Moka pot

{{Short description|Device used for brewing coffee}} {{Distinguish||Caffè mocha|Mocha coffee bean}} {{Infobox machine |name = Moka pot |image = Moka Express Bialetti.png |caption = Bialetti Moka Express | alt = Photograph of classic Bialetti Moka Express coffee maker. | industry = Coffee in Italy | application = Coffee preparation | invented =  | inventor = {{Plist| *Samuel Parker (1833) *Alfonso Bialetti ({{circa|1933}}) }} | free_label = Manufacturers | free_text = {{hlist|Alessi|Bialetti|De' Longhi|Giannini|(''et al''.)}} }}

The '''moka pot'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Why We Love the Bialetti Moka Pot |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/bialetti-moka-pot-review/ |website=The New York Times |access-date=22 June 2023 |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622041322/https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/bialetti-moka-pot-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bialetti Brikka vs. Bialetti Moka Express |url=https://101coffeemachines.info/moka/brikka-vs-moka-express/ |website=101 Coffee Machines .info |access-date=22 June 2023 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622041324/https://101coffeemachines.info/moka/brikka-vs-moka-express/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is a stove-top or electric coffee maker that brews coffee by passing hot water driven by vapor pressure and heat-driven gas expansion through ground coffee. Named after the Yemeni city of Mokha, it was popularized by Italian aluminum vendor Alfonso Bialetti and his son Renato starting from 1933.<ref name=QZ-2016>{{Cite web|title = Italy's coffee pot king was buried in the appliance that made him famous|url = https://qz.com/618734/italys-coffee-pot-king-was-buried-in-the-appliance-that-made-him-famous |first=Corinne |last=Purtill |date=February 18, 2016 |website = qz.com|access-date = 14 May 2023|archive-date = 9 October 2024|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241009142540/https://qz.com/618734/italys-coffee-pot-king-was-buried-in-the-appliance-that-made-him-famous|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Bialetti Technical Description|url = https://fmartinezport.commons.gc.cuny.edu/bialetti-technical-description/|website = fmartinezport.commons.gc.cuny.edu|access-date = 14 May 2023|archive-date = 9 October 2024|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241009142543/https://fmartinezport.commons.gc.cuny.edu/bialetti-technical-description/|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Who Made That Moka Express|url = https://archive.nytimes.com/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/who-made-that-moka-express/|website = The New York Times|access-date = 14 May 2023|archive-date = 9 October 2024|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241009142541/https://archive.nytimes.com/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/who-made-that-moka-express/|url-status = live}}</ref> It quickly became one of the staples of Italian culture. Bialetti Industries continues to produce the original model under the trade name "Moka Express".

Spreading from Italy, the moka pot is today most commonly used in Europe, Latin America, and Australia. It has become an iconic design, displayed in modern industrial art and design museums including the Wolfsonian-FIU, the Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum, the Design Museum,<ref name="HILARY GREENBAUM">{{cite news |last1=Greenbaum |first1=Hilary |title=Who Made That Moka Express? |url=https://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/who-made-that-moka-express/ |work=The 6th Floor Blog |date=1 September 2011 |access-date=7 August 2021 |archive-date=7 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807144737/https://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/who-made-that-moka-express/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the London Science Museum, The Smithsonian and the Museum of Modern Art.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Mark |date=2019-04-09 |title=The world's most famous coffee pot gets a redesign |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90330599/the-worlds-most-famous-coffee-pot-gets-a-redesign |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US |archive-date=23 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023055852/https://www.fastcompany.com/90330599/the-worlds-most-famous-coffee-pot-gets-a-redesign |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Alfonso Bialetti. Moka Express. Designed 1933 (this example 2008) |url=https://www.moma.org/collection/works/118645 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=The Museum of Modern Art}}</ref> Moka pots come in different sizes, making from one to eighteen {{convert|50|ml|0|abbr=on}} servings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bialetti.it/files/catalogue/attachments/moka%20italia.pdf |title=Moka Express factsheet |access-date=2009-03-01 |publisher=Bialetti |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214144806/http://www.bialetti.it/files/catalogue/attachments/moka%20italia.pdf |archive-date=2010-12-14 }}</ref>

The original design and many current models are made from aluminium with Bakelite handles, though they are sometimes made out of stainless steel or other alloys. Some designs feature an upper half made of heat-resistant glass.

