Moka Pot

Alfonso Bialetti invented the moka pot in 1933, and by the 1950s it sat on nearly every stove in Italy — not a specialty item, just what a kitchen was supposed to have. His son Renato grew it into a global brand. Then, in 2013, Alfonso's ashes were sealed inside a giant moka-pot-shaped urn. When Renato died, he reportedly asked for the same. The family that put the moka pot in every Italian home is now resting inside one.

The pot itself works nothing like an espresso machine, despite the resemblance. Steam builds just 1–2 bar of pressure — a fraction of an espresso machine's 9 — pushing water through fine grounds into a strong, slightly bitter brew with more body than drip coffee. The foam on top isn't real crema, just an emulsion, but nobody in Italy is arguing about the difference. It's just what's on the stove.