The Moka Pot is considered to be the style icon of coffee pots. The Moka Pot has a clean classic design with a symmetrical eight-faceted metallic body. It is the most famous coffee pot, cited in the Guinness Book of World Records, and often admired by designers worldwide who get inspiration from it for their own work.
The invention of this coffee pot was significant because it brought espresso coffee preparation to the home in 1933 from the coffee bar and commercial coffee houses. Until then, quality coffee drinking was reserved for well to do people who had the means to brew high quality coffee at home or enjoy it regularly at public establishments. Coffee makers of good quality were either large or expensive, but everything changed with the introduction of the Moka Pot. This coffee pot made it possible for the masses to prepare good-tasting, intense and rich quality coffee in their homes at an affordable price and in an efficient way.
The inventor of the Moka Pot was Luigi De Ponti who filed patents for an appliance comprised of a boiling chamber heated by an external or internal source with an adjoining vessel to prepare hot beverages such as a coffee. Alfonso Bialetti (1888-1970) acquired Luidi De Ponti's invention. Bialetti was an engineer who had founded a company by the name of Bialetti Industrie S.p.A which became a large Italian kitchenware company. Bialetti had metal and machine workshop experience as well as direct knowledge of design and production. Bialetti industries continues to produce the Moka Express models.
The Moka Pot is very popular in Europe, Latin America and in other parts of the world. These coffee pots are available in different sizes, made from aluminum with bakelite handles, and rather inexpensive as compared to other coffee making devices. There are many popular brands of Moka Pots that include, for example, Bialetti, Primula, Vev Viganò, Alessi, Bellman, Bodum, Bonjour Milano, Imusa, Volturno, Delonghi (Electric), and Ampo (Ceramic).
The Moka Pot maintenance requires periodic replacement of the rubber seal and the filters. It is also important to make sure that the safety release valve is unblocked for proper operation of the device. Regular cleaning is required because there is always a thin coat of coffee residue left in the filter chamber, and inside walls of the device.
A good practice when cleaning a Moka Pot is to use hot water but not soaps or detergents. If you strip away the protective coating from the aluminum wall, the coffee can acquire an unpleasant metallic taste. For this reason, some Moka Pot users find it desirable to retain some coffee residue inside. Obviously, this is entirely a personal choice. The use of a soft cloth to dry all parts of this coffee pot is highly recommended to remove any moisture trapped inside the pot that will corrode the aluminum.
The Moka Pot has three parts that are tightly screwed together. The entire container is airtight.
1. The lower chamber is where the cold water is poured.
2. Another chamber at the top is where the brewed coffee is collected.
3. The funnel-shaped filter in the middle is where the ground coffee is placed.
Steam rises when the water in the bottom chamber is heated. The hot water goes up into the filter because of the pressure and will fill the middle chamber where the ground coffee is. The hot water soaks the ground coffee which expands. The brewed coffee is then pushed up to the top chamber by the pressure. This coffee pot makes a gurgling sound that indicates that the last of the coffee has been pressed upwards. This means the espresso coffee is ready for drinking.
The traditional Moka Pot is a stove top coffee maker. To prevent getting coffee with a burnt, bitter taste, it is recommended not to leave the pot on the heat for too long.
Moka pots are an inexpensive way to prepare espresso tasting coffee. Still, there is a noticeable difference between "espresso coffee" prepared in a Moka pot and espresso prepared with high quality machines that produce very high pressure water at just the right temperature. The Moka Pot has benefited from modern technology. There are electric Moka Pots with thermally-regulated electrical plates at the base to heat up the water. They are convenient, easy to use, have automatic shut-off and regulated brewing.
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