The Bialetti Moka Express

Designer	Alfonso Bialetti
Dates	1933 - Present

Description

The classic octagonal shape of the ‘Moka Express’ stovetop expresso maker is widely recognized as an icon of twentieth century Italian design. In a recent survey of Italian design, the ‘Moka Express’ ranked as the fifth best design to have come out of Italy in the twentieth century, alongside the 1957 Fiat 500, the 1946 Vespa and Nutella!

Developed by Alfonso Bialetti from his workshop in Crusinallo, Verbania, this simple and elegant invention was to revolutionalize the way that expresso coffee was prepared and consumed in Italy and, eventually, across the world. Before the introduction of the ‘Moka Express’, expresso coffee was generally prepared by large, steam pressured machines and served publically in Expresso bars. It was possible to prepare expresso away from the bar, but filtering coffee is a slow process and the end result lacked the strength and intensity that the machines in the bars could provide. However, with the introduction of the ‘Moka Express’ in 1933, an alternative to filtered coffee was finally introduced to the domestic market. The new stovetop expresso maker could produce powerful expresso’s, just like the ones available in the bars. This was because, like the much larger expresso machines, it also used pressurized boiling water to get the most out of the coffee bean.

Inspired by the laundry methods used by the local women in Crusinallo, Bialetti noticed that their wash tubs featured a central pipe which drew the soapy water up and over the laundry. He realized the same principle could be used to produce coffee and set to work on this new innovation. Bialetti had been making semi-finished aluminium products since opening his workshop in 1919. This had evolved into a studio for the design and production of finished goods, enabling him to develop and produce his invention on site. The main material used in the production of the original ‘Moka Express’ was aluminium, a modern and lightweight metal that is resistant to corrosion. The aluminium would have been crafted by hand into the octagonal shape that is the hallmark of Bialetti‘s avent-garde design. He combined the shiny, polished effect of the metal with a matt black handle and knob on the lid. For these two elements, Bialetti used the heat resistant material bakelite.

hand%20casting%20of%20aluminium%20parts%20at%20bialetti%20factory

Figure 1: Hand casting aluminium parts in the Bialetti factory

At first, the new invention was slow to take off, but after WWII, Bialetti’s son, Renato, realised his father’s vision and successfully marketed the product on a national scale. As a result of an extensive advertising campaign, production had to be increased to 1,000 pieces a day, making Bialetti one of the most successful companies in Italy during the 1950’s. in order to distinguish the product from its competitors, Renato invented a company mascot, “omino con I baffi” - a little man with a mustache pointing a finger in the air. This caricature is printed on every coffee pot produced and is part of the company’s official trademark, recognized affectionately throughout Italy as the mark of the original ‘Moka Express’. Today, production has increased to 18,000 pieces a day, and it is estimated that 90% of Italian households currently own at least one ‘Moka Express’. An estimated total of 250,000,000 Moka pots have been sold since mass production started in the 1950’s.

Over time the product has evolved – overall the lines are smoother and more rounded at the edges, but generally the classic Art Deco design is much the same as it was in 1933. It is now available in a range of sizes, according to how many cups of expresso you wish to make: 1,2,3,4,6,9,12 and 18. If you were to consider buying a ‘Moka Express’, then it would cost around £22 and is available in either a box or a sleeve, but the 12 and 18 cup versions are not available with the latter.

A Personal View

I am taken by the simplicity and elegance of the design of this product and how successful it has been in and outside of Italy. I think it works well as an everyday object and also as a symbol of Italian design quality and authenticity. So how does it work? Water is poured into the tank (9) and the funnel shaped filter (8) is then inserted and ground coffee is put in there. The upper part with a second metal filter (6) screws onto the base. Once the pot is put on the stove, then the water will soon comes close to boiling point and steam will be produced in the tank. A gasket ensures that the tank is tightly sealed and if the pressure gets too high, then the valve (10) will release the pressure if it gets too high. Once the steam reaches a certain pressure, then the boiling water is forced up the funnel, through the coffee granules and into the upper chamber (4). When the lower chamber is empty, then it makes a gurgling noise and you know you’re coffee is ready.

Figure 2: An exploded view of the ‘Moka Express’

As with a cafetiere, it is easy to dismantle and clean all the relevant parts. If you should happen to loose or damage any of them, then spare ones are available.

Context

There is a similar coffee pot, made by Aeternum, that has a thermovisual lid which changes colour when the coffee is almost ready (only available in 1 & 3 cup sizes).

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/03/mokaexpress - Story of the Bialetti Moka Express

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot - Details of how a Moka Express works

http://www.bialetti.it/uk - Bialetti company website – details of history and products

Author:

Daniel Wilcox

Date:

March 2008