HIS STORY
The Italian coffee maker, commonly called moka pot Or macchinetta (small machine) is an Italian stovetop brewing system, patented in 1933 under the name Moka Express by Alfonso Bialetti.
Mr. Bialetti is an engineer who had worked for many years in the aluminum industry. He would use aluminum to design the body of his coffee maker, a new concept since aluminum had never been used for "domestic" purposes.
Until 1940, Mr. Bialetti sold his moka only locally in the markets of Piedmont, a region in northwest Italy. Within 6 years, only 70,000 coffee makers will join Italian homes.
During World War II, production was even halted due to the rising cost of aluminum and coffee. At the end of the war in 1946, the company's production was limited to the Moka Express alone, and a major radio and television marketing campaign was launched, which made the Moka Express popular.
It has since been widely copied, and has become a design object, exhibited in modern art museums such as the Science Museum in London. Today it is the most used coffee brewing system in Italy.
Good to know: The omino with the baffi (which means The little man with the mustache), which became the company's mascot, is a caricature of Mr. Bialetti by Paul Campani, made in 1958!
Alfonso Bialetti
Venus Collection
Revisited elegance and renewed performance.
Model based on induction.
Capacity 300ml.
Available in copper
HOW IT WORKS
The Moka pot is a stovetop coffee maker that uses the expansion of hot air to brew coffee.
The coffee maker is divided into three parts which unscrew:
- at the base, the water tank equipped with a pressure valve
- in the center the filter holder and ground coffee container
- at the top the brewed coffee container with the carafe and the lid.
The process is relatively simple. The water in the base is heated, and steam pressure forces it upward through the ground coffee, brewing the coffee. A gasket seals the system, allowing the pressure to increase at the bottom. The pressure achieved with this method is slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. When the water tank is almost empty, steam bubbles appear at the outlet and produce a whirring noise. gurgling characteristic. The result in your cup? You get a full-bodied, aromatic coffee, halfway between espresso and filter coffee.
There The Italian coffee maker should not be left on the heat source once the coffee has brewed. Remove it just before gurgling sounds appear, when about half of the top is full. Otherwise, you will burn your coffee and have an unpleasant taste in the cup. We also recommend slightly unscrewing the coffee maker while it is still hot to prevent the gasket from heating up and compressing.
Good to know: Legend has it that the Bialetti coffee maker was inspired by the first clothes washing machines that used a heat source to boil a bucket of soapy water, and force it out through a tube to wash the clothes.
ITS GRINDING
For Italian coffee makers, also called stovetop coffee makers, you should use a medium-fine grind. This is a grind halfway between espresso and filter coffee, resembling table salt.
ITS CLEANING
As with any coffee machine, your Italian moka pot needs regular maintenance.
Whether it is made of aluminum or steel, never put it in the dishwasher, as you risk damaging it and wearing it out prematurely. Indeed, these materials does not like detergents and washing that is too aggressive.
Wash it by hand after each use, in hot water without soap and let it air dry. Also, don't leave coffee grounds in the filter holder for too long, as they could clog your grill.
Regarding limestone, Here's a 100% economical and ecological solution: white vinegar! Fill your coffee maker's water reservoir with a mixture of hot water and white vinegar, and heat the coffee maker as if you were making your usual coffee, minus the coffee. The infusion will allow the system to be completely cleaned.Then you just need to rinse the coffee maker thoroughly and brew a rinse coffee, which you will throw away, to remove any vinegar smell from your future coffees.
To avoid limescale deposits, repeat the operation every month, or every 15 days if your water is very hard.
ITS COATING
The Bialetti Moka pot is made of aluminum. We're often asked the question: Is it safe to use an aluminum pot?
Aluminum can actually be harmful to the body. But first we must take into account, and start by saying, that this material begins to become toxic when it reaches a certain threshold.
In the case of an Italian coffee maker, and especially a Bialetti, the aluminum does not systematically leak into the food during preparation. In fact, Bialetti coffee makers are manufactured with a certain coating quality, greatly reducing the risk of aluminum being added to your coffee.
So, give priority to good maintenance, no dishwashers or abrasive detergents or metal sponges which could damage the coating that protects the aluminum.
Source: bialetti.com