==Use== upright=1.2|thumb|The bottom chamber (A) contains water. When heated, steam pressure pushes the water through a basket containing ground coffee (B) into the collecting chamber (C). Moka pots are used over a source of heat, typically a flame or electric range. Stainless steel pots, but not aluminium, can be used with induction cooking.

There are three major components in a typical moka pot: <ol style="list-style-type: upper-alpha;"> <li>The ''lower chamber'' or ''lower vessel'', also known as the ''boiler'', which is fitted with a safety valve to prevent over-pressurization</li> <li>The ''filter funnel'' or ''basket'', which compresses an annular rubber gasket when the moka pot is assembled and seals against an upper ''filter disc''</li> <li>The ''upper chamber'' or ''upper vessel'', also known as the ''collector'', which is where the coffee is deposited during the brewing process</li> </ol> The moka pot is assembled first by inserting the filter funnel into the lower chamber, then threading the upper chamber onto the lower chamber, which compresses the rubber gasket against the lip of the filter funnel to seal the lower chamber. Generally, the upper filter disc is retained on the bottom of the upper chamber by the rubber gasket, which acts as a flexible internal circlip; this filter disc prevents coffee grounds from moving up the spout of the upper chamber.

===Preparation=== The boiler (marked A in the diagram) is filled with water to an etched line (or slightly below the safety release valve). While at-home makers generally do not preheat the water used, it can expedite the brewing process in commercial settings.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hoffmann |first=James |author-link=James Hoffmann |date=2020 |title=The World Atlas of Coffee |location= |publisher=Firefly Books |page= 91|isbn=978-0-2281-0094-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Stephenson |first= Tristan|author-link= Tristan Stephenson|date=2019 |title=The Curious Barista's Guide to Coffee |url= |location=New York |publisher=Ryland Peters & Small |page= 132|isbn=978-1-78879-083-3}}</ref> The metal filter funnel (B) is inserted. Finely ground coffee is added to the filter. How tightly the coffee is packed impacts how quickly the coffee extracts and the strength of the brew.<ref name=NavariniEtal>{{cite journal |last1=Navarini |first1=L. |last2=Nobile |first2=E. |last3=Pinto |first3=F. |last4=Scheri |first4=A. |last5=Suggi-Liverani |first5=F. |title=Experimental investigation of steam pressure coffee extraction in a stove-top coffee maker |journal=Applied Thermal Engineering |date=April 2009 |volume=29 |issue=5–6 |pages=998–1004 |doi=10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2008.05.014 |s2cid=110656959 |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00618977/file/PEER_stage2_10.1016%252Fj.applthermaleng.2008.05.014.pdf |access-date=7 August 2021 |archive-date=9 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009142545/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00618977/file/PEER_stage2_10.1016%252Fj.applthermaleng.2008.05.014.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The collector (C) is then attached and the pot is heated.

<gallery mode=packed heights=200px caption="Stages of brewing coffee with a moka pot"> File:Coffee f3327912.jpg|Funnel with ground coffee File:Moka brewing.jpg|Mid-brew, showing brewed coffee in the process of being transported through the spout File:Moka crema1.JPG|Layer of crema developing </gallery>

===Brewing=== thumbnail|How the moka pot works [[File:Espressokanne.ogg|thumb|X-ray video of a moka pot in use]] The heating of the boiler (A) leads to a gradual increase of the pressure due to both the expansion of the enclosed air and the raised vapor pressure of the increasingly heated water. When pressure becomes high enough to force the water up the funnel through the coffee grinds, brewed coffee rises through the vertical spout and pours into the upper chamber (C).

When the lower chamber is almost empty, bubbles of steam mix with the upstreaming water, producing a characteristic gurgling noise—a signal that brewing should be stopped. Navarini et al. call this the "strombolian" phase of brewing, which allows a mixture of highly heated steam and water to pass through the coffee, which leads to rapid overextraction and introduction of undesirable flavors.<ref name=NavariniEtal/>

Unlike a standard percolator, the moka pot never sends brewed coffee back through the coffee grounds.

