By Jean-Pierre Fayet and Jean Christophe Cañadas; english version; July 2018
(Original text published in french version on the AICMC Website; september 2014)
Before 1800 and the invention of the coffee maker, the coffee was prepared, only, in 2 different ways:
Infusion:method of extraction of the active ingredients and aromas by dissolution in an initially boiling liquid which is allowed to cool.
Decoction: same principle but the liquid is kept boiling (it is the Turkish coffee).
1802 :
The French chemist, François Antoine Henri Descroizilles invents the coffee maker called « Caféolette » with 2 superposed containers separated by a filter.
This invention is contested first place with that of Jean Baptiste de Belloy, archbishop of Paris, (his coffee maker is called the dubbitory or the debelloire).
The coffeemaker is composed of two stacked containers, separated in the middle by a compartment where the coffee is placed. The boiling water is poured into the upper part, the coffee infuses slowly and passes into the lower container.
It is no longer infusion but leaching or leaching.
1808 :
Creation of the porcelain coffee pot by François Antoine Cadet, who was not dethroned until the arrival of soluble coffee.
1818 :
A German, Dr. Römershausen uses steam to push water through the grind, it’s the beginning of the espresso machine.
1818 :
A Frenchman named Laurens would have invented a coffee machine, also ancestor of espresso.
1819 :
The German Friedrich Ferdinand Runge (at the request of Goethe) isolates for the first time relatively pure caffeine.
It is described in 1821 by the French Pierre Joseph Pelletier and Pierre Jean Robiquet.
1822
The French Louis Bernard Rabaut invents the process by percolation.
This process is a principle of coffee extraction that relies on steam, li
instead of letting the water flow steam is forced through the grind.
It is the ancestor of the Italian coffee maker, the percolator and the espresso.
Note :
The percolator machine makes it possible to make coffee in large quantities, whereas the espresso machine operating on the same principle is rather made for small doses.
1825
Invention of the vacuum coffee machine (known today as the Cona coffee maker) consists of two superimposed globes and attached to a support, it operates at air pressure.
The lower part, the ball, contains the water and the upper part, the tulip, receives the milling.
Using a burner, the water heats and evaporates creating an overpressure in the lower globe.
The hot water (85 ° C) rises to the upper floor through the tube of the tulip immersed in the ball and mixes with the grind.
At this point, the heat source is stopped and then, with the pressure decreasing, the infused water falls downwardly into the lower vessel through the tube of the tulip on which a filter is placed.
The patent is filed by the French Jeanne Richard in 1837 with reference to the work of the German Loeff.
1844
Adrien Emile François Gabet invents the siphon coffee maker which is a vacuum coffee maker composed of two containers placed side by side, one in glass for coffee and the other in ceramic for water.
To obtain coffee from this new coffee maker, the water was transferred through the channel of a tube from one of the containers to the other to finally grow and trigger a pendulum to turn off automatically and at the moment appropriate burner.
1850
To obtain coffee from this new coffee maker, the water was transferred through the channel of a tube from one of the containers to the other to finally grow and trigger a pendulum to turn off automatically and at the moment appropriate burner. 
1860
In the village of Mazagran, Algeria, French soldiers besieged by Arabs drink hot or cold black coffee with brandy in containers shaped like stemmed glasses.
The name of Mazagran will remain attached to the drink and especially to the shape of the container.
1866
An American William Edson improves the vacuum system by building a coffee machine in one piece, close to Italian coffee makers.
It consists of an upper chamber and a lower chamber connected by a tube.
Under the effect of pressure, the water rises through the tube, then the coffee infuses and when the pressure decreases, returns to the bottom.
This coffee maker has the advantage of being inexpensive and safe.
1868
Julius Petsch (Hanover) and Stephen Buynitzky (St. Petersburg) file a patent on a coffee maker of the same type as Edson except that the upper compartment is pivoted;
when the water enters, the compartment tilts because of its asymmetrical shape.
The flame is extinguished and water flows into the bottom tank.
When the water has run out, the tank switches over again and will operate a hammer that will strike a bell to signal that the coffee is ready.
1884
Invention of the espresso machine, patented by the Turinese engineer Angelo Moriondo.Perfected by Luigi Bezzera in 1901, the patent is then bought in 1905 by Desiderio Pavoni, founder of the company « La Pavoni ».
Drink obtained by passing coffee powder packed with very hot water under pressure.
Reserved for its beginnings at drinking establishments, the espresso machine has now fallen into the current domain of domestic life.
1890
Instant coffee is invented by David Strang of Invercargill, New Zealand under the patent number 3518.
It was sold under the brand name « Strang’s Coffee » (« dry air » process).
1895
The Italian coffee maker manufactured by Alfonso Bialettimakes its appearance, derived from the vacuum coffee maker and percolation process, it is usually made of aluminum that allows it to work on any source of heat.
1905
Ludwig Roselius (German coffee trader, owner of coffee brands (Hag and Sanka) is developing a process for extracting caffeine from coffee beans 
which would allow the appearance of « decaffeinated » coffee.
1908
The German Melitta Benz hates coffee particles in her cup and tries to filter it through a sheet of blotting paper.
Given the excellent result she decides to file a patent.
The paper filter « Melitta » is born. 
Devant l’excellent résultat elle décide de déposer un brevet.
Le filtre papier « Melitta » est né.
1930
The Brazilian coffee office is looking to sell its stocks of raw coffee beans.
He asks « NESTLE » to develop « coffee cubes » which by simply adding hot water should allow to have instant coffee.
In Switzerland, a team is created with Professor Paul Dutoit and chemist Max Morgenthaler.
The first tests are not conclusive and the general management asks to stop them.
But Max Morgenthaler continues his research in his house.
He finally finds the formula: the grain is roasted, ground and passed in large coffee makers, then dehydrated.
Tasteless carbohydrates are then added to facilitate drying.
Nowadays, another process is now used « freeze drying » developed by National Research Corp during the Second World War where the liquid coffee is vacuum treated by freezing and sublimation (passage from the solid state to the state gaseous) which keeps only the coffee powder.
1933
The piston coffee machine is patented by Italian Caliman.
Usually made of glass, this coffee maker has a piston in its center, the bottom end of which is equipped with a perforated metal disk serving as a filter.
After placing the coffee at the bottom of the coffeemaker, pour the simmering water and let stand about two minutes.
By exerting pressure, the filter sinks to the bottom, separating the coffee (liquid) from the grounds.
1938
After 7 years of research the « NESCAFE » was born, marketed by « NESTLE », it will be powder and not cubes.
1946
Improved espresso machine by Achille Gaggia.
1954
Douwe Egberts launches on the market The « WIGOMAT », it is the first 
electric coffee maker.
The electric coffee maker combines the two aspects of infusion and percolation with a room where the water is heated by electric resistances.
The coffee is also kept warm in the container.
It can even be warmed up.
1970
The Swiss multinational « NESTLE » imagines a concept consisting of a closed integrated system where one would introduce a pod of coffee that would 
produce the equivalent of an espresso.
It’s a simple employee of Nestlé: Eric Favre who has the idea of the capsule.
This concept will be marketed in 1986 under the name of « NESPRESSO ».
The introduction of this filter coffee machine triggers the second « revolution » in the field of coffee in the home, after that of ground coffee
9 billion capsules are sold per year (Nestlé figure of 2017), every minute
17,000 cups of coffee made with the capsule « NESPRESSO » are drunk, in the world.