Coffee Machine in the Consumer Society Mod

From Mod Mania

THE COFFEE MACHINE IN CONSUMER SOCIETY

Original text by Ray Yu

Modified by Rodrigo Capati

1 Introduction
2 Coffee History
3 Coffee Machine History
4 Coffee Machine Varieties
5 Presentation
6 Conclusion
7 References

Introduction

Coffee is an essential part of our daily lives; we drink it at all times of the day. Coffee taste depends on a person’s preference; which involves different baking methods, each with its own unique aroma. People are attracted by different aromas and while some like its sour taste, others prefer bitterness. For those people who love drinking coffee, they gather to found a cafe, express their passion with coffee, coffee beans, coffee machines and every other part that involves coffee; coffee even becoming an addiction for some. For those who love to go to coffee shops, it’s the atmosphere they love, a place where they can chat, read a book or just enjoy a nice break.

Coffee History

Coffee has been an indispensable beverage for most people. Though, coffee beans originally originated in Africa, it spread rapidly to nearby countries, such as Egypt and Turkey. The Turks were the very first to produce a coffee beverage; the method was to roast beans on an open fire and then add boiling water, creating a crude version of the beverage we enjoy today. It was said that coffee had been thought of as a type of wine and was used in barter and trade. Coffee making and fermentation weren’t too dissimilar from each other, creating a connection that could easily be made between coffee bean and grape trading. They looked similar on the plant; they looked exactly the same when ground and they produced similar results when put through the same processes.

Coffee Machine History

The first espresso maker can be dated back in Milan, Italy in 1901, by Italian manufacturing company owner, Luigi Bezzera. He was trying to find a way to help reduce the time his employees had breaks; by shortening coffee brewing time. He found that if pressure was applied to the brewing process, the time for the coffee to roast would take less than normal. It was called Espresso Machine translated as “The Fast Coffee Machine”. In 1905 Bezzera sold his patented designs to Desidero Pavoni. However, there were some disadvantages to Bezzera’s original design; espressos had produced a burnt taste caused by boiling water and steam being forced through the coffee bean during the process. This changed when in 1938 when Cremonesi developed a piston pump system that forced hot but not boiling water through the bean which stopped the coffee from burning. This system was first launched at Achille Gaggia's coffee bar but World War II stopped any further development at the time. In 1946 Gaggia began manufacturing a commercial piston machine. The resulting coffee had a layer of foam on top, also known as, "crema."

In 1961 Faema released the E61, an espresso machine introducing many 'firsts' which are still commonly found in most espresso machines. The most significant was the delivery of pressurized water through a mechanical pump rather than a manually operated piston, replacing the piston-lever designs of the 1950s. Faema got around the problem of running heated water through the pump, by running cold water through the pump, through a heat exchange tube in the steam boiler to flash heat the water, before entering through the ground coffee to create an espresso. This process allows the water be at a much more optimum level. It is from Faema’s initial design that many of our modern day coffee machines follow from.

Coffee Machine Varieties

Nowadays, there are many different coffee machines varieties; different designs are required for different methods, which in turn also create different aromas. There are cold extraction, steam pressure, steam extraction, filter extraction, Syphon(vacuum siphon). Steam pressure, extraction and filter extraction are created in column type structures as the force of gravity helps with the making process of the coffee. These are all technically the same type of machine and can either be manual or auto-driven.

Cold Extraction

Cold brewed coffee is coffee extracted by using fresh ground coffee and cold water or ice cubes, which creates a syrup. The syrup can be used to make fantastic iced-coffees, or added to hot water for a smooth tasting hot beverage. The cold brewed coffee has some benefits, one of being less acidic in both taste and nature. The other is that it contains slightly less caffeine, which would less likely cause heartburn, insomnia and fall of blood sugar level.

Vacuum

A vacuum coffee maker brews coffee using two chambers where vapor pressure and vacuum produce coffee which is clean, crisp, rich and smooth compared to other brewing methods. This type of coffee maker is also known as vac pot, siphon or syphon coffee maker and was invented by Loeff of Berlin in the 1830s. Vacuum brewed coffee has been widely used early in the last century- long before the espresso machine. Design and composition of the vacuum coffee maker varies. The chamber material can either be made of pyrex, metal or plastic, and the filter can either be a glass rod, or a screen made from metal, cloth, paper or nylon. While vacuum coffee makers generally were excessively complex for everyday use, they were prized for producing a clear brew, and were quite popular until the middle of the twentieth century. However, still remains popular in certain countries, such as Taiwan and Japan. For coffee lovers and connoisseurs, the siphon brewed coffee offers a cup of coffee of unparalleled flavor. Siphon brewed coffee provides a refreshing change to the brute strength and concentration of an espresso. Not only it does it produce the perfect coffee at the perfect temperature, vacuum brewing is also a joy to watch.

Espresso Machine

Espresso steam/pump pressure Espresso is a traditional Italian coffee, it is an intensified coffee brewed by forcing steam under high pressure through coffee. The key element of the coffee machine is the filter holder where the coffee is brewed. Espresso coffee contains three times the caffeine content of regular brewed coffee. A 30 ml espresso contains half the Caffeine as a 180 ml American Style coffee. The most important part of the espresso is the crèma, a saying in the coffee community is “… golden foam that's the hallmark of good espresso” If the crèma is very condensed and the bubble is small, then it’s a good espresso. There are some factors which can affect taste, smell, and level of acidity. For example, different types of machines could change the aroma and thickness of crèma. Another could be temperature; normally it is to be 88 – 96 °C, not yet boiling. Different levels of heat have varying results. Espressos hold lots of joy and mystery waiting to be discovered. Espresso making is an art hard to master and a perfect blend cannot be accomplished upon first trial.