A number of physics papers were written between 2001 and 2009 utilizing the ideal gas and Darcy's laws, along with the temperature-dependent vapor pressure of water, to explain the moka pot's brewing process.<ref>*A. Varlamov and G. Balestrino, ''[https://www.ilnuovosaggiatore.sif.it/download/49 La fisica di un buon caffè]'' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009142638/https://www.ilnuovosaggiatore.sif.it/download/49 |date=9 October 2024 }}, Il Nuovo Saggiatore: Bollettino della Società Italiana di Fisica [https://www.ilnuovosaggiatore.sif.it/issue/49 17(3-4)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323102616/https://www.ilnuovosaggiatore.sif.it/issue/49 |date=23 March 2023 }}, 59–66 (2001) *{{cite web |title=fisica del buon caffè all'italiana : Magico caleidoscopio della fisica - Fisica in cucina |url=http://www.moebiusonline.eu/fuorionda/Caleidoscopio_fisica.shtml |website=Moebius on line |access-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107104036/http://www.moebiusonline.eu/fuorionda/Caleidoscopio_fisica.shtml |archive-date=7 January 2021 }} *{{cite journal |last1=Gianino |first1=Concetto |title=Experimental analysis of the Italian coffee pot 'moka' |journal=American Journal of Physics |date=January 2007 |volume=75 |issue=1 |pages=43–47 |doi=10.1119/1.2358157 |bibcode=2007AmJPh..75...43G |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/243492775 |access-date=22 June 2023 }} *{{cite journal |last1=King |first1=Warren D |date=2008 |title=The physics of a stove-top espresso machine |journal=American Journal of Physics |volume=76 |issue=6 |pages=558–565 |doi=10.1119/1.2870524 |bibcode=2008AmJPh..76..558K }}], *{{cite journal |last1=Navarini |first1=L. |last2=Nobile |first2=E. |last3=Pinto |first3=F. |last4=Scheri |first4=A. |last5=Suggi-Liverani |first5=F. |title=Experimental investigation of steam pressure coffee extraction in a stove-top coffee maker |journal=Applied Thermal Engineering |date=April 2009 |volume=29 |issue=5–6 |pages=998–1004 |doi=10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2008.05.014 |s2cid=110656959 |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00618977/file/PEER_stage2_10.1016%252Fj.applthermaleng.2008.05.014.pdf |access-date=7 August 2021 |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920225832/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00618977/file/PEER_stage2_10.1016%2Fj.applthermaleng.2008.05.014.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Moka coffee characteristics=== Brewed coffee flavor, including that of a moka pot depends greatly on bean variety, roast level, fineness of grind, water profile, and the level of heat used.

Moka pots are sometimes referred to as stove-top espresso makers. However, a typical moka coffee is extracted at relatively low pressures of {{convert|1|to|2|bar|kPa|abbr=on}},<ref name=NavariniEtal/> while standards for espresso coffee specify a pressure of {{convert|9|bar|kPa|abbr=on}}. Therefore, moka coffee is not considered to be an espresso.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espressoitaliano.org/doc/EIC%20-%20Eng%20-%20LQ.pdf|title=Espresso Italiano Certificato|publisher=Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726034847/http://espressoitaliano.org/doc/EIC%20-%20Eng%20-%20LQ.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-26|url-status=dead|access-date=2011-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/espresso-and-classic-drink?xg_source=activity|title=Espresso and classic drink Wiki|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707212505/http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/espresso-and-classic-drink?xg_source=activity|archive-date=2011-07-07|url-status=live|access-date=2011-01-30}}</ref> Typically, the moka pot uses a ratio of coffee to water, by mass, of approximately 1:10, resulting in a brew with approximately 3–4% dissolved solids. In comparison, espresso is "stronger" with 9–10% dissolved solids, and drip-brewed coffee is "weaker" with approximately 2% dissolved solids.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/best-moka-pots-7570691 |title=I Tested 11 Moka Pots—the Best Were From the Same Iconic Brand |first=Jesse |last=Raub |date=January 30, 2025 |work=Serious Eats |access-date=26 February 2025}}</ref>

The caffeine content of moka coffee has been measured at 128–539.9 mg/100mL.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystkowska |first=Iwona |last2=Dmitrowicz |first2=Aleksandra |last3=Sijko-Szpańska |first3=Monika |date=6 December 2024 |title=Quantitative Analysis of Caffeine in Roasted Coffee: A Comparison of Brewing Methods |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11395 |url-status=live |access-date=18 April 2026 |website=MDPI|page=20}}</ref>

