The eight-sided pot that has lived on Italian stoves since 1933
Bialetti moka pots, induction models, seal kits and funnels, stocked in Sydney
TL;DR: Bialetti is the Italian maker of the aluminium Moka Express stovetop coffee maker, made since 1933. Its Moka Induction, Brikka and Venus ranges add stainless steel and induction-ready options.
A Bialetti moka pot is the simplest route to strong, dense coffee at home: a stove and a medium-coarse grind is all it asks. Here is the range we stock: the classic Moka Express, the glossy Moka Exclusive, the creamier Brikka, the stainless Venus, and the gaskets and funnels that keep them brewing. Below: how the pot works, how to pick size and material, and how to get it dialled in on your cooktop.
How a moka pot actually brews
The Moka Express has three parts: a water chamber at the base, a funnel-shaped coffee basket that sits inside it, and an upper chamber with a filter plate and gasket. You fill the base to just below the safety valve, level the basket with ground coffee, screw the top on and put it over medium heat. As the water heats, pressure pushes it up through the grounds and out of the central column into the top chamber. When you hear the hiss and gurgle, the brew is done and the pot comes off the heat.
Two things matter most. First, heat. Britta Folmer's The Craft and Science of Coffee notes that moka brewing can taste harsh because of its high extraction temperature, and that moderating temperature and grind size brings it back into balance. So use the smallest burner on a medium setting, not a roaring flame. Second, material. Aluminium Moka Express pots use Bialetti's eight-sided body for even heat spread, and they heat up and cool down quickly. The 18/10 stainless models brew more gently and, in the Moka Induction and Brikka Induction versions, work on induction cooktops. We know the gasket is the part that wears; when the pot leaks at the seam or brews weak, a fresh seal kit and filter plate usually fixes it. We stock those in each size. Browse the wider stove top and moka pot range if you want to compare brands side by side.
Which Bialetti is right for you?
Start with your cooktop, then choose size, then finish.
Gas or electric cooktop
The aluminium Moka Express is the original and still the one we sell most. It comes in 2, 3, 4 and 6 cup sizes, in classic silver plus black and red finishes on the 3 and 6 cup. A 'cup' here is a small Italian espresso-style serve, not a mug, so a 6 cup pot suits a household that pours two or three drinks at a time. If you like the look of the 1960s pot, the Moka Exclusive in 3 and 6 cup adds a super glossy finish in cream, black, red, light blue, green, pink or silver, a silicone gasket and an internal protective boiler lining, and it is made in Italy.
Induction cooktop
You have two honest options. The Bialetti 4 Cup Brikka Induction is built for induction and uses a column with a silicone membrane to produce a creamier cup, which is the Bialetti brikka signature. Or keep your aluminium pot and add the Bialetti induction plate, a 13 cm stainless disc that transmits heat from the induction hob into a standard Moka Express. One caution: the Bialetti Venus is polished 18/10 stainless and looks like an induction pot, but the 2 cup Venus we stock is a gas and electric model that is not induction compatible. Check the listing before you buy for a moka pot induction setup.
Grind, dose and water
Use a medium-coarse grind, finer than French press and coarser than espresso. Bialetti's traditional Ratio is 13:100, and the recipe in our brew guide runs between 4 g and 47 g of coffee and between 60 ml and 775 ml of water depending on the pot size. Fill the basket level and never tamp it. James Hoffmann's How to Make the Best Coffee at Home makes the point that water is both an ingredient and a solvent, so it should be clean and neutral-tasting; a simple carbon filter jug is enough for a moka pot. We tested the brew guide on this page with a hand grinder, the Timemore C2, which gives a consistent medium-coarse setting without a bench grinder.
Keeping it brewing
Every pot on this page can be rebuilt. The 6 cup seal kit and filter plate fits the Moka Express, Dama, Mini Express and Break, with a gasket that measures 55 mm inside and 71 mm outside; the 2 cup seal kit measures 41 mm inside and 55 mm outside. If you are unsure of your size, measure the old ring and compare. Aluminium replacement funnels come in 2, 4, 6 and 9 cup and fit aluminium Moka Express, Dama, Mini Express and Break pots only; the stainless INOX funnel fits the Venus, Musa and Kitty. Do not mix the two materials. For milk drinks, the Bialetti Cappuccinatore glass milk frother is a plunger frother that turns a moka brew into a cappuccino at home; heat the milk to roughly 60 to 65 degrees first, then pump.
A moka pot rarely arrives alone, and the pieces around it decide the cup. A hand grinder such as the Timemore C2 lets you grind fresh at the right coarseness. A small coffee scale keeps the 13:100 Ratio repeatable. Filtered water protects the taste and the pot. If you want milk drinks, a plunger milk frother is the natural partner. And a spare gasket in the drawer means the morning the seal gives out is not the morning you go without coffee.
We've been supplying coffee equipment and parts since 1999, and the moka pot is still the brewer I point people to when they want proper coffee without a machine on the bench. It is honest engineering: one seal, one filter plate, a funnel and heat. Half the pots we see at the counter just need a new gasket. That is why we stock the parts alongside the pots. Buy one, look after it, and it will earn its place in your kitchen.
— Pedro Lara
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the Moka Express and the Moka Exclusive? +
Both are aluminium stovetop pots with the same eight-sided body. The Moka Exclusive adds a super glossy colour finish, a silicone gasket, an internal protective boiler lining and a diamond-shaped knob and handle styled on the 1960s pot. It is made in Italy and comes in 3 and 6 cup sizes.
Can I use a Bialetti on an induction cooktop? +
Only the models built for it: the Brikka Induction and the Moka Induction range. An aluminium Moka Express will not trigger an induction hob on its own, but the 13 cm stainless induction plate lets it work. Note the 2 cup Venus we stock is a gas and electric model, not induction.
How many cups does a 6 cup pot actually make? +
Bialetti sizes refer to small espresso-style serves, not mugs. A 6 cup pot makes roughly two or three drinks in the Australian sense, which is why it is the size most households choose. A 2 or 3 cup pot suits one person.
What grind size works for stovetop brewing? +
Medium-coarse: finer than a French press, coarser than espresso. Fill the basket level with the top and do not tamp. Too fine a grind and too much heat both push the brew towards harshness, so use the smallest burner on a medium setting.
Why does my pot leak or brew weak coffee? +
Almost always a tired gasket or a blocked filter plate. Replace the seal kit and filter plate in your size, and check the safety valve and the funnel holes are clear. If you measure the old ring, the 6 cup gasket is 55 mm inside and 71 mm outside, the 2 cup is 41 mm inside and 55 mm outside.
Which replacement funnel fits a Venus? +
The stainless steel INOX funnel, which fits the Venus, Musa and Kitty. The aluminium funnels fit the Moka Express, Dama, Mini Express and Break only. Match the material of your pot; the two are not interchangeable.
Are 1, 10 or 12 cup sizes available? +
Our current Bialetti range runs 2, 3, 4 and 6 cup for the pots, with funnels up to 9 cup. If you need a size outside that, contact us and we will tell you honestly whether we can order it.