Moka Pot
Appliance
A three-chamber aluminum (or stainless) stovetop coffee maker: water in the bottom, ground coffee in a basket above, brewed coffee in the top. Heat builds steam pressure (~1.5 bar) that pushes water up through the grounds into the top chamber. The result is stronger than drip coffee and weaker than espresso, with a distinctive caramelized note from the open-flame heating.
Origin
Alfonso Bialetti — an Italian aluminum craftsman — patented the moka express in 1933 in Crusinallo, Piedmont. The eight-sided art-deco shape was designed by his son Renato in 1946 and has barely changed. By 1970 a Bialetti moka was in 90%+ of Italian homes; the company has made over 200 million units. The design is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.