Anyone for coffee? The story behind the coffee capsule

• Pages: 20-22

ANYONE FOR

COFFEE?

The story behind the coffee capsule

20

OCTOBER 2010

stronger, more robust cup of coffee. Although tech-

nically gifted, Mr. Bezzera enjoyed little success in

marketing his product. It was Desidero Pavoni, an

Italian businessman, who, having acquired the

patent rights to Mr. Bezzera’s machine in 1905, suc-

cessfully introduced espresso to the Italian market

and changed the way we drink coffee.

Evolving technology

The technology for brewing the perfect espresso

has been constantly improved and fine-tuned

over the years. In 1938, Mr. Cremonesi’s develop-

ment of a coffee machine with a piston pump

eliminated the burnt flavor associated with using

steam or boiling water. Mr. Achille Gaggia’s

spring-lever piston pump subsequently made it

possible to apply pressure to the coffee inde-

pendently of the boiler – earlier machines forced

water through coffee using boiler pressure. In

1961, the company, Faema, created a machine

with an electric pump to force the water through

the coffee. This marked the beginning of the

pump-driven machines from which modern

espresso machines derived.

The birth of an invention

The son of an agricultural inventor, Mr. Eric Favre,

was counseled early in his engineering career

about the importance of inventing something

that could sell. With this in mind, in 1975, he be-

gan his career in the packaging department of

the Swiss headquarters of Nestlé. This enabled

him to be in constant touch not only with the re-

search and development (R&D) side of the com-

pany’s work but also with sales, marketing and

production. In the mid-seventies, instant coffee

was all the rage, but Mr. Favre’s coffee adventure

was sparked by an ambition to make it possible

for anyone to prepare and savor the best Italian

espresso in the comfort of their home.

The invention of the coffee capsule has revolu-

tionized coffee drinking, fuelling the increasing

popularity of one of the most distinctive bever-

ages available – the small but strong black coffee

known as the espresso. Coffee is brewed in many

ways, but the espresso is fast becoming the con-

noisseur’s cup of choice. An espresso coffee is

brewed under great pressure by forcing hot water

through finely ground beans in less than 25 sec-

onds. The result is a concentrated shot of coffee

crowned with its hallmark, delicate, chocolate-

brown froth known as a

crema

. In June 2010, Eric

Favre, a prolific and pioneering inventor in the

field of portioned coffee, shared his insights and

experiences as an inventor and entrepreneur with

participants at a seminar organized in the context

of WIPO’s first Open Day. This article draws on his

comments to trace the development of the tech-

nology that has transformed the coffee-drinking

experience for millions.

The origins

Espresso originated in Italy – it means “fast” in

Italian – in the early 1900s when Luigi Bezzera,

frustrated at how long it took to make his morn-

ing cup, added steam pressure to his coffee ma-

chine. In doing so, he not only accelerated the

brewing process but found that he obtained a

‘‘When you are an

inventor, you have to be

an entrepreneur.’’

Photo: Enrico Maltoni Collection - www.espressomadeinitaly.com