1905: Desiderio
Pavoni buys Bezzera's patents; Pier Teresio Arduino founds
Victoria Arduino, the company that would do more to spread
early espresso culture than any other with its advertisements
and philosophy behind the drink.
1912: La Cimbali
founded.
1922:Universal
enters the espresso machine business, and soon becomes the
leading machine maker, with a wide range of products through
the 1920s and 1930s and beyond. (They have since disapeared
from the market)
1927: La Marzocco
founded; First espresso machine comes to America as NYC's
Regio's Bar installs a La Pavoni two group machine (still
on display today).
1929: Rancilio
founded by Roberto Rancilio.
1932: La San
Marco starts a 10+ year trend towards total Deco design
in machines with the introduction of the La San Marco 900.
Every company would move to this design style.
1936: Simonelli
founded.
1946: Faema founded
by Ernesto Valente.
1947: Gaggia
introduces the revolutionary piston lever Crema Caffe machine,
and modern day espresso in the commercial establishment
is born. Many will follow.
1948: Gaggia
introduces the Classica, a 2 group version of the Crema
Caffe; La Pavoni, other companies introduce new brewers
based loosely on Gaggia's revolutionary system. True espresso
as we know it today becomes common.
1950: Elektra
experiments with hydraulic pressure machines.
1950: (circa)
Officine Maffioletto makes one of the first machines capable
of breing real pressure espresso, but in the home. It was
a piston model with a 1 litre capacity.
1950: Piston
operated machines, both spring action and direct pressure,
many direct copies of Gaggia's ground breaking Crema machines,
flood the market and make modern day espresso common.
1956 (circa):
Gaggia Gilda machine, not marketed for, but suitable for
home use, is brought to market - a dual lever piston single
group machine.
1958: La Marzocco
Crema Espress single group lever machine introduced - not
marketed for domestic use, but could be used as such due
to the size.
1961: Faema introduces
a very revolutionary machine, the E61 - the first heat exchanger,
rotary pump driven espresso machine. No more levers; Elektra
Micro Casa a Leva and La Pavoni Europiccola Lever machine
for the home are introduced. Micro Casa had "steam
on demand" ability.
1966: Alfred
Peet opens first Peets Coffee in Berkeley, CA, later serves
as inspiration for the founding of Starbucks by visiting
Seattlites.
1971: Starbucks
first opens in Seattle as a Roastery.
1974: La Pavoni
Professional Lever machine for the home introduced. Pavoni
introduces "instant steam" and brew machine.
1982: SCAA founded.
Originally called the Specialty Coffee Advisory Board, or
SCAB; they would soon change their name to something more
aesthetically pleasing to the ear.
1983: Howard
Schultz of Starbucks travels to Italy, becomes immersed
in espresso culture.
1985: Starbucks
installs first espresso machine in their Seattle shop.
1989: Acorto
brings to market the world's first truly complete and marketable
commercial super automatic machine, including ground-breaking
features such as the self-contained refrigeration system
for milk, and different frothing choices on demand.
1990: Rancilio
introduces the Rocky grinder, a grinder that blurs the line
between commercial and home grinding appliances.
1991 (circa):
Saeco brings out the world's first super automatics designed
specifically for home and small office use.
19992: Illy collector
cups first introduced, bringing artistry to the cup itself,
as well as what's inside the cup.
1994: Solis brings
the SL-90 consumer espresso machine to market, one of the
first successful automatic espresso machines for the home.
1997: Rancilio
introduces the Silvia espresso machine, which raises the
bar in the home espresso machine market, and starts a trend
towards better, more professional machines for the consumer;
Pasquini markets the Livia 90 (made by Bezzera), one of
a new wave of prosumer, heat exchanger-equipped machines
for consumers instead of commercial businesses.
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