Drinking a coffee ‘as good as at the bar’ is a must for us Italians… especially on Monday mornings!
The history of espresso as we know it began in 1930 in Milan, in a bar on Viale Premuda owned by the Gaggia family. Here, Achille Gaggia dedicated himself to researching a way of extracting coffee without steam. The goal was to enhance the flavour so that it would no longer be as bitter as ‘walking through a foggy Milan’, as Achille Gaggia used to say.
The Lampo system
In 1936, after meeting engineer Antonio Cremonese, Gaggia created the first ‘press’ system, completely independent of the use of steam. The system, called ‘Lampo’, was patented in 1938 and, thanks to hot water pressure instead of steam, resulted in a much better coffee.
In 1948, he founded entrepreneur Carlo Ernesto Valente Officine Faema Brevetti Gaggia in Robecco sul Naviglio to produce the first TIPO CLASSICA espresso machine with natural foam and lever operation. This machine brought about a technological revolution and an aesthetic one. It is beautiful to look at and capable of making a cup of espresso in just 20 seconds with an unmistakable layer of foam on top, officially opening the era of ‘espresso coffee’. The success is surprising, thanks also to the slogan ‘Natural coffee creamer—Works without steam’.
Thus, Gaggia began installing its machines in Milan’s trendiest bars, from Biffi to Motta. It became a worldwide success in a short time!
1952: The first home espresso machine
In 1952, Gaggia produced ‘Gilda’, the first home machine, and started expanding its business outside Italy. In 1955, Gaggia was the first Made in Italy brand to be exported to England! In the famous ‘Moka Bars’ – inaugurated by Gina Lollobrigida – ‘Bar Italia’, ‘Sirocci Bar’, ‘El Cubano’ and ‘The French House’, Gaggia machines start a revolution, serving up to 1,000 people a day. After decades of continuous growth, the company went into crisis in 2007 and closed its historic factory in Robecco sul Naviglio.
Today, Gaggia Milano is part of the Evoca Group, a world leader in professional coffee machines based in Valbrembo (BG). It develops technologies that guarantee the experience of coffee outside the home, anywhere in the world and at any time. In 2013, for the brand’s 75th anniversary, the group renewed its product range, focusing mainly on those for domestic use and relaunching the historic GAGGIA MILANO logo, which underlines the strong tie with tradition, company values and the city of its birth.
The Group, led by CEO Andrea Zocchi, has thousands of employees, sells in 140 countries worldwide and has a turnover of hundreds of millions of Euros!
Congratulations to those who bring creativity and Italian-style coffee to the world!
Read more Italian success stories related to food and beverage.