Alfonso Bialetti

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Alfonso Bialetti (born January 1, 1888 in Omegna ; died December 31, 1970 in Zagarolo ) was an Italian inventor. He was best known for the invention of the "Moka Express" (1933). The Moka Express was the first espresso pot for private households that works on the percolator principle . Today it is part of most Italian kitchens ( cucina italiana ). This classic was aggressively marketed by Alfonso's son Renato Bialetti (1923-2016) after the Second World War , which made it world famous.

An opened Moka express with the Bialetti logo

Bialetti worked in an aluminum factory in France before returning to Omegna- Crusinallo, Italy, in 1918 , where he opened his own machine factory. Bialetti came up with the idea of ​​not making espresso under the high pressure that the bar machines generated by a tensioned spring (nowadays by means of a pump), but only to press the water through the coffee using the low steam pressure in the jug - allegedly after seeing washing machines that worked on a similar principle.

By 1933 he had solved the technical problems. Similar in design to a classic Italian coffee machine, he launched the Moka Express, made entirely of aluminum . According to the advertising, it made it possible to use casa un espresso come al bar without the slightest technical skills (an espresso at home or in a café). But Bialetti did not have the business skills to market the coffee maker on a large scale. He personally sold the Moka Express mainly at market and similar stands. Therefore, the machine was initially only known regionally. Bialetti's son Renato recognized the potential of Moka Express , applied for a patent and marketed it professionally. As a result, Bialetti built the world's largest factory for coffee machines.

The design of the machine has remained almost unchanged to this day.

Web links

Commons : Bialetti Coffee Makers  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bialetti History 1919–1980 ( Memento from July 19, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) (English)
  2. ↑ Bialetti Mokka Express (English)
personal data
SURNAME Bialetti, Alfonso
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian inventor
DATE OF BIRTH January 1, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Omegna
DATE OF DEATH December 31, 1970
Place of death Zagarolo