The history of coffee machines is a long one, dating back to Western Asia in the first quarter of the first millennium. However, the coffee percolator as we know it today was not developed until 1818.  This is not to say that the ancients did not how to make coffee, only that it has not been documented since it is known that coffee has been used as a drink in South America for thousands of years, and the basic way of extracting the alkaloids and antioxidants are no different in principle that then:  basically using boiling water!

The traditional coffee pot, with the mesh to hold the coffee so that condensed steam runs through the ground beans, was developed in the USA and coffee became the drink of choice in the USA during the mid 19th century.  That is when anybody and everybody invented one type of coffee maker after another, and many different types of coffee grinder were also developed.

The first espresso machine was made in France in 1822, but the first automatic machine was invented in 1833. Filter coffee was not developed until the beginning of the 1900s when German housewife Mellitta Benz decided to make a cup of clear coffee without the grounds that made it bitter.  She used her son’s school filter paper to produce a cup of clear coffee, patented the system and the same company was responsible for vacuum packaging in 1962!

However, that was normal filtered coffee, and it was a famous name known to most home espresso makers that developed the first modern espresso machine as we know it in 1946. It was a high pressure machine, and the maker was Italian Achilles Gaggia

Before the dawn of the 20th century the filter of choice was a piece of linen that was washed between uses.  This was an obvious choice because it could be carried around and reused as needed.  There was no need to hold stocks of the paper filters that were introduced in 1912, although it was this lack of the need to clean the linen filters that helped to make paper filtered coffee so popular.  Keep in mind that at this time there was no instant! Coffee was restricted to those that could afford the bean, the grinder and the coffee maker.

From then till now, the history of coffee makers has been basically filter design and the use of high pressure steam rather than hot water.  Pressurized steam is at a much higher temperature than boiling water, which is why commercial coffee makers make such a noise as the steam condenses when passed through the ground beans.  Such machines were made available domestically in the 70s, when espresso machines became all the rage.

As an aside, instant coffee was invented in 1901 in Chicago, and Swiss company Nestle freeze dried it in 1938 and introduced Nescafe to the world. It is the choice of those needing a quick cup, but nothing beats real coffee made from a real coffee machine.

A Buyer’s Guide to Coffee Machines and Kettles.

A.  Kettles

Kettles are very personal things, and while some will not move from the classical style as provided by Russell Hobbs, others prefer the jug style. Here are the basic choices to consider:

1.  Metal or plastic?  Most people who prefer the classic style prefer metal.  It shines and is easily kept clean.  Plastic, on the other hand can be difficult to clean, but then again it is available in a choice of colours and finishes.  The choice is personal.