> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.unknowndivide.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Bialetti Moka Express: Why the 1933 Stovetop Coffee Maker Is Still Worth Buying - URL: https://www.unknowndivide.com/bialetti-moka-express-stovetop-coffee-maker/ - Published: 2025-10-30T15:18:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-15T06:02:09.000Z - Description: Eight aluminum sides, a mustached mascot and more than 90 years on the stove. How the Bialetti Moka Express works, why it is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, which size to buy and how to brew with it. - Author: unknowndivide staff - Tags: Design, Culture Few kitchen objects are as instantly recognizable as the Bialetti Moka Express. The eight-sided aluminum pot with a little mustached man on the side has been making stovetop coffee since 1933, and it still sits on burners in homes from Milan to Brooklyn. It needs no electricity, no pods and no paper filters, and with a little care it lasts for decades. Here is what the Moka Express is, why it became a design icon, which size to buy and where to get one. *Unknowndivide may earn a commission from purchases made through links in this post.* ## What it is The [Moka Express](https://www.bialetti.com/us%5Fen/shop/moka/iconic-moka.html?ref=unknowndivide.com) is a stovetop coffee maker in three parts. Water goes in the bottom chamber, known as the boiler. Ground coffee goes in a funnel-shaped filter that sits on top of the boiler. The top chamber, called the collector, screws on above it and is where the finished coffee ends up. When you heat the pot, steam builds pressure in the boiler and pushes the hot water up through the coffee and into the collector. Bialetti explains that this works at about 1.5 bars of pressure, far less than the 9 bars or more of a modern espresso machine. That is why moka coffee is strong, rich and full-bodied without being true espresso. When the water is almost gone, the pot makes its famous gurgle, which is your signal that the coffee is ready. The body is aluminum with a thermoplastic handle and knob, and every pot has a safety valve on the side of the boiler. ## Where it came from Bialetti's story starts in 1919, when Alfonso Bialetti opened a workshop making semi-finished aluminum products in Crusinallo, a small hamlet of Omegna in northern Italy. In 1933 he came up with the Moka Express, a way to make cafe-style coffee at home. Until then, Bialetti says, most Italian households brewed with Neapolitan or Milanese pots that relied on gravity, while the moka relied on pressure. The company describes the history of home coffee as having a before and after Moka. The name comes from Mokha, the city in Yemen that was one of the world's most famous coffee ports. His son Renato built the business into one of Italy's leading producers, and in 1958 the brand introduced its mascot, l'Omino con i baffi, the Mustachioed Man, drawn in pencil by Paul Campani. He still appears on Bialetti products today, including the classic pot. ## Why it is a design icon The octagonal shape is pure Art Deco, and it has barely changed in more than 90 years. Bialetti notes that the Moka Express is held in the permanent collections of the Triennale di Milano and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. It sits comfortably alongside other classics of Italian kitchen design, like the [Alessi 9093 kettle](https://www.unknowndivide.com/alessi-9093-kettle-michael-graves/), and it fits the good design ideas in our [Dieter Rams principles explainer](https://www.unknowndivide.com/dieter-rams-10-principles-of-good-design-explained/): useful, honest and long-lasting. It is also one of the least wasteful ways to make coffee. There are no filters or capsules to throw away, only the grounds. ## Which size to buy Moka sizes are measured in espresso-sized cups, not mugs, which catches out a lot of first-time buyers. Bialetti's own guide puts one cup at about 2 ounces, so: - **1 cup.** A single short shot. Charming, but small. - **3 cup.** About 4.4 ounces. The best size for one person who wants a proper morning coffee. - **6 cup.** About 9.1 ounces. The pick for two people, or one person who likes to add milk. - **9 and 12 cup.** For households and guests. The classic Moka Express works on gas and electric stoves. For induction hobs, Bialetti offers an induction plate adapter, or you can buy the Moka Induction, a 2014 design that pairs an aluminum top with a stainless steel boiler. ## How to use it Bialetti's instructions are simple. Fill the boiler with room-temperature water up to the safety valve and no higher. Fill the filter generously with coffee ground for moka, which is coarser than espresso, and do not press it down. Screw the pot together, put it on low heat and be patient. Take it off the heat when it starts to gurgle. To clean it, rinse with water only. Bialetti says not to use detergent or the dishwasher, which can damage the aluminum and change the taste of the coffee. If you are building out a full coffee setup, our [pour-over coffee gear guide](https://www.unknowndivide.com/best-pour-over-coffee-gear/) covers grinders and kettles too. ## Where to buy Bialetti sells the full range through its own [official store](https://www.bialetti.com/us%5Fen/shop/moka.html?ref=unknowndivide.com). You can also pick up the [Bialetti Moka Express 3-cup](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AN3QI?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com), the [Bialetti Moka Express 6-cup](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CNY6UK?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) or, for induction cooktops, the [Bialetti Moka Induction 6-cup](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089LY6WFR?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com). Check current pricing before you order, since it varies by size and finish. Looking for more objects like this? See our [gifts for design lovers](https://www.unknowndivide.com/gifts-for-design-lovers/). More in our [design and art hub](https://www.unknowndivide.com/design-and-art/).