Bialetti
Bialetti, the Italian inventors of the Moka, take the ritual of drinking coffee very seriously. With striking designs and functionality refined over 90+ years, discover the simplicity, consistency, and beauty of Bialetti Moka coffee makers.
Sustainability Information
A Moka Express has no plug, pump or standby mode. It brews only the amount of coffee you need, using the hob you already have, and aluminium heats up quickly, which keeps brewing times short.
At company level, Bialetti says it monitors electricity, gas and compressed air use in real time to spot leaks. However, we could not find energy totals or a renewable energy share in its published reporting, so any improvements cannot be measured.
Bialetti closed its original Omegna plant after 2010. Its 2022 report says moka pot components are made in Ploiesti, Romania, with final assembly by suppliers in Piedmont, and local press reported production returning to Coccaglio in 2022.
Coffee is roasted and packed at Coccaglio near Brescia. Some stainless steel models and electrical items are reported to be made in China, so check the base of each pot for a Made in Italy marking.
The clearest example is the Gioia Responsible capsule machine, made with 50% post consumer recycled plastic and sold in 100% recycled, FSC certified packaging. Bialetti's aluminium coffee capsules are described as fully recyclable.
We could find no published figure for recycled aluminium in the moka pots themselves. Aluminium is widely recycled, and a well kept pot lasts for decades, but recycled content is not something the brand currently discloses in its public reporting.
Bialetti Industrie holds ISO 9001 for quality management and gained SA8000 for social accountability in 2021, which covers working conditions. The Coccaglio roasting plant is certified as suitable for producing organic coffee.
We found no environmental management certification such as ISO 14001 in its reporting. FSC certification applies to packaging on selected products only, such as the Gioia Responsible machine. Overall, the certifications focus more on quality and people than on environmental performance.
The Moka Express design has barely changed since 1933, and that is part of its appeal: few parts, simple repairs and replacement gaskets that keep pots working for years. Induction compatible versions extend that life to modern kitchens.
Recent changes include real time energy monitoring at its plants, a redesigned aluminium capsule that separates more easily for recycling and a lower plastic coffee pack. These are useful steps, though modest in scale.
Brand History
Alfonso Bialetti learned his trade in the French aluminium industry before returning to Italy. In 1919 he opened a small workshop in Crusinallo, near Omegna on Lake Orta, producing aluminium components.
In 1933 he created the Moka Express, an octagonal aluminium pot that brewed strong coffee on the hob. It arrived during the Great Depression, when many Italians could no longer afford regular café visits, and offered an affordable way to enjoy espresso style coffee at home.
Alfonso's son Renato took over in the 1950s and invested heavily in advertising. In 1953 cartoonist Paul Campani drew the famous moustached little man, modelled on Renato himself, and he became a familiar face on Italian television through Carosello.
Renato also restructured production, and output reached around four million pots a year. He sold the family business in 1986. When he died in 2016, aged 93, his ashes were placed in an oversized moka pot.
In 1993 Bialetti merged with Rondine Italia to form Bialetti Industrie, based in Brescia. The group grew into cookware and coffee, but faced falling demand and financial pressure in the years that followed.
In 2010 the company announced the closure of its historic Omegna plant, with moka production moving to Eastern Europe. Its 2022 report confirms that pot components are made in Ploiesti, Romania, while press reports describe production returning to Coccaglio that year.
The Moka Express is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and MoMA notes that nine in ten Italian households own one. It remains one of the most recognisable kitchen designs in the world.
In 2025 Nuo Capital, a Luxembourg based fund, agreed to buy a majority stake in the company. Bialetti is now headquartered in Coccaglio, where it also roasts and packs its own coffee.