From Technology to its Design: The Development of the Coffee Machine
A coffee machine can be found in most households today, however most of us don’t know just how much this appliance has changed over the last 400 years – yes, dear friends, the coffee machine has a long history! From the very first idea to the production of an actual machine that serves coffee in seconds.
These days coffee machines have plenty of functions that make the process of preparing coffee easy, fast and convenient, and the brew itself is oftentimes just what we are looking for in a cuppa…tasty and aromatic. Before the technical revolution, however, making coffee was laborious and took a lot of time and effort, as well as required some skills and practice. Coffee preparation tools were difficult to use, dysfunctional, and took up a lot of space.
The story of how coffee machines developed to what they are today is told in this article by The Coffee Mate – a company that specializes in selling coffee and coffee machines.
So how did it all begin? The brewing of coffee that is. Well, back in the day, roasted and ground coffee beans would be poured into a pot and boiled in a small amount of water. The filtering technology was actually only developed 120 years ago, and the first application of this method wasn’t exactly perfect. However, it was enough to provide a drink of better quality, with spreading aroma.
As the years passed, coffee machines of improved structure started appearing on the market, like the French coffee pot with a filter that would create high pressure, and finally electric coffee makers. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the technology behind coffee makers slowly started getting standardized. It was necessary to maintain right parameters for the perfect brew, such as temperature and brewing time. Metal, which was used to make such coffee makers before, was slowly replaced by other materials, mostly plastic and other artificial materials. Nowadays, the much improved coffee machines are not only a functional appliance to prepare coffee with, but also a part of interior design. Many different colours, shapes and sizes can make it a centerpiece of any kitchen.
Without any doubt, the current coffee machines are very stylish, and improved appearance goes hand in hand with technological progress. It allows to simplify the process of coffee making, which means getting the desired type of coffee with a single push of a button is very easy. On top of that, both flavour and volume of the drink can be programed according to individual preference. Keeping the appliance clean has also been automated. With a single touch of a button the coffee machine will start cleaning and descaling itself. As if that wasn’t enough, the appliance will display a message and notify when any maintenance program should be performed.
Nowadays you can prepare any kind of coffee beverage with an automatic coffee machine – from black and espresso, to more complicated coffee drinks with milk, like latte macchiato. It’s possible to adjust the basic parameters like strength, volume and temperature. Instead of previously used filters, which were hard to clean, these new, advanced coffee machines have permanent ones that are easier to remove. As coffee machines developed and improved, the assortment of maintenance products expanded. These days all it takes is using a cleaning or descaling tablet, powder or liquid, and pressing the right! That’s all you have to do to always enjoy fresh coffee, and a have your coffee machine serving for years.
Coffee machines still get improved. New models keep popping up, extra features appear in the upgraded ones – all for even more convenience. For instance, the existing option of programming the time of coffee making has been expanded with the ability to choose the cup size and coffee’s flavour. The latest appliances have automatic shutdown functions, thermostat control, and LED displays with notifications available. By now, there are coffee machines with TFT touchscreens, which allow to select the desired type of coffee with a single touch of a screen. One of the latest improvements is an automatic switch that regulates and turns off dripping after brewing.
Since inventing the very first coffee maker, it has changed beyond recognition. Nowadays a coffee machine allows to prepare exceptionally tasty coffee in a quick and easy way. All the processes have been optimally automated – from selecting temperature of the brew, to a self-cleaning feature for the entire unit. Constant improvement and affordable prices have turned coffee machines from a luxury item to a useful everyday appliance that many people can’t imagine life without. Plenty of offices and companies also get equipped with such coffee machines, because everyone knows by now – the more coffee, the more work gets done!