale of Via Roma. Despite coffee’s popularity in Italy, the time spent waiting for coffee to brew inconvenienced customers. Moriondo figured that making multiple cups of coffee at once would allow him to serve more customers at a faster pace, giving him an edge over his competitors.

After directly supervising a mechanic he enlisted to build his invention, Moriondo presented his espresso machine at the General Expo of Turin in 1884, where it was awarded the bronze medal. The machine consisted of a large boiler that pushed heated water through a bed of coffee grounds, with a second boiler producing steam that would flash the bed of coffee and complete the brew. He received a patent titled,   "New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage, method ‘A. Moriondo’." Moriondo continued to improve and patent his invention in the following years.

Today's Google doodle, which has been created by Olivia When features a GIF of the first known espresso machine and is a tribute to the inventor Angelo Moriondo on his 171st birth anniversary.  Interesting read as you sip a cup of pipingly hot coffee

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
6^th June 2022