Ever since it was first discovered, coffee was played a big role in our lives. Over time, it’s become ingrained in our culture. As a result, people are always looking for the best way to extract flavor from the beans and produce a delicious drink. To understand this area, let’s look at the history of the coffee maker and how it has evolved.
Turkish Coffee
The Turkish people were amongst some of the first to discover the delicious flavors that coffee can provide. As a result, they have developed one of the world’s oldest ways of capturing the flavor from the bean. It’s also one of the simplest ways of preparing a cup of coffee. First, you finely grind the beans. Then, you place it into a copper pot with sugar and water and wait for the mixture to boil. Once it does, you can add it to the cup. This method of preparing and serving coffee is still being used by many Turkish people today and is highly effective in producing the brew.
French Infusion
The next stage in the evolution of the coffee maker comes from France. They did this by making a few key developments. First, they placed the coffee grounds inside a linen bag. This allowed them to enjoy their coffee without the gritty grounds lingering at the bottom of the cup.
The next breakthrough came through the infusion coffee process. This was reasonably straightforward. In this model, there was a special coffee pot that has two distinct chambers. In the top one, the coffee beans and grounds would be placed. The bottom section would slowly be filled with coffee as the beverage is prepared. In this model, hot water would slowly be run over the coffee grounds. It would then slowly drip into the lower chamber, where it could be served. However, because of how long the process takes, it often meant that the coffee was served lukewarm or cold. Later, Benjamin Graham would help solve this problem, by wrapping the whole pot in insulation.
French Siphon Pot
Over the years, the infusion process would go through many adaptations. This led to the introduction of the siphon pot. This model featured two glass chambers, sitting on top of each other. The two were connected by a small tube. Water would be placed in the bottom chamber, while coffer grounds would be at the top. A filter would separate the two chambers. In the model, the water in the lower chamber was boiled. As it got warmer, it was forced through the tube and into the top chamber. There it would mix with the coffee grounds. Once the water was gone, the coffee would come back into the lower chamber, through the filter, into the lower chamber. It would then be ready for you to serve to your guests.
Like the other models, this would slowly start to get improved upon the next few years. For example, a metal mesh was added to the top chamber. This made sure that the grounds were trapped inside the machine. This was the preferred way of making coffee for many years. But at the start of the 19th Century, that would change, as the espresso machine was born.
Espresso Machine
As steam power became more popular, people started to experiment with the effect it could have on the coffee-making process. As a result, the espresso machine was created. This used steam to force water over the beans at high temperatures. This had a few key benefits. First, it was one of the fastest ways of making a cup of coffee. In this case, you could prepare the beverage within minutes, a huge improvement for the time. It also allowed more flavor to be extracted from the coffee bean.
At first, these machines were very big and bulky, making them difficult to operate. They were also very expensive. As a result, these took a little longer to take off than siphon pots. However, the design was further improved and refined. By 1940, you could precisely control the temperature of the steam and the way that it hit the beans. By 1960, the espresso machine was fairly common in coffee stores, where people had become accustomed to the rich flavors produced by this type of coffee. But the invention of automatic pour-over makers is what changed coffee preparation forever. They provide a hands-free way to make coffee quickly and conveniently with exactly the desired coffee strength. A hot cup of joe is ready in only a few minutes without any mess or fuss. With the ability to get consistent high-quality coffee made quickly and effortlessly, these makers are sure to become more popular throughout the years.
Home Espresso Machines
While the devices in the coffee stores produced a delicious beverage, they were still big and bulky. However, the design was further refined. Today, you can get the power and sophistication of a professional espresso machine from the comfort of your own home.
As the technology evolved, many types of at-home espresso machines were created. This presented several benefits to the users. For example, it made it easier for you to make a professional-level quality from the comfort of your own home. In most cases, you will just need to push a few buttons, and you can be enjoying the beverage. These devices also give you a lot of control over the process. For example, the controls can be very specific, letting you adjust it to better suit your palate. If you have multiple people in the household, you might be able to save multiple settings, so each person can have their own customized brew. For more information about these devices, and to find the best one for your needs, check out this exceptional modern automatic coffee maker buying guide.
Conclusion
Coffee has captured the hearts of people all around the world, making it one of the most popular beverages on the planet. As we’ve seen, since it was first discovered, people have been on a relentless quest to improve their brewing technique. From the relatively simple techniques used the Turkish, to the refinements by the French, and the modern machines that we enjoy today, we’ve seen huge advancements in the way that coffee is prepared. Based on this, the future of coffee looks bright, with plenty of new technological improvements in store.