What’s the difference between espresso and just plain coffee? According to professional baristas, it doesn’t really matter what kind of bean you use, or how it’s roasted — it’s all in the way the beans are brewed. Forcing pressurized water through finely-ground coffee beans produces a concentrated brew with its signature delicate foam. This foam, or crema, to use its proper name, contains concentrated sugars and oils from the beans, adding a light sweetness that helps balance out the bitterness. Grab an espresso on November 23 to taste the difference for yourself!
NATIONAL ESPRESSO DAY TIMELINE
1884​
​The first coffee maker is patented.
​An Italian named Angelo Moriondo patented a steam-driven "instantaneous" coffee-making device, believed to be the first Italian bar machine that controlled the supply of steam and water separately through the coffee.
​1905​
Espresso machine improvements were patented.
​After Milan native Luigi Bezzera patented a number of improvements to the espresso machine in 1901, the first of his patents was bought by Desiderio Pavoni, who began to produce the machine industrially in his workshop in Milan.​
1950s
​​The latté was invented in America
Lino Meiorin - an Italian-American, claims credit for creating the first caffé latté at Caffe Mediterraneum in Berkeley, California, calling it a "long cappuccino."
1971
Starbucks is born!
The biggest coffeehouse chain in the world - Starbucks, is founded in Seattle.