Our world is one of constantly shifting and changing images, so it’s rare to find an industrial product that’s kept the same shape and appearance for over 70 years - but that’s exactly what the Moka Express has done. From the time of its invention in 1933 to the present day, over 200 million Moka Express coffeemakers have been sold - and every one of them looks the same.
In the 1930s, on the shore of Lago Maggiore, craftsmen Alfonso Bialetti came up with the idea for the Moka Express while watching the workings of a rudimentary washing machine made from a hermetically sealed boiler and a simple metal clothes basket. Less interested in clean clothes than in a good cup of coffee, Bialetti adapted the idea, replacing the clothes basket with a coffee-filed filter. In this single stroke of genius, he invented the Moka.
Since its creation, the Moka has become the world’s most famous coffee pot - even being cited as such in the Guinness Book of World Records. Its fame is especially widespread in Italy, where statistics say that 90% of Italian families own a Moka.
Now, designer Julian Lwin pays homage to the Moka Express with his Dr. Octagon Espresso table and chairs - and we love them. While opening a coffee bar isn’t currently part of our plan for the Eternally Cool Empire, we’re definitely keeping these on the list of necessary bar furniture should coffee shopping should find its way into our future.
Table & chairs image via Mocoloco.com
