Home espresso equipment is exploding onto the home appliance scene in ever increasing numbers and designs with ever decreasing prices, but what’s the true description and roots of espresso coffee and what are the important factors in a perfect home espresso ?

Cafe espresso or simply, espresso, as it is now popularly known, is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.

The term cafe-espress was first coined in the late 1880s, long before espresso machines were invented and simply means coffee made to order, expressly for the person ordering it.

The earliest espresso coffee machines were unveiled in the early 20th Century, and the original patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901. However this early equipment used steam pressure not hot water to brew the espresso and it was not until the mid-1940s, when the design was updated to a piston lever home espresso machine.

Because of the pressurized water used in the coffee brewing process, the flavours and chemicals in a great espresso become very concentrated. Because of this, espresso is commonly used as a base for other coffees, for example mocha and macchiato, latte and cappuccino.

The main differences between a great espresso and either drip or coffee from other brewing processes are a thicker consistency, more dissolved solids and crema, a red or brown foam that floats on the top of the coffee which is a mixture of vegetable oils, proteins and sugars.

Even though it clearly relies on the individual coffee beans used and the maker or barista, as a rough guide there is customarily two to three times the quantity of caffeine in an espresso than in the same amount of drip brewed coffee. An expert operator of an espresso machine is a barista, the Italian word for a barman.

Home espresso coffee machines have risen in popularity with the general rise of interest in espresso, mainly since the 1990’s and the explosion in the number of coffee houses and chains on every street.

We are currently experiencing a new wave of creativity as the electronics industry turns it’s attentions to home espresso machines and we will now find a large range of espresso equipment in expert kitchen and appliance stores, online vendors and shops.

Most are fully automatic, push button home espresso coffee makers which can both grind and brew a fresh cup with only one press. They usually make a better espresso than poorly trained humans, but rarely as good as the best trained baristas.

It may be that the success of the big coffee chains in educating the masses in the joys of espresso will be their undoing as many more people can now enjoy their espresso at home.