Bialetti Mokona Espresso Machine

Bialetti Mokona is a fully automatic espresso machine. It is new to the American market, but it is sure to generate a lot of interest. It is an espresso machine in the shape of the famous Moka Express. Can an espresso machine look any cooler than that? The design is simply stunning. Unfortunately you can choose only from two colors in the US: silver or silver with transparent blue water tank. In Europe they are many more options available: black, titanium, pink, dark blue, white, or even red with Swarovski crystals embedded in it!

Bialetti has a long tradition in making various stovetop espresso makers. Bialetti introduced the beautiful Moka Express to the world in 1933 and it has been the number one in espresso and cappuccino makers ever since. The little man in a hat that appears on every Bialetti espresso maker has become a symbol of quality. Now it is the first time that Bialetti produced a pump espresso machine.

So what are the features?

First of all, you have three different way to make espresso: you can use ground coffee, standard ESE pods or Bialetti capsules. However, the Bialetti capsules may be a bit difficult to get in the US.
It has all the usual espresso machine stuff: 15 bar pump, safety valve that controls the pressure, a thermostat for coffee temperature and another thermostat for steaming the milk.
It's a fully automatic espresso machine. To brew espresso you press a button to select the cup size, then you press another button to brew the espresso.
The water tank is removable so that makes refilling easy. It holds 50oz of water, so you can make many cups of espresso without refilling.
The machine can be easily disassembled for cleaning.
The portafilter is made of brass which is just what you would expect from a good espresso machine.
Steaming the milk is a bit unusual - you use the knob at the top of the machine to control the steaming wand. That's quite a nice touch.
The height is 15.7'', width is 12.4'' and the depth is 15.7''.

Videos about Bialetti Mokona

Here are two videos from youtube. The first one shows how to make espresso and the second one is about steaming milk. The video quality is rather poor but it does allow you to see Bialetti Mokona in action.