Who is Angelo Moriondo? : Google Pays Tribute To Godfather Of Espresso Machines Angelo “Moriondo”

Angelo Moriondo (Turin, 6 June 1851 – Marentino, 31 May 1914) was an inventor usually credited for patenting the earliest known espresso machine, in 1884. His machine used a combination of steam and boiling water to efficiently brew coffee.

Angelo Moriondo came from an entrepreneurial family. His grandfather founded a liqueur producing company that was continued by his father Giacomo, who later founded the well-known chocolate company “Moriondo and Gariglio” along with his brother Agostino and cousin Gariglio. Angelo purchased the Grand-Hotel Ligure in the city-centre Piazza Carlo Felice and the American Bar in the Galleria Nazionale of Via Roma.

First espresso machine

Moriondo presented his invention at the General Expo of Turin in 1884, where it was awarded the bronze medal. The patent was awarded for a period of six years on 16 May 1884 under the title of “New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage, method ‘A. Moriondo’.” The machine was actually built by a mechanic named Martina, working under the direct supervision of the inventor.

It was successively updated with a patent on 20 November 1884, Vol 34, No, 381. The invention was then confirmed by international patent after being registered in Paris on 23 October 1885. In the following years, Moriondo continued to improve his invention drastically, each improvement being patented.

American Bar in Galleria Nazionale

Angelo Moriondo never took the invention to industrial-scale production. He limited himself to the construction of a few hand-built, machines which he jealously conserved in his establishments, convinced that this was a significant advertisement for them

Ian Bersten, a historian chronicling the history of coffee, claims to be the first researcher to ever discover Moriondo’s patent. Bersten describes the device as “the first Italian bar machine that controlled the supply of steam and water separately through the coffee” and Moriondo as “one of the earliest discoverers of the espresso machine.”

Unlike true espresso machines, it was a bulk brewer, and did not brew coffee “expressly” for the individual customer.

Google Pays Tribute To Godfather Of Espresso Machines Angelo “Moriondo”

Coffee was the hottest commodity in Italy in the 19th century. Brewing methods necessitated a wait time of over five minutes for customers. This is where Angelo Moriondo comes in. Angelo was the first person to obtain a patent for an espresso machine. It is the 171st birthday of Doodle today.

Born in Turin on June 6, 1851, Moriondo was raised in a family of entrepreneurs who were always coming up with new ideas and projects. Angelo’s grandfather founded a liquor production company that was passed down to his son (Angelo’s father), who later built the popular chocolate company, “Moriondo and Gariglio” along with his brother and cousins.

Moriondo bought the Grand-Hotel Ligure in Piazza Carlo Felice and the American Bar in the Galleria Nazionale of Via Roma, following in his family’s footsteps. Despite the fact that coffee is very popular in Italy, customers were irritated by the long wait times. As he saw it, Moriondo could serve a greater number of customers in a shorter period of time by making multiple cups of coffee at once.

At the General Expo of Turin in 1884, Moriondo presented his espresso machine and was awarded the bronze medal for his invention, which he built under the direct supervision of the mechanic he hired. There were two boilers in the machine, the first pushing hot water through a bed of coffee grounds while the steam from the second boiler steamed the coffee bed and finished the brew. “New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage, method “A. Moriondo”” was the title of the patent he was awarded to him. In the years that followed, Moriondo continued to improve and patent his invention.

Angelo Moriondo, on your 171st birthday, best wishes. Coffee drinkers pay homage to the inventor of the espresso machine today.