Presentation

Coffee drinks also come in many forms. Coffee can be made either into a hot or cold drink. Within the coffee categories there are many variations on the ‘standard’ type. Each drink or drink type can be traced back to certain cultures and communities. Below is a list of the most popular coffee types; some can be found within your local coffee shop but others are more culturally dependant. There are many variations and endless customization can occur to suit the drinker’s taste; taste can vary in strength of bitterness, sourness or sweetness.

Hot drinks

Espresso-based, without milk

• Espresso • Ristretto is an espresso drink where the weight of the ground coffee is equal to the weight of the brewed shots. The result is a "shorter" shot that is sweeter and more flavourful. • Bica is a Portuguese espresso, longer than its Italian counterpart, but a little bit softer in taste. This is due to the fact that Portuguese roasting is slightly lighter than the Italian one. "Bica" is thus similar to "Lungo" in Italy. • Lungo is different from an Americano. It is a "longer" espresso run through the machine; all the water runs through the beans, as opposed to adding water. With Italian roasting it extracts more bitter flavours. • Americano style coffee is made with espresso (one or several shots), with hot water then added to give a similar strength (but different flavour) to drip-brewed coffee.[citation needed] • Long black is similar to Americano, but prepared in different order (a double shot of espresso is added to water instead of vice versa); most common in Australia and New Zealand.

Espresso-based, with milk

• Caffè latte or caffè e latte is often simply called latte, which is Italian for "milk", in English-speaking countries; it is an espresso with steamed milk, traditionally topped with froth created from steaming the milk. A latte comprises one-third espresso and nearly two-thirds steamed milk. More frothed milk makes it weaker than a cappuccino. A latte is also commonly served in a tall glass. A latte may be sweetened with sugar or flavoured syrup. Caramel and vanilla and other flavours are used. • Caffè macchiato, sometimes Espresso macchiato or "short" macchiato — macchiato meaning "marked" — is an espresso with a little steamed milk added to the top, usually 30-60 ml sometimes sweetened with sugar or flavoured syrup. • Cappuccino comprises equal parts of espresso coffee and milk and froth, sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered cocoa. • Flat white is one part espresso with two parts steamed milk, but no foam, usually served in a cappuccino cup. This is a specialty of Australia and New Zealand, particularly favored in the latter. The difference between a flat white and a latte is that a flat white is usually stronger, served in a smaller cup, and has no foam. • Mocha is a latte with chocolate added.

Brewed or boiled, non espresso-based

• Black coffee is drip-brewed, percolated, vacuum brewed or French-press-style coffee served without cream. Some add sugar. • White coffee is black coffee with unheated milk added. Some add sugar.

Flavoured coffees

• Flavoured coffee: In some cultures, flavoured coffees are common. Chocolate is a common additive that is either sprinkled on top or mixed with the coffee to imitate the taste of Mocha. Other flavourings include spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or Italian syrups. Vanilla- and hazelnut-flavoured coffees are common in the United States and Australia; these are usually artificially flavoured. • Turkish coffee is served in very small cups about the size of those used for espresso. Traditional Turkish coffee cups have no handles, but modern ones often do. The crema or "face" is considered crucial, and since it requires some skill to achieve its presence is taken as evidence of a well-made brew. It is usually made sweet, with sugar added after the brew process begins, and often is flavoured with cardamom or other spices. In many places it is customary to serve it with a tall glass of water on the side. • Chicory is sometimes combined with coffee as a flavouring agent, as in the style of coffee served at the famous Café du Monde in New Orleans. Chicory has historically been used as a coffee substitute when real coffee was scarce, as in wartime. Chicory is popular as an additive in Belgium and is an ingredient in Madras filter coffee.

Cold drinks

• Iced coffee is a cold version of hot coffee, typically drip or espresso diluted with ice water. Iced coffee can also be an iced or chilled form of any drink in this list. In Australia, iced coffee is cold milk flavoured with a small amount of coffee. • Frappé is a strong cold coffee drink made from instant coffee and in Greece it is consumed more than the Turkish coffee (which the Greeks refer to as "elliniko" or "greek" after the Greek-Turkish dispute over Cyprus in 1974). Frappé was created in Greece in 1957 in the city of Thessaloniki when a businessman taking part in the open, international trade exhibition there, couldn't wait for hot water for his coffee. His idea spread instantly to all Greece. • Ice-blended coffee (trade names: Frappuccino, Ice Storm) is a variation of iced coffee. The name Frappucino was coined and trademarked by Starbucks (a combination of frappé and cappuccino). A frappuccino is a latte, mocha, or macchiato blended with crushed ice and flavourings. • Cold brewed coffee Toddy coffee is a filtered, drip-style process of brewing coffee slowly (12 hours) with cold water to produce a strong coffee concentrate, often served diluted with water or milk of choice.

Conclusion

Within the coffee drinking community there are connoisseurs, and drinking coffee which is not made by their hand can no longer satisfy them, thus they share their knowledge and experiences about the different varieties of machines and brewing processes. This is basically how community groups are formed. Also, coffee shops can be considered a community in itself; a place where information can be shared i.e. Starbucks, Gloria Jeans.

Coffee isn’t just some cup of black water. It holds great meaning and history. It can define cultures. With coffee’s fascinating history and variety of coffee machines and processes; people can’t help but be drawn to it.