==Maintenance== thumb|right|upright=1|Disassembled Bialetti Moka Express, showing (bottom to top) the bottom chamber (boiler) with safety valve, funnel filter, seal, upper filter disc, and upper chamber (collector). Moka pots require periodic replacement of the rubber seal, a scouring of its removable filter, and a check that the safety release valve is not blocked. All parts of the pot should be scrubbed by hand using water, avoiding detergent as aluminium moka pots are not dishwasher safe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bialetti.co.nz/blogs/making-great-coffee/tips-and-care|title=Tips and Care|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=9 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009142547/https://www.bialetti.co.nz/blogs/making-great-coffee/tips-and-care|url-status=live}} bialetti.co.nz</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-moka-pot-252252|title = How to Clean a Moka Pot}} thekitchn.com Running the pot through the dishwasher generally results in corrosion and oxidation of the protective oxidized layer of aluminium, leaving freshly exposed aluminium to react with the air, creating a dirty, reactive, and blackened surface.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stahl |first1=Thorsten |display-authors=etal |date=2017-04-12 |title= Migration of aluminum from food contact materials to food—a health risk for consumers?|pmc=5388725 |journal=Environmental Sciences Europe |volume=29 |number=18 |page=18 |quote=While not producing unsafe levels, brewing with the pot after dishwasher usage results in a larger aluminium content leaching into the coffee.|doi=10.1186/s12302-017-0118-9 |pmid=28458988 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Aluminium migration=== The potential for toxic amounts of aluminium migration being created by brewing an acidic beverage in an aluminium pot have been scientifically investigated, and determined to be "negligible" – falling below 1% of recommended total weekly intake level once a new pot has been used.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stahl |first1=Thorsten |display-authors=etal |date=2017-04-12 |title= Migration of aluminum from food contact materials to food—a health risk for consumers?|pmc=5388725 |journal=Environmental Sciences Europe |volume=29 |number=18 |page=18 |quote=[H]uman inner aluminum exposure through the proper use of aluminum moka pots is negligible. Even under the worst-case scenario of washing the moka pots in a dishwasher, the uptake amounts to only 4% of TWI. The manufacturers expressly warn not to clean the aluminum moka pots in the dishwasher. |doi=10.1186/s12302-017-0118-9 |pmid=28458988 |doi-access=free}} Summary: An initially low level of aluminium migration (of under 3% recommended total weekly intake (TWI)) occurs after the first use of a new pot, after which the level stabilizes below 1% TWI, decreasing with each observed use; migration after dishwasher cleaning increases to a maximum observed level of just under 4%, and thus dishwasher cleaning is strongly discouraged.</ref> Following the pot's stabilization at below 1% with regular use, migration rose to a maximum observed level of just under 4% after a dishwasher cleaning, resulting in dishwasher use being strongly discouraged.

== History and variants == {{anchor|Cremavent}} <gallery mode="packed" heights="200px"> File:Katholieke Illustratie 1867-1868 - nr 38 p 304 - Nieuwe koffij-machine.jpg|Steam pressure-driven coffee machine (1868) File:020220819 Kaffitraktar tidleg på 1900-talet, Galizia.jpg|Coffee machine {{circa|1900}} similar to Parker's Steam Fountain File:2015 0826 Bialettis Boon Den Haag.jpg|Several models of Bialetti moka pot File:Coffee pot fountain.jpg|Moka 2 Cup Coffee Fountain<ref name="caffesanteustachio">{{cite web |title=Fontanella Argento per una tazzina |url=https://caffesanteustachio.com/prodotto/silver-fountain-moka-pot-for-two-cups/ |website=Sant'Eustachio il Caffè |access-date=22 June 2023 |language=it-IT |archive-date=9 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009144214/https://caffesanteustachio.com/prodotto/silver-fountain-moka-pot-for-one-cups/?lang=en |url-status=live }}</ref> File:Richard sapper per alessi spa., caffettiera modello gogo, 1978-79.jpg|Alessi ''9090'' coffee maker designed by Richard Sapper (1978)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sapper |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Sapper |title=Espresso Coffee Maker (model 9090). 1978 |url=https://www.moma.org/collection/works/3123 |access-date=14 November 2025 |website=Museum of Modern Art}}</ref> </gallery> The principle of brewing coffee by using steam to force heated water through a bed of roasted, ground beans dates back to at least 1818, according to a patent published by Elard Römershausen for a very large machine.<ref name=BHustle22>{{cite web |url=https://www.baristahustle.com/research-papers/part-1-who-really-invented-the-first-espresso-machine/ |title=Part 1 – Who really invented the first espresso machine? |first=Sebastien |last=Delprat |date=October 27, 2022 |website=Barista Hustle |access-date=26 February 2025}}</ref> A more portable machine incorporating the same basic principle was designed by Louis Bernard Rabaut in 1822, according to drawings submitted to the French Academy of Sciences,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://magazine.coffee/blog/1/6164/a-history-of-the-espresso-machine |title=A History of the Espresso Machine |first=Anastasia |last=Prikhodko |date=June 3, 2021 |website=Coffee Magazine |access-date=26 February 2025}}</ref> followed by similar designs by Andre Caseneuve (1824), Edouard Doublet, and Pierre-Isidore Rouen (1833).<ref name=BHustle22/>

