The mocha was invented from an Italian of course! This patent that sent the sympathetic into retirement coffeepot Neapolitan, is state conceived by the enterprising Alfonso Bialetti in 1933.
The moka it is a famous product all over the world and produced in more than 105 million copies of different colors and shapes; just think that the coffee maker designed by Bialetti is in the permanent collection of the Triennale Design Museum in Milan and the MoMA in New York, recognized as an icon of Made in Italy.
Bialetti inventor of the moka
The patent has not changed much in more than eighty years, remaining practically unchanged over time, with an octagonal shape in aluminum. Bialetti to design the mocha he was inspired by observing his wife doing the laundry with a washing machine it had some kind of boiler; in which the clothes, water and detergent were put, with a tube, the upper end of which was perforated.
When the water came to a boil, it went up along the tube, here, it cooled and went down again, dissolving the lye, which could best be distributed on the clothes. In Spain the classic coffee machine is famous as Neapolitan, cafetera de rosca, cafetera de fuego or simply Italian; in Portugal and Brazil it is called only Italian cafeteira or cafeteira de rosca. The coffee maker is made up of four components, to which are added a gasket and a bakelite handle, with an octagonal shape for better grip in the event of a wet surface.
The moka known in the world
The moka is produced in different sizes, to produce the equivalent of one to eighteen cups of coffee! The components of a moka are: boiler, filter, gasket, filter plate, and jug. The origin of the name refers to the name of the city of Mokha in Yemen; one of the first areas of coffee production, in particular of the precious Arabica quality.
To make coffee with the mocha, the kettle is first filled with water, until it touches the level of the safety valve, and the funnel-shaped filter is inserted. In the latter, the coffee, which must not be pressed; then, the upper part called the jug, equipped with a second filter, is screwed on, putting the mocha on the low regulated gas, the water heats up, until it reaches a temperature lower than that of boiling (around 90 ° C; sufficient to cause a suitable increase in the pressure of the saturated vapor above, which increases, causing its expansion.
Components of the mocha
By expanding, the saturated steam compresses and forces the water to rise and pass through the only way out: the funnel that leads to the filter. Halfway there, the hot water passes through the coffee producing the drink by percolation. Finally, the coffee it rises and is deposited in the jug passing through a cannula called "chimney". The water in the kettle begins to boil only at the end of preparation, when a large part of it has already risen back into the collector.
A gasket ensures the safety of the screwing and a safety valve prevents an excessive increase in pressure in the boiling chamber Remember that the mocha requires periodic replacement of the rubber gasket. On the other hand, when using a new mocha, it is best to boil it only with water. This feature allows you to disinfect the coffee maker. After use, the mocha should be cleaned well with warm water, but without soap.
Washing the coffee maker
It is a good idea to completely disassemble the coffee maker from time to time to eliminate the residues that form. An important precaution for aluminum moka pots is to avoid washing in the dishwasher, since detergent containing sodium hydroxide, or caustic soda, is abrasive.
