Bialetti percolator: what is it and how do you use it?

The smell of fresh coffee on the stove, a familiar bubbling sound and a small cup full of flavour. The Bialetti percolator is inseparably linked to Italian coffee culture for many coffee lovers. Simple to use, but with a characterful flavour you won’t forget quickly.

In this article, you’ll read exactly what a Bialetti percolator is, how it works and how to use it for a successful cup of coffee.

What is a Bialetti percolator?

A Bialetti percolator is a classic Italian coffee machine that you use on the stove. The best-known model is the Bialetti Moka Express, which has been found on almost every Italian kitchen counter since the 1930s.

The percolator consists of three parts: a water reservoir at the bottom, a filter for the ground coffee and a top chamber where the coffee ends up. Heating creates steam pressure, which pushes the hot water up through the coffee. This way, you make a full-bodied, powerful coffee without using electricity.

Although it’s often called a percolator, a Bialetti is technically a moka pot. That difference is small but important: the coffee isn’t pumped around repeatedly, but brewed all at once. This results in a clean, intense flavour.

How does a Bialetti percolator work?

A Bialetti percolator works on steam pressure. You put water in the bottom reservoir, and place the filter with ground coffee above it. Once you put the percolator on the stove and the water heats up, pressure builds.

This pressure slowly pushes the hot water up through the ground coffee. The coffee then flows through the tube into the top chamber, where it’s ready to pour. This process happens all at once and usually takes just a few minutes.

When you hear a bubbling or hissing sound, the coffee is almost ready. Then take the Bialetti off the heat to prevent the coffee from getting too hot and losing its flavour.

How do you use a Bialetti percolator?

Using a Bialetti percolator is easy as long as you follow the right order. With these steps, you’ll brew a flavoursome cup of coffee:

1. Fill the bottom reservoir with water just below the safety valve.
2. Place the filter and fill it with ground coffee. Don’t press the coffee down, but smooth the surface lightly.
3. Screw the top part on tightly and put the percolator on medium heat.
4. Wait until the coffee flows up and take the percolator off the heat as soon as you hear the bubbling sound.

Pour the coffee straight away or stir it briefly in the top chamber for an even flavour. This prevents the coffee from getting too hot and tasting bitter.

Which coffee do you use for a Bialetti percolator?

For a Bialetti percolator, use coffee that is ground finer than filter coffee, but coarser than espresso grind. This grind lets the water flow evenly through the coffee, without the flavour becoming too sharp.

Preferably choose medium to medium-dark roasted coffee beans. These provide a full, rounded flavour that suits the brewing method of the Bialetti well.

Café du Jour Espresso Madrugador

Café du Jour 100% Arabica Ethiopia

Café du Jour Organic Aurora Mundo

Café du Jour India Monsooned Malabar

Café du Jour Dark Roast Brazil

If you use pre-ground coffee, make sure it’s suitable for moka pots or percolators. Too fine a grind can cause a bitter taste, while too coarse a grind makes the coffee flat.

What does coffee from a Bialetti percolator taste like?

Coffee from a Bialetti percolator has a full, powerful flavour that is clearly more intense than filter coffee. The coffee’s character is between espresso and filter coffee: strong, but without the crema and sharpness of an espresso machine.

You often taste deep coffee notes with a slight bitter edge and a full body. Depending on the coffee beans used, flavours like chocolate, nuts or a subtle spiciness come through nicely. It’s precisely because of this pronounced flavour that Bialetti coffee is loved by people who enjoy strong, pure coffee.