Samuel Parker, a coppersmith from Middlesex, England was granted a patent on January 11, 1833, for a tabletop machine which used a brewing method that sends self-pressurized hot water from a sealed vessel vertically through a bed of packed coffee grounds into a collector, as an improvement on the coffee percolator.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/chronologicalind1617grea/page/930/mode/2up |title=Titles of Patents of Invention, Chronologically Arranged From March 2, 1617 (14 James I.) to October 1, 1852 (16 Victoria), Part II: Nos. 4801 to 14,359, pages 785 to 1554 |date=1854 |publisher=Queen's Printing Office |access-date=26 February 2025 |quote=No. 6362. A grant unto SAMUEL PARKER, of Argyle Street, Oxford Street, in the county of Middlesex, bronzist, of his invention of "certain improvements in apparatus for making extracts from coffee and other substances"; to hold, &tc; six months.}}</ref> Parker's "Steam Fountain" was sold starting in the 1840s, featuring a cylindrical body with two concentric vessels: an inner boiler and outer collector, topped by a glass dome which served to redirect the brewed coffee into the collector.<ref name=SteamPressure>{{cite web |url=https://www.espressomadeinitaly.com/en/history-gallery-steam-pressure.php |title=Steam Pressure ('long' espresso) |website=Espresso made in Italy |access-date=26 February 2025}}</ref> It later became known as the "Vienna Incomparable". Similar steam pressure-driven devices were invented in Paris by Alexandre Lebrun (1838) and in Berlin by H. Eicke (1878).<ref name=SteamPressure/>

Alfonso Bialetti popularized the machine for home use, initially marketing the Moka Express starting in 1933,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/curiousbaristasg0000tris/ |title=The Curious Barista's Guide to Coffee |chapter=Other Brewing Methods: The Moka Pot |first=Tristan |last=Stephenson |others=Photographs by Addie Chinn |date=2015 |publisher=Ryland Peters & Small |isbn=978-1-84975-563-4 |pages=117–119 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/curiousbaristasg0000tris/page/116/mode/2up |url-access=subscription}}</ref> but relatively few were sold until his son Renato embarked on a major marketing campaign after the latter took over the family business in the 1940s, including the commissioning of the company's iconic mascot, {{Transliteration|it|l'omino con i baffi}}, in 1952.<ref name=QZ-2016/> According to the company, the design of the original ''Moka Express'' has not changed since its debut.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GsYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA220 |title=Kitchens 101 |first=Michael |last=Cannell |date=July–August 2007 |magazine=Dwell |pages=206–223 |access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref>{{rp|220}} Bialetti Industries applied for a patent in 1946 describing an apparatus which uses the same brewing method but arranges the vessels side by side, rather than stacking them vertically.<ref>{{cite patent |country=GB |status=Patent |number=616773A |title=Percolator for Preparing Coffee or like Infusions |inventor=Soc. An. Fratelli Bialetti |pridate=February 19, 1946 |pubdate=January 26, 1949}}</ref>

