The History of Italian Coffee

Discover the origins of Italian coffee drinks such as espresso and cappuccino. Espresso machines were developed in the early 1900s to speed up the brewing process. The first commercial machine was La Pavoni Idiale, which used steam pressure. Espresso as we know it today with crema was developed in the second half of the 20th century. Cappuccino started in Vienna with the name referring to the color of the coffee and milk ratio. The idea traveled to Italy with the influence of Austria and the espresso machine was used to froth milk for the drink we know today.