A staple of Italian kitchens is getting its own day.
On April 21, coffee drinkers around the world will celebrate the first International Moka Day, a new annual event dedicated to the stovetop coffee maker that changed how people make coffee at home. The initiative comes from Bialetti, the company behind the original Moka pot, and coincides with both World Creativity and Innovation Day and the start of Milan Design Week.
First introduced in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti, the Moka Express made it possible to prepare espresso-style coffee without leaving the house. At the time, that kind of coffee was mostly found in bars. The moka brought it into the kitchen, and it stayed there.
More than 500 million units have been sold worldwide, and in Italy, it is still part of the daily routine in most homes. Over time, it has also become a recognizable piece of Italian design, with a place in collections like the Museum of Modern Art.
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“The Moka is a timeless object, present in homes around the world,” says Alessio Gianni, Chief Marketing and Design Officer at Bialetti. “Its strength lies in its simplicity.
For its first year, Moka Day will be marked in restaurants and cafés around the world, many of which will serve coffee exclusively using the moka pot. In New York, Roscioli will dedicate one night of service to it, offering moka-prepared coffee at the end of the meal.
