On the outskirts of Milan, espresso lovers can discover MUMAC, an espresso machine museum. We visited its seven rooms to be taught extra concerning the fascinating historical past of espresso machines.
BY TANYA NANETTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Images by Tanya Nanetti
After our latest go to to the La Marzocco Academy, we had the prospect to double our luck by visiting MUMAC, the espresso machine museum, on a wet November morning.
Welcome to MUMAC
Housed in an industrial space on the outskirts of Milan, close to the La Cimbali manufacturing facility, MUMAC homes an enormous assortment of espresso machines of varied manufacturers. MUMAC welcomes guests each Tuesday and Thursday by appointment for a free tour guided by a useful app.
As soon as we have been contained in the pink constructing, it was time to begin the tour with the primary of seven rooms. This room traces the early years of espresso machine manufacturing.
Room One: Espresso’s Early Years
On this room, all of the machines have been large, vertical, and exquisite, embellished in response to the beliefs of Artwork Nouveau. These machines are completely completely different from what we all know right now; outstanding amongst them is the La Pavoni Ideale, which options the primary brewing group in historical past and was introduced by its inventor, Luigi Bezzera, on the 1906 Milan Expo.
Along with the gathering of machines, the room contains a copy of a historic café, which on the time would have been reserved for rich folks. There was additionally a quick however complete presentation of how espresso was often ready in Italy earlier than the espresso “revolution.“ At one time, espresso was ready with a machine that took virtually an hour for a brew. Due to Angelo Moriondo’s invention of the steam machine, the brewing time was lowered to about 10 minutes for a giant batch of espresso: not fairly espresso, however positively one thing sooner.
Room Two: The Interwar Interval
We then moved on to the subsequent room, which covers the interwar interval. Right here the machines mirrored each the troubled historic interval and the useful simplicity of the age of rationalism. The geometric strains and unadorned our bodies on these machines appeared to suggest the significance of operate over look. Additionally from this era was the invention of horizontal espresso machines. These have been higher suited to help the barista in multitasking, producing espresso sooner to fulfill the growing variety of prospects starting to frequent cafés.
This second room homes such necessary machines because the La Cimbali Rapida, the primary machine produced by Giuseppe Cimbali (the foreman of La Cimbali Group), and La Cornuta, the primary machine designed by a designer—Gio Ponti—in 1947.
The Cornuta, thought of essentially the most lovely espresso machine of all time, had very restricted manufacturing. Its steam expertise was already virtually out of date on the time, when a brand new lever was launched to the market. That is most likely why solely two La Cornuta nonetheless exist—one in MUMAC and one hidden in a personal assortment.
Room Three: Postwar Tech Enhancements
The third room focuses on the postwar interval and Achille Gaggia’s invention of the lever in 1948, first featured in an espresso machine produced by Faema. For the primary time there was crema on high of espresso, and lots of machines bear inscriptions promoting it to make skeptical prospects perceive this new method of consuming espresso.
Machines of this period have been richly embellished, as if to symbolize the modern financial system of the time: The design was usually shiny and beautiful, recalling the design of jukeboxes and Cadillacs, impressed by the long-awaited American dream.
There was additionally a copy of one other café right here, exhibiting how the café advanced as a social area throughout these a long time. They have been now a spot to talk with associates, watch the information on TV, research, or discuss politics. Not a spot just for rich folks, these new (Italian) cafés grew to become a gathering level for everybody.
Be a part of us tomorrow for half two of our go to to MUMAC.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tanya Nanetti (she/her) is a specialty-coffee barista, a traveler, and a dreamer. When she’s not behind the espresso machine (or visiting some hidden nook of the world), she’s busy writing for Espresso Revolt, a web site about specialty espresso that she’s creating alongside together with her boyfriend.
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