An espresso machine brews coffee by forcing pressurized water near boiling point through a "puck" of ground coffee and a filter in order to produce a thick, concentrated coffee called espresso. The first machine for making espresso was built and patented in 1884 by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy. An improved design was patented in 1901, which was bought by the founder of the "La Pavoni" company which from 1905 produced espresso machines commercially on a small scale in Milan.