The espresso has a recent history to which our family has contributed directly from the beginning. The name espresso derives from the method of extraction that would have enabled to prepare a cup of coffee in a few seconds, not to drink it fast as many seem to believe. The modern system of extraction perfected in the course of the years guarantees a cup whose characteristics are unmistakable and incomparable.

Rich in flavor and aroma with a low content of caffeine, the cup of espresso when it's extracted from blends of high quality deserves to be savored leisurely during the breaks of a busy day.
The Espresso has achieved a high degree of popularity in the world since its birth. The ever growing fans have associated this product born, perfected and refined in Italy with the legendary passion with which all gourmet items are Made in Italy.

Many believe that "Espresso" means having a cup of coffee loaded with caffeine: following is an interesting table comparing various beverages and their caffeine contents.

Scientific studies of the physiological effects of caffeine and its impact on the health of people who consume 250 to 600 mg, an amount that represents the daily average consumed by people through food and drink, have shown that this amount does not have any negative effects at all.

To the contrary caffeine is often used in the composition of common medicines such as diuretics, stimulants, analgesics and in certain types of aspirin.

The espresso, as we know it, has its birth in 1901 with the first experiments of forced extraction thanks to the passion of a nobleman from Naples by the name of Mr. Bazzera At the beginning the procedure gave terrible results because of the high temperatures needed to put the water of the infusion under pressure, this temperature would burn the coffee making it extremely bitter.

It was in 1935 when 2 entrepreneurs (one of them Ermanno Hausbrandt.) tried to perfect this system by applying pressure to the water of the infusion using an air compressor placed on the outside of the machine. This permitted, for the first time, to separate 2 of the essential parameters essential to the correct extraction of the espresso coffee: the pressure of the water and its temperature on the coffee powder. The results were good but the process was too complex, costly, big and clumsy given the state of technology at the time.

A fundamental step ahead was taken in 1942, due to the introduction of an external Procton water pump, thanks to the work of Mr. Achille Gaggia of Milan. The pressure was now at a constant temperature of 92-96 degrees and the extraction pressure was at 9 bar. The water though was still taken mainly from the boiler.

In 1961 Carlo Valente an engineer working for FAEMA was responsible for the technical leap the espresso machine made then; he completely separated the boiler circuit from that of the coffee extraction.
A legend was born, the FAEMA E 61 an exceptional espresso machine that to this day combined with a high quality coffee produces an excellent and perfect espresso.

To this day espresso machines function under the same principles although in the course of the years there have been modifications, they perform better, they are practical and simple to use thanks to the technological progress and the advent of electronics. In any case, no matter how high the grade of perfection of an espresso machine, what will always matter is the QUALITY OF THE COFFEE, without which it would not be possible to obtain a good espresso. The quality of coffee is to the espresso machine what software is to a PC, without the software the hardware is useless.

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