Bialetti Moka coffee maker

An octagonal-shaped Bialetti stove top Moka express coffee percolator from circa 1970s (originally designed in 1933). This espresso maker is made from aluminium and has a compression moulded phenol formaldehyde (bakelite) handle and lid knob to minimise heat conduction. It is designed to be placed directly on a stove or hob at home, with the handle's ergonomic shape keeping the hand clear of the hot metal. Bialetti was inspired to design the coffee maker whilst watching his wife doing laundry using an old washing machine that expelled vapourised soapy water onto the clothes. He created a similar mechanism here, whereby the boiling water in the lower chamber forces steam up through the coffee grounds to condense in the upper chamber. The caricature on the side was created by Paul Campani in 1953 and depicts Bialetti ordering another cup of coffee.

AIBDC : 0_2452