Barista Magazine

APR-MAR 2014

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THERE ARE ONLY A HANDFUL of people as universally beloved in the specialty-coffee industry as Piero Bambi of La Marzocco. The son and nephew of the company founders, Piero has run the Florence, Italy–based boutique espresso-machine operation almost his entire life: from when he was a boy of 6 years old pol- ishing parts at his father's and uncle's feet, to now, at age 80, still working at the factory every single day. Crafting exceptional machines that exqui- sitely marry form and function—which is La Marzocco's legacy—is in the Bambi blood: Piero's grandfather, Ettore, was a steel work- er, and Piero's father, Giuseppe, had similar interests, becoming an industrial technician and landing a high-ranking job right out of school. "However, his independent spirit, strength, and inborn urge to be 'innovative' soon prompted him to leave the plant and start up his own business," Piero said in a company publication. Sound like anyone you know? Piero easily fell in to step with the heritage established by his father and uncle, Bruno, for breaking bound- aries and rewriting the rules. La Marzocco developed the first espresso machine with a horizontal boiler and the first semi-automatic group machine in 1939. Piero himself conceived of and patented the double boiler in 1970, allow- ing baristas the option of continuous brewing for the first time, which solved a number of prob- lems. "The enormous advantage of continuous brewing is that water drips from the water pipes directly onto ground coffee—which explains the expression 'continuous brewing,'" he says. Piero Bambi The La Marzocco Legend by Sarah Allen MASTER 101 www.baristamagazine.com B o o k 5 5 - 8 8 . i n d d 1 0 1 Book 55-88.indd 101 3 / 1 9 / 1 4 1 0 : 1 2 P M 3/19/14 10:12 PM

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