Creation Of Coffee: What Country Does The Word Espresso Come From?

Joan Agie
Oct 19, 2023 By Joan Agie
Originally Published on Oct 25, 2021
Brewed coffee pouring in a cup.
?
Age: 3-18
Read time: 7.1 Min

Origins of the word espresso date back to the 1800s.

Nowadays, coffee is consumed by millions of people across the world. Coffee brewed using a quality coffee maker is considered the most delicious energy fuelled beverage, available in many different shapes and sizes.

For many years, coffee has been used to create some popular brews that we drink in a cup today like espresso, mocha, latte, cappuccino, among others. Espresso is one of the most popular drink of all types of caffè. While the brew has plenty of coffee in it, it is of a small size.

Many times, you hear Europeans ordering caffè espresso which means press out coffee. Caffè espresso is also an Italian term, which defines the particular process of coffee making.

The main reason why espresso was created was to help in reducing the brewing time. As the usual cup of coffee takes a few minutes to be brewed, but espresso generally has a different preparation method: it is often completed in less than a minute. Espresso is made very quickly and is the best way to boost your energy.

After reading all about this coffee beverage, do check out where does coffee come from? And, how is coffee made?

The etymology of the word espresso, is espresso a Latin word?

Espresso is the default form of coffee in Italy. Expresso stands for 'pressing out' in Latin, and this shot is made by forcing steam or hot water through ground coffee.

Espresso is an English word that has its origin in Italy during the late 1800s or the early 1900s. This name originally was the past participle of the word 'esprimere' which means 'to express' or 'to press out'.

Some people think espresso means a roast. Roasting is only a method of preparing coffee for consumption.

Espresso coffee is often made by blending several roasts and varieties of beans to form a bold flavor. To prepare an espresso, the finely ground coffee is packed in a portafilter, through which strain steam is passed at high pressure, to produce a concentrated liquid coffee shot.

A shot of Espresso is usually a shot of concentrated coffee, made by adding particularly steam at an excessive thrust through the finely grounded beans. The definition of coffee gives an indication of the main variations among coffee and espresso: the brewing method and the grind.

Which came first, the drink or the word?

It is very surprising to know the fact that the drink was invented much before the word. In 1884, Angelo Moriondo patented his invention of a coffee maker that was powered by steam. Later, many inventors improved of this machine, and then, the word 'espresso' was introduced.

Expresso is a common misspelling. Due to the similarity of the word 'espresso' to the word 'express' of English, sometimes, instead of calling it 'espresso', people called it 'expresso'.

Espresso is a word that is borrowed from Italian, which refers to the coffee that is brewed by forcing extremely hot water or steam through finely-ground coffee. This method is very quick and only involves pressing steam through the coffee.

Both the words 'expresso' and 'espresso' share the same meanings, but espresso is Italian and is the method of coffee preparation. You'll see Italians have named this coffee espresso or caffè espresso.

Espresso is pronounced as eh-spreh-soh. Espresso or expresso is close to the original Italian espresso and both have approximately similar meanings.

The word expresso can be referred to as speed, or can also be referred to as individual service. And espresso means the type of coffee that is made by steam being pressed out through the beans. Both of these meanings are taken from the Italian meanings.

Espresso is a word borrowed from Italian, which refers to a coffee brewing technique that is by forcing steam or hot water through finely-ground coffee. But the coffee quality in Spain is excellent. This is due to the fact that the beans are roasted and blended in a unique manner.

Coffee beans on grey floor

The Invention Of Espresso

Espresso, whose origin was Italy, was actually a coffee-brewing method. In this process, a small amount of nearly boiling water of about 195° F (90° C) was forced through finely-ground coffee beans under a pressure of 900-1000 kPa (130.5-145 psi).

Espresso, a drink of Italian origin, is now made worldwide with a wide variety of coffee beans and roasted at different temperatures.

Luigi Bezzera, a Milanese manufacturer and maker of liquors, invented it. He introduced single-shot espresso in the early years of the 20th century, while he was trying to look for a method of brewing coffee quickly and directly into the cup.

A cup of coffee always energizes us. Many of us have espresso down as one of our favorite coffee drinks. Several classic coffee drinks can be prepared from it. Even the dessert drink affogato and some cocktails are made using espresso.

Having a cup of espresso boosts your energy thus leading to an increase in concentration; it is the a preffered way to combat exhaustion. It has polyphenols in it, which help in preventing diseases, and cafestol.

It lowers the risk of strokes. A cup of espresso every day improves our digestion capability and this drink has no calories which may lead to weight loss. It contains caffeine, which boosts brain activity, takes away exhaustion, and acts towards stimulation of the mood.

We have seen coffee lovers have a strong bond with a certain type of concentrated and highly caffeinated coffee, which we call espresso.

How Espresso Works

A home espresso machine is a device that helps in brewing coffee by forcing high-pressured steam through the ground and pressed coffee and then filtering it in order to produce a shot of concentrated coffee which we call espresso.

There are a variety of home espresso machines with varied usage styles. One usually has a steam metal pipe, which is used to froth and steam the liquids, such as milk for use in coffee drinks like a cappuccino.

The various modern espresso machines used nowadays are the semi-automatic espresso machine, fully-automatic espresso machine, super-automatic espresso machine, and ultra-automatic espresso machine.  These are all pump-driven espresso machines.

How was espresso made before machines?

The invention of espresso came from a brilliant Milanese inventor who was known as Luigi Bezzera.

He coupled his passion for steam with a love of coffee; he was the one who came up with the brilliant idea to press the coffee powder and then make coffee with the help of steam pressure.

This was the time when this revolution in the concept of coffee making with the aid of a pot of boiling water occurred.

Modern Day Espresso

Did you know that, by most standards, the spelling expresso is considered wrong and only the spelling espresso is considered to be correct?

In 1938, the modern espresso drink first came into existence which we enjoy today in the world. An inventor named Achille Gaggia created and applied for a patent for the machine which had the capability of increasing its steam pressure up to 900-1000 kPa (130.5-145 psi).

There was a spring-piston lever in the machine which had the ability to increase the pressure of the water present in the boiler. Its process included pulling down on the spring-piston lever which was used to increase the force of the water inside the cylinder.

Thus making the espresso, and then pouring it down. This did not have the burnt, bitter taste which was regarded as an issue with previous models.

Though there has been no doubt that there are innumerable patents and prototypes, for the discovery of the machines and the approaches towards making of coffee. It is typically attributed to Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, who got a patent in 1884 for 'new steam equipment for the monetary and instant confection of coffee beverages.'

An moern espresso system works on brewed coffee beans with the aid of forcing steam in high pressure close to boiling point via a puck of grounded bean and thus make a clear, thick, and strong coffee referred to as espresso.

The espresso was first invented in Venice, Italy back in the 19th century. The drink was made by a businessman named Luigi Bezzera who was conducting experiments with coffee just to see how he could make his brew in less time.

Venice was also one of the first European ports which imported coffee beans in the 16th century.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what country does the word espresso come from then why not take a look at how is lactose-free milk made? Or, what does chamomile tea taste like?

We Want Your Photos!
We Want Your Photos!

We Want Your Photos!

Do you have a photo you are happy to share that would improve this article?
Email your photos

More for You

See All

Written by Joan Agie

Bachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy

Joan Agie picture

Joan AgieBachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy

With 3+ years of research and content writing experience across several niches, especially on education, technology, and business topics. Joan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Anatomy from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and has worked as a researcher and writer for organizations across Nigeria, the US, the UK, and Germany. Joan enjoys meditation, watching movies, and learning new languages in her free time.

Read full bio >