thumb|right|Brewing in ''Brikka'', with visible crema Among the variations to the moka pot design that have been introduced since the 1930s are those that integrate an electric heating element in the boiler,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.coffeeness.de/en/moka-pot/ |title=The Moka Pot Review: A Stovetop Portafilter? |first=Arne |last=Preuss |editor=Nicholas Marshall |website=Coffeeness |access-date=26 February 2025}}</ref> expedite brew time,<ref>{{cite patent |country=IT |status=Patent |number=1171070B |title=Apparecchio e procedimento per la preparazione di una bevanda calda di latte e infuso di caffe' con strato di shiuma (cappuccino) |inventor=Luigi de Ponti |assign=Alfonso Bialetti & Co. |pridate=March 23, 1983 |pubdate=June 10, 1987}}</ref> create milk froth,<ref>{{cite patent |country=DE |status=Patent |number=3404320A1 |title=Für den Gebrauch im Haushalt bestimmte Vorrichtung für die Herstellung von warmen Getränken und entsprechenden Kaffee-maschinen |assign=Alfonso Bialetti & C. S.p.A. |inventor=Luigi de Ponti |pridate=March 23, 1983 |pubdate=September 27, 1984}}</ref> and allow microwave brewing.

To expedite brewing, a weighted valve called ''Cremavent'' has been added as a pressure regulator on top of the nozzle that allows pressure to build up inside the water tank in a manner similar to a pressure cooker. As pressure builds up more quickly in this method (since there is much less leakage of vapour) compared to the standard moka pot, it reaches the level required for water to rise through the ground coffee in a shorter time. The result is coffee brewed at a higher pressure and temperature than the standard pot, making it more similar to espresso and therefore with more visible crema.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.heatherbien.com/2022/10/bialetti-brikka-review-does-the-brikka-produce-crema.html |title=Bialetti Brikka Review: Does the Brikka Produce Crema? |first=Heather |last=Bien |date=October 21, 2022 |website=C'est Bien |access-date=26 February 2025 |quote=So, Does the Brikka Produce Crema?<br/>{{pad|0.5em}}Yes! It's not going to be as rich or as thick as what you'll get from a standard espresso machine, but if you follow the tricks above, the Brikka does produce crema, in addition to a bold, deep flavor that can’t be beat.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KcUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56 |title=In the Modern World |first= |last= |date=April–May 2005 |magazine=Dwell |pages=42–58 |access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref>{{rp|56}}

