clearer, less gritty brew. Around 1750, the
French came up with the most important
advance before espresso: the drip pot, in
which hot water was poured onto a bed of
grounds and allowed to pass through into a
separate chamber. This invention did three
things: it kept the temperature of the
extracting water below the boil, it limited the
contact time between water and ground coffee
to a matter of a few minutes, and it produced a
sedimentless brew that would keep for a while
without getting stronger. The limits on
brewing temperature and time meant a less
complete extraction of the coffee. This
reduced the bitterness and astringency, and
allowed the other elements of coffee flavor
more prominence, the tartness and aroma that
were more appealing to European tastes.
Machine-Age Espresso The 19th century
brought the invention of several new brewing
methods. There was percolation, or allowing