Google Doodle pays tribute to inventor of espresso machine, Angelo Moriondo

Google is celebrating the 171st birthday of the godfather of espresso machines, Angelo Moriondo, on June 6 with a special Google Doodle, inviting all coffee lovers to sip in tribute to the inventor.

Created by Olivia When, the doodle is painted in coffee colour and features a GIF of the espresso machine.

While coffee was extremely popular in Italy, people spent a lot of time waiting for the coffee to brew. Moriondo came to the rescue of the customers and figured that making multiple cups of coffee at once would allow him to serve more customers at a faster pace, giving him an edge over his competitors, Google said in a blogpost.

Moriondo patented the first known espresso machine. “The machine consisted of a large boiler that pushed heated water through a bed of coffee grounds, with a second boiler producing steam that would flash the bed of coffee and complete the brew,” it said.

Moriondo presented his espresso machine at the General Expo of Turin in 1884, where it was awarded the bronze medal. He received a patent titled, “New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage, method”.

Born to a family of entrepreneurs in Italy in 1851, Moriondo never stopped brewing new ideas or projects. His grandfather founded a liquor production company that was passed down to his son (Angelo’s father), who himself would later build the popular chocolate company, “Moriondo and Gariglio” alongside his brother and cousin.