Another variation (the Bialetti ''Mukka Express'') allows for milk to be frothed and mixed with the coffee during brewing.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=agUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA111 |title=5 things to ask about espresso makers |magazine=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |date=May 2006 |page=111 |access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |title=How to Use the Bialetti Mukka Express |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WgzKFJ6klE |access-date=2024-07-08 |publisher=Alternative Brewing |via=YouTube |archive-date=27 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227144710/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WgzKFJ6klE |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Pot sizes=== Moka pots are sold in various sizes based on the number of demitasse cups they produce, measuring approximately {{cvt|40–60|ml|USfloz|0}} per cup. The following table lists sizes for some popular Bialetti Moka pots:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; text-align:center;font-size:90%;" |+ Bialetti Moka pot sizes ! rowspan=2 | Cup size ! colspan=4 | Aluminum ("Moka Express"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bialetti.co.nz/products/moka-express |title=Bialetti Moka Express |publisher=Bialetti New Zealand |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> / Moka Induction{{efn|Moka Induction models include an aluminum boiler base clad in stainless steel for compatibility with induction hobs. Available in 2-, 4-, and 6-cup sizes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bialetti.co.nz/collections/stainless-stovetop/products/bialetti-moka-induction-bi-layer-black |title=Bialetti Moka Induction Bi-Layer Black |publisher=Bialetti New Zealand |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref>}} / Brikka{{efn|2- or 4-cup sizes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bialetti.co.nz/collections/aluminium-stovetop/products/copy-of-bialetti-brikka |title=Bialetti Brikka |publisher=Bialetti New Zealand |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> ''Brikka'' 2-cup size uses ''Moka Express'' 3-cup size gasket and filter, and ''Brikka'' 4-cup size uses ''Moka Express'' 6-cup size gasket and filter.}} / Dama / Mini Express{{efn|2-cup size only.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bialetti.co.nz/collections/aluminium-stovetop/products/bialetti-mini-express-black |title=Bialetti Mini Express Black 2 Cup |publisher=Bialetti New Zealand |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> Shares base with Moka Express 2-cup.}} / Break) ! colspan=4 | Stainless steel ("Venus"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bialetti.co.nz/collections/stainless-stovetop/products/copy-of-bialetti-venus |title=Bialetti Venus |publisher=Bialetti New Zealand |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> / "Musa" / "Kitty") |- ! volume !! height !! base !! gasket<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bialetti.co.nz/products/moka-express-dama-mini-express-break-ring-filter-pack |title=Ring & Filter Pack - Moka Express, Moka Induction, Brikka*, Dama, Mini Express, Break |publisher=Bialetti New Zealand |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> ! volume !! height !! base !! gasket<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bialetti.co.nz/products/musa-venus-kitty-ring-and-filter-packs |title=Ring & Filter Pack - Venus, Musa, Kitty |publisher=Bialetti New Zealand |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> |- ! 1 | {{cvt|60|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|135|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|70|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|40|*|51|mm|in|frac=8}} | colspan=4 {{N/A}} |- ! 2 | {{cvt|90|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|145|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|80|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|41|*|57|mm|in|frac=8}} | {{cvt|85|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|140|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|80|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|42|*|52|mm|in|frac=8}} |- ! 3 | {{cvt|130|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|160|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|90|mm|in|frac=4}} | rowspan=2 | {{cvt|50|*|65|mm|in|frac=8}} | colspan=4 {{N/A}} |- ! 4 | {{cvt|185|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|180|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|95|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|170|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|170|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|95|mm|in|frac=8}} | {{cvt|51|*|65|mm|in|frac=8}} |- ! 6 | {{cvt|250|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|215|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|105|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|55|*|71|mm|in|frac=8}} | {{cvt|235|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|200|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|105|mm|in|frac=8}} | {{cvt|56|*|72|mm|in|frac=8}} |- ! 9 | {{cvt|410|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|245|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|115|mm|in|frac=8}} | {{cvt|63|*|81|mm|in|frac=8}} | colspan=4 {{N/A}} |- ! 10 | colspan=4 {{N/A}} | {{cvt|460|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|230|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|130|mm|in|frac=8}} | {{cvt|69|*|85|mm|in|frac=8}} |- ! 12 | {{cvt|595|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|285|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|135|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|74|*|90|mm|in|frac=8}} | colspan=4 {{N/A}} |- ! 18 | {{cvt|800|ml|USfloz|frac=2}} | {{cvt|320|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|135|mm|in|frac=4}} | {{cvt|74|*|92|mm|in|frac=8}} | colspan=4 {{N/A}} |}

;Notes {{notelist}}

==See also== {{Portal|Coffee}} * Coffee in Italy * Coffee percolator * Vacuum coffee maker * Neapolitan flip coffee pot * Indian filter coffee * Coffee filter * French press *''{{Annotated link|Pirouette: Turning Points in Design}}'' * List of works in the Museum of Modern Art {{clear}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

=== Further reading === * {{cite book | last = Rombauer | first = Irma S. |author2=Marion Rombauer Becker |author3=Ethan Becker | others=Illustrated by Laura Hartman Maestro | title = The Joy of Cooking | publisher = Scribner |date=August 1997 | isbn = 0-684-81870-1 | pages = 28–29 | chapter=Coffee, Tea & Hot Chocolate | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/joyofcookingrom00romb/page/28/mode/2up | url=https://archive.org/details/joyofcookingrom00romb/ | url-access=subscription }} * {{cite book | last = Schnapp | first = Jeffrey T. | chapter = The Romance of Aluminum and Caffeine | title = Things | editor-last = Brown | editor-first = Bill | publisher = University of Chicago Press | year = 2004 | pages = 209–239 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/things0000unse_m3i9/page/304/mode/2up | url=https://archive.org/details/things0000unse_m3i9 | location=Chicago | isbn=0-226-07611-3 | url-access=subscription }}

==External links== {{Commons category-inline}}

Category:Italian brands Category:Italian inventions Category:Coffee preparation Category:Bialetti Category:Coffee in Italy Category:Italian design Category:Collection of the Museum of Modern Art (New York City)