Bialetti - a term that will be familiar to all coffee drinkers. The silver pot has managed to be present in the international kitchens. At 19grams sell both filters, and espresso. Today we want to give all our attention to the preparation of espresso. Especially to the Bialetti we owe the daily pleasure in the morning or unforgettable moments when testing a new coffee. In this article we will answer all the questions about the market leader: from its history to how it works and the best tips for using it. Let's go!
History of the Bialetti
It all began in 1918, when the Italian inventor Alfonso Bialetti returned to his hometown of Omegna. Before that, he worked in a French aluminum factory, where he came up with the grandiose idea that would later change the world. His great dream was to bring espresso from Italian cafés to people's homes in kitchens. To achieve this, however, it was necessary to drastically reduce the pressure of the machine. At the same time, of course, the unique full-bodied taste should be preserved.
Back in Italy, Bialetti founded his own machine factory and after years of hard work managed to develop the octagonal machine we know today, made of high quality aluminum: 1933 was the birth of the Bialetti!
Alfonso was a successful inventor, but not a businessman. He initially sold his products at the markets in his region. Fortunately, Alfonso had a son, Renato, who saw the potential and applied for a patent on the Bialetti. He marketed the product after the Second World War with great success: the Bialetti delivered what it promised: making coffee at home like in the café around the corner - and with the simplest of means. Alfonso's dream came true!
How the Bialetti works
The preparation of coffee with a bialetti takes place on the stove. Water is filled into the lower part of the pot, the funnel insert is inserted and the ground coffee is put into the sieve, the upper part of the pot is screwed on and the Bialetti is placed on the stove. Now the simple magic of the Bialetti begins: the heat of the stove top creates a pressure that forces the water up through the coffee powder. You can hear and see that the coffee is ready by the distinct hiss and steam of your Bialetti.
Attention: The coffee powder is not compressed with the tamper, as is the case with win-carrier machines!
Tips for the best use
The following factors should be considered when brewing in the Bialetti:
- Use warm water. This way, the pressure created by heating the water builds up faster. If you use cold water, there is a risk that the coffee will burn because the metal conducts heat faster than the water.
- Do not grind too finely. If the grind is too fine, the coffee creates too much resistance for the water. This in turn heats the aluminum before the coffee can be extracted by the water, causing the coffee to burn.
- Use lower heat. Too high a heat can also cause the coffee to burn. Lower heat allows the water to heat more evenly and slowly, so it flows through the coffee and extracts more of the coffee. The contact time is longer and the coffee is not burned by the boiling water. The goal is to have the coffee slowly run out of the top of your Bialetti.
- Always clean the entire Bialetti immediately after use. Coffee can attack the device quite a bit and we want it to last as long as possible!
Depending on the country, variety and altitude of cultivation, each espresso has a different flavor profile. Try our two favorites Italio Disco for notes of dark chocolate, caramel and cherry jam and Endless Summer for notes of cocoa, melon and sugar cane. One more seductive than the other!
The success speaks for itself
Today, the Bialetti brand is the market leader among espresso makers and the pot has been sold around 300 million times worldwide. The design has also changed only minimally since the beginning: The Bialetti is known for its simplicity and flavorful coffee and is as popular as ever.
You're a big Bialetti fan, but you don't want to do without your coffee from your fully automatic machine? No problem! In this blog article we have summarized all the preparation tips for fully automatic machines for you!
