The electronics in the espresso machine

Only a bar serving great coffee is worthy of respect and consideration. In Italy, at least, we think so. For us Italians, coffee, especially the espresso in the bar, has a very particular meaning, it is a real cult: there is nothing that can replace it, nothing that can imitate it. For this reason, the coffee machine is the heart of any self-respecting bar. Almost an object of desire, placed in plain sight behind the counter to allow customers to attend the show, the coffee machine steals the eye. First there is the preparation, the skilful gestures of the barista, the loading with the coffee powder, the pressing, the insertion of the reassuring-sounding filter holder. Then the machine kicks in, runs the water through the ground, fills the cup and releases the delicious aroma. None of this is possible without a good coffee machine, because if the quality of the raw material is fundamental, the efficiency of the machine that extracts the drink is of no less importance.

But if the coffee ritual is handed down identity, it is not the same for the functioning and characteristics of the espresso coffee machine. The first industrial coffee machines, born in Italy, worked with gas. A stove heated the water up to 120 degrees: only after the war was it understood that a lower temperature, around 90 degrees, gave a better flavour to the coffee, getting rid of the bitter aftertaste. The pressure was then increased, to 9 atmospheres from the original 1.5, with the effect of producing the typical foam of espresso coffee. Later an electric pump was introduced, for pre-infusion, and an exchange exchanger that stabilized the water temperature while maintaining the quality of the coffee constant.

Since the 1960s, there has also been a new focus on the design of bar machines, when original shapes are established that allow the models to be distinguished. Steel and horizontal lines dominate. The style of the coffee machines contributes to change the very appearance of Italian bars making them recognizable in the world.

In more recent years, the coffee machine has undergone other evolutions that make it possible to optimize coffee dispensing times and improve the barista’s work. The electronics have brought more and more sophisticated innovations, such as the electronic system created by Syen to program the coffee extraction temperature, control the pressure profiles, monitor temperatures and facilitate the control of machine performance. The system allows to dispense 4 volumes of coffee (single, double, short, long) with a single action. The one-touch operation facilitates the preparation of the espresso and allows the barista to have more time to follow the other orders and dedicate himself to customers. Even a model with an original vintage design can be equipped with the most advanced technical solutions, such as a car with an elegant livery, inspired by the French style of the early 1900s. Because even the eye wants its part.

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