I recently tried fresh roasted coffee and I am now hooked. I have started to read as much of the forum as possible to learn all about the different options for grinders and semi-auto machines. My natural reaction was to find good quality equipment and I was prepared to spend decent money for these items.
However, I started thinking, how was it possible to make quality espresso 50 years ago before these machines?
How do people in less afluent countries make espresso at home where they cant afford 500+ in equipment? Certainly a larger population in these countries enjoy espresso so anything made at home would have to be decent quality.
I imagine they use some combination of a hand grinder and device that requires the water to be heated. What are they using?
The more I think about it, I probably would enjoy the hands on process and I'm not affraid of a learning curve or the extra steps that might be involved. What should I look at?
Well, there are hand pump espresso machines. These are very similar to the original style ones they used in Italy when espresso-style coffee was in it's baby years.
La Pavoni is a popular one I've heard about that is similar to this, but it is not cheap. You may be able to find cheap hand-pump machines but I doubt it. They also have STEEP lurning curves as everything that happens doesn't only rely on grinding and tamping, but the amount of pressure that you build up, and the ability of you to reach that pressure before the water becomes to cool to make a good shot.
Edit: CoffeeGeek also has a dedicated forum for Lever-style machines. Lever Espresso Machines
However, I started thinking, how was it possible to make quality espresso 50 years ago before these machines? How do people in less afluent countries make espresso at home where they cant afford 500+ in equipment?
Well, if you consider that at it's most basic definition, espresso is coffee produced by infusing water under pressure through the grounds, there were things like moka pots. These have been around a long time (since the 30's, I believe) and lots of people still use them.
And there WERE espresso machines around that you would recognize as such, but the espresso they made was still different from that produced by the invention of the first machine (I believe by Achille Gaggia in the late 40's) that produced the crema that we associate with modern-day espresso.
I try to stay pretty basic with my tastes and expectations. I enjoy a cup of moka produced brew as much as one from an expensive machine.
"Decent quality" is a moving target - what was considered superb 50 years ago may not satisfy today's palate, and you can learn to like some things that taste pretty nasty.
Thank you all for the information. It seems that the low tech options are limited to a moka pot or something like a Handpresso and the espresso that we enjoy today really is different than what was enjoyed historically or in less affluent locations that don't have the expensive equipment.
The big question for me as someone who is very new to this area is whats the difference between whats produced in a moka pot, handpresso or expensive espresso machine?
It seems that since they all involve passing pressurized hot water through coffee the only difference is the pressure.
What exactly does the difference in pressure do to taste?
Easy. It wasn't "espresso" as we know it today -- just as traveling by plane (or car, for that matter) wasn't the same 50, 60, 75 years ago as it is today.
j123 Said:
How do people in less afluent countries make espresso at home where they cant afford 500+ in equipment?
-- Check out Orphan Espresso for a hand grinder. Obviously this was (virtually) the only way to grind coffee before electricity, and they remain quite popular today. Orphan focuses on selling used equipment of all sorts -- machines and grinders -- but they also sell some new . . .
-- Check out Bialetti -- the most popular producer of moka pots, which is still the #1 way Italians make "espresso" at home. (Heck, you can find Bialetti moka pots at Wallgreens!) Bialetti moka pots date back to 1933.
-- Also, you might want to look at these reviews for "Atomic-type" stovetop makers. A design from the 1950s, these are being produced today in Australia by La Sorrentina. Today, these can be quite expensive, but clearly they were more affordable when mass-produced and "mainstream."
-- The "Baby Faemina" by Faema was a popular way to produce espresso when introduced in the 1950s. You can see it in operation here. (And keep in mind there were similar devices made by other manufacturers.)
-- And two modern, non-electric method of producing something similar to espresso would include the Areobie Aeropress (check out reviews of this product here) and the Handpresso.
If I did not have Silvia, and was working toward a pump machine purchase, I would probably have a Moka pot and an Aeropress which, as it turns out, I DO have. In fact, I have maybe four Moka pots. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for them.
Also have one of those Bialetti Mukka Express pots that makes a quasi-cappucinno. We use this when we go camping in our camping trailer....
As you research espresso machines, take your time and look around. I have gone through phases in which i wish i had something maybe a little more automatic than Silvia but I always come back to her. One of the reasons why I didn't get an automatic in the first place was the issue of control and figuring there were just more parts to break...maybe those aren't VALID reasons to some but they were...and still are to me. Yeah, I would love to get a Pavoni or Elektra lever machine for the heck of it...in fact, I have bid on more than a couple on ebay but do I really need it? Not really....and yet.
I have an Italian pal who swears by his Moka pot and wouldn't have Silvia or an automatic machine if I gave him one. This same friend thinks I was nuts to buy a Kamado grill Again, to each his own.... Whatever floats yer boat.
Regarding the purchase of a machine, you have the luxury of not being tied down to a bad or uninformed decision (speaking of camping, if any of you ever think you want a camping trailer, think long and hard about it, but thats another story). You may have to temper your lust with your budget but in the meantime pick up a Moka pot... Bialetti clones are less than $10 at Marshall's or Ross' or an Aeropress...and enjoy it as you go along. Read the posts here. I lurked here for years before I began to post. Theres a lot of good info here.
IMHO, I think you should budget for - and that might mean saving - for what you WANT. Go for it... and maybe I'll go for that Pavoni or Elektra too once I get rid of this danged camping trailer <ha!>...
Let me start off by saying that I've never had coffee from Handpresso, so I cannot comment directly -- only point you to these search results on CoffeeGeek.com and these on Home-Barista.com . . .
As far as Moka Pots are concerned, the mouth feel of the coffee is "thicker" than brewed, drip coffee -- more akin to press pot in texture. The flavor is richer, too. But that said, it is not as thick or rich as true espresso. Since steam pressure is what forces the boiling water up through the coffee and into the top chamber, it's a little like a percolator (but without the recycling of the water over and over). And since the water is boiling, it's too hot for optimum extraction. But you can make multiple cups at one time, whereas you cannot do that with a handpresso.
But one question, if I might:
j123 Said:
The more I think about it, I probably would enjoy the hands on process and I'm not affraid of a learning curve or the extra steps that might be involved. What should I look at?
Leaving the question of money aside for a moment, would you also enjoy turning the crank on an automobile engine, or kick-starting a motorcycle? Or do you prefer turning the ignition key? Do you want to crank the old Victrola, or turn on your MP3 player? (Just to make sure: your computer isn't hooked up to a hamster on a wheel, is it?)
You can put together a perfectly good espresso setup for well under $500 . . . not the best one, of course, but one that will serve you quite well for a long time to come. You might want to take a look at this Gaggia Classic, available from Costco for $399, or the Le'Lit PL41 from 1st-Line, now $379.95. Both of these machines should last for years and years. Paired with a hand grinder for under $100, and you're all set . . .
There are certainly other options as well, including picking up a used machine off eBay or Craigslist . . .
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
= No New Posts since last visit 