Bialetti, history and birth of an Italian coffee icon

 

Everyone knows: for us Italians, making coffee is not a gesture…. It is a ritual!

A moment of pure pleasure and relaxation, for many from the octagonal shape: the Bialetti moka pot in fact every morning, is a fixture in many kitchens. The mocha invites people to sit and relax, waiting for a sip of their most beloved beverage.

The Bialetti Brand.

Bialetti and its products has become a symbol of Italian coffee. Not only because of the characteristic shape of their flagship product, but because of what it represents…

Bialetti is a family-owned brand that is always true to its roots and history, yet keeps a keen eye on technology and even fashion. In a world of fancy coffee machines with varied features, Bialetti remains “THE” name in Italian coffee production. Not surprisingly, virtually every Italian household owns a Bialetti moka.

Let’s enter the world of Bialetti!

Back in 1933, Alfonso Bialetti watched his wife do laundry.

At that time, the “ lisciveuse “, a large cauldron with a steel tube in the center, in which the laundry was placed and heated from below. When the water inside boiled, it rose through the tank-this fascinating procedure inspired Alfonso Bialetti so much that he saw it could easily be applied to another essential activity in Italian cooking: making coffee.

Thus the first Mocha was born! Moka is named after the city of Mocha in Yemen, which was a major exporter of coffee to Europe. Its octagonal shape is said to have been inspired by the skirts that women had in the 1930s, which were very fluttery and showy.

Making coffee with a Moka became quick and easy, even improving the taste of that offered at the time by the traditional Neapolitan coffee pot. The Neapolitan, just like other coffee machines of the 19th and early 20th centuries, functioned more like a tea machine, letting the water flow slowly and gently through the coffee.

The Bialetti Moka soon became innovative for other reasons as well, especially for its material: aluminum.

The Little Man with the Moustache Bialetti

Renato Bialetti, Alfonso’s son, was a born entrepreneur and early on saw the potential of his father’s invention. After returning from a long wartime imprisonment, Renato took over the company in 1946 and brought production to an industrial level by applying the power of marketing.

With the help of artist Paul Campani then, Bialetti launched the famous “Little Man with the Moustache,” beginning to attract new customers through advertising.

The character also became a cartoon thanks to one of the first TV shows of the time: the Carousel. The TV Show was the perfect platform for the Little Man with the Moustache and the Moka, soon the little man became an icon and so did the Bialetti coffee machine.

Toward the future of coffee

The company has conquered the international market and greatly expanded the type and number of its products, while still maintaining the typical octagonal shape of its ground coffee machines: the Dama model features a more elegant silhouette, Brikka is designed to make a creamier coffee, similar to what you might get “at the bar,” Mukka Express, designed by Alfonso Giannoni, can also make cappuccino and is decorated with a cow motif.

What about the automatic coffee machines ?

Yes, even Bialetti has entered the realm of automatic coffee machines. He did this in 2006 with his Mokona, a coffee machine in the shape of the Moka Express, until today with his Bialetti Smart coffee machine : the smartest and most practical of espresso machines.

Coffee Machine Bialetti Smart

Small, compact and fits perfectly in any space: Bialetti Smart is easy and intuitive to use, plus thanks to the offering of Saida Espresso Waffles present on our Online Shop it is possible to have it with an initial supply of 100 Bialetti compatible capsules SA.I.DA. brand. Espresso Crema, made with a perfect blend of Arabica and Robusta quality coffee beans.