Bialetti Moka Express - 1930s stove-top espresso maker
Design classics don't have to cost the earth, you can pick up the Bialetti Moka Express for under £16.
It's the original (and still the most popular) stove-top espresso maker on the market, the work of Alfonso Bialetti back in the 1930s, this hexagonal pot is alleged to be in over 90 per cent of Italian homes. The reason for its popularity? Well, to quote the designer, you can make coffee just like you'll find in a bar 'without requiring any ability whatsoever'.
And that's still the case today. The machine is easy to use and easy to clean (it has self-cleaning valves). But best of all, you can use it on just about any type of stove or hob. Take your pick from a three-cup, six-cup or nine-cup model, with prices starting at £15.95, rising to £24.95 for the largest model. Oh yes, looks great on a shelf too.
Find out more at the Galla Coffee website
Want to read about equally cool stuff for kids? Then check out our all-new, rather wonderful Junior Hipster website Or for more of the same with a contemporary twist, check out the Switched On Set site
Well, technically these things don't make espresso per se.
Secondly, the only people who buy the six- and nine-cup varieties are typically Americans. Italians will brew a fresh pot before they let some gargantuan tank of coffee sit.
Posted by: swag | 02/12/2009 at 02:24 AM