FrancisFrancis
Encyclopedia
FrancisFrancis! is an espresso
Espresso
Espresso is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee. Espresso is widely known throughout the world....

 machine manufacturer owned by illy
Illy
illycaffè is a brand of coffee produced in Trieste, Italy.illy produces only one blend in three roast variations: normal, dark roast, and decaffeinated. The blend is packaged as whole beans, pre-ground coffee, E.S.E. pods, or iperEspresso Capsules....

.

Founded in 1994 by Francesco Illy, FrancisFrancis has produced espresso machine
Espresso machine
An espresso machine is used to produce the traditional Italian coffee beverage called espresso.-History:The first machine for making espresso was built and patented by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, who demonstrated a working example at the Turin General Exposition of 1884. He was granted patent no...

s of high quality materials and design, dedicated to the home market.

FrancisFrancis! was the first to propose a bold and unconventional household appliance thanks to the affinity between metal and color: the X1 model is the most photographed espresso machine in the world. Italian architect Luca Trazzi was responsible for the aesthetics, delivering a truly unconventional look, but one that at the same time appealed to the masses.

In 2004 the company was purchased by illy
Illy
illycaffè is a brand of coffee produced in Trieste, Italy.illy produces only one blend in three roast variations: normal, dark roast, and decaffeinated. The blend is packaged as whole beans, pre-ground coffee, E.S.E. pods, or iperEspresso Capsules....

, since then, FrancisFrancis! became the espresso machines of choice for illy, always associated with the coffee brand. The Francis Francis! espresso makers were one of the first to feature the option for the E.S.E. pods
Easy Serving Espresso Pod
An Easy Serving Espresso Pod, or E.S.E. pod, is a small packed coffee disk with a paper filter covering.Each pod contains seven grams of coffee compressed into a food safe filter package. A double serving contains 14 grams of coffee. Pods are typically 44-45mm size for E.S.E...

. Currently, all new FF! models are only suitable for the E.S.E. pods
Easy Serving Espresso Pod
An Easy Serving Espresso Pod, or E.S.E. pod, is a small packed coffee disk with a paper filter covering.Each pod contains seven grams of coffee compressed into a food safe filter package. A double serving contains 14 grams of coffee. Pods are typically 44-45mm size for E.S.E...

, a filter for pre-ground coffee is optional.

Although renowned for their beauty, the FrancisFrancis! machines were often criticized for their average, or even poor espresso-making performance by espresso fanatics. Still, the machines are a big success, further promoting illy coffee and their E.S.E. system
Easy Serving Espresso Pod
An Easy Serving Espresso Pod, or E.S.E. pod, is a small packed coffee disk with a paper filter covering.Each pod contains seven grams of coffee compressed into a food safe filter package. A double serving contains 14 grams of coffee. Pods are typically 44-45mm size for E.S.E...

. Since the acquisition of FF! by illy, the models have been rigorously improved, resulting in more and more positive votes from the connoisseur community.

In the UK (as of late 2007) the newest version of the X1 is known as the X1 Ground - it is only suitable for ground coffee and is not compatible with the ESE pods system.

Interesting facts

  • The red version of the X1 was inspired by the racing cars of Ferrari
    Ferrari
    Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...

    .
  • The new "Trio" line of X1, X3, X6 only support E.S.E. pods
    Easy Serving Espresso Pod
    An Easy Serving Espresso Pod, or E.S.E. pod, is a small packed coffee disk with a paper filter covering.Each pod contains seven grams of coffee compressed into a food safe filter package. A double serving contains 14 grams of coffee. Pods are typically 44-45mm size for E.S.E...

    .
  • The new "ground" line of X1 (available in the UK) only support ground coffee and are not compatible with E.S.E. pods
  • The X1 was used in an episode of Sex and the City
    Sex and the City
    Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...

     involving Carrie Bradshaw
    Carrie Bradshaw
    Carrie Preston is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO sitcom/drama Sex and the City, portrayed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a semi-autobiographical character created by Candace Bushnell, who published the book Sex and the City, based on her own columns in the New York...

    getting a red X1 as a gift from Aleksandr Petrovsky.

Links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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