Bialetti
Bialetti Moka Express review
Updated 2026-08-17
The Bialetti Moka Express is the original stovetop moka pot, designed by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933 and still made in Italy in the same octagonal aluminium form. Heat in the base builds around 1.5 to 2 bar of steam pressure, which pushes water up through a basket of coffee into the top chamber. There is no pump and nothing to adjust, and sizes are measured in espresso cups rather than mugs.
Our opinion
7.3/10
Buy the technique
We would rather own this than any $80 machine with the word espresso on the box, and it is the only brewer here that will still be working in 2050. The catch is that it asks you to learn a couple of things, and almost nobody reads the instructions: heat it gently, grind coarser than you think, and take it off the moment it gurgles. Do that and you get a rich, syrupy cup for the price of a takeaway round. Ignore it and you will decide moka pots make bitter coffee, which is what most people who own one have decided.
- In the cup 7.0
- Value 9.0
- Ease of use 6.5
- Build & longevity 7.5
- Versatility 4.5
- Type
- Stovetop moka pot
- Material
- Aluminium body, thermoplastic handle and knob
- Brewing pressure
- About 1.5 to 2 bar
- Sizes
- 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 espresso cups
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What works
- +Costs a fraction of any espresso machine and has no electronics to fail
- +Genuinely lasts decades, with a gasket and filter plate as the only consumables
- +Needs no power and no paper filters, so it works on a camping stove as readily as a hob
- +Makes a concentrate strong enough to hold up in milk
The catch
- −Over-extracts easily, and most complaints about bitterness come from heat and grind rather than the pot
- −Not espresso: at 1.5 to 2 bar it cannot produce a real crema
- −One drink, one fixed batch size per pot, and no way to adjust a brew once it starts
- −Bare aluminium rules out detergent and the dishwasher, and induction needs a separate adapter plate
What owners say
Recurring themes from public owner discussion (published moka pot troubleshooting guides, brewing coverage, video reviews), paraphrased. Checked 2026-08-01.
Comes up as praise
- +Lasts for decades with nothing to service beyond a rubber seal
- +Makes a strong, satisfying cup for very little money and no electricity
- +The design is genuinely iconic and owners keep them for sentimental reasons
Comes up as gripes
- −A new aluminium pot can taste metallic, which is manufacturing residue that clears after two or three discarded brews
- −Bitter coffee is common, and it traces back to too fine a grind, too much heat, or leaving the pot on past the gurgle
- −The gasket perishes and causes leaks and weak brews until it is replaced
- −Hard water scales the inside of the chamber over time
Watch
See it in action
Video: James Hoffmann. Embedded from YouTube.
Full specifications
| Type | Stovetop moka pot |
|---|---|
| Material | Aluminium body, thermoplastic handle and knob |
| Brewing pressure | About 1.5 to 2 bar |
| Sizes | 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 espresso cups |
| Capacity (6 cup) | 9.1 oz, about 270 ml in total |
| Hob compatibility | Gas and electric; induction only with Bialetti's adapter plate |
| Safety valve | Patented, designed to be inspected and cleaned |
| Cleaning | Rinse with water only, no detergent, not dishwasher safe |
| Consumable parts | Rubber gasket and filter plate |
| Origin | Made in Italy, in production since 1933 |
Who it's for
The Bialetti Moka Express suits small budgets, milk drinks, camping and travel, no counter space.
About Bialetti
Bialetti is an Italian housewares maker founded in 1919. Alfonso Bialetti designed the octagonal Moka Express in 1933 and it has been in production ever since, which makes it one of the longest-running kitchen products still sold in its original form. The moustachioed figure on the side is a caricature of his son Renato.
Where to buy
If the Bialetti Moka Express sounds like your machine, this is the listing we verified.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site are affiliate links, and if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we would use ourselves, and our editorial picks are never sold.
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