By Thomas Pigeon
If wine runs through the veins of Italians, coffee is the heart and soul of Italian culture. A morning caffè is the essential ingredient to kick off the day in Italy. Not just any coffee, but a fabulous, rich, properly roasted, perfectly prepared, and elegantly served caffè signals that all is good, and the day may now proceed.
The coffee experience in Italy dates back to the 16th century. Coffee in Italy was introduced by Venetian botanist and physician Prospero Alpini, who encountered it during his travels. This adventurous man brought back a precious gift that would become an essential part of mainstream culture throughout Italy. For a country obsessed with coffee, it’s interesting to note that coffee is not grown in Italy. Rather, raw beans gathered and shipped from faraway lands like Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam find their way to Italy and into the hands of what are likely the world’s finest coffee roasters. Beyond coffee roasting, Italy is most famous for the invention of the espresso machine. Brands like Gran Gaggia, De Longhi, and others have become iconic to coffee connoisseurs worldwide.
But as the world inherits and absorbs these centuries-old coffee-making traditions, one of the classic, understated warriors of the coffee maker industry is the classic Moka Coffee Maker. When you think of Italy, you think of pasta, pizza, and surely the memorable shape of the Moka coffee maker.
I first encountered these splendid little “machines” while visiting my dear friend Grazia Facchetti at her kitchen store, Con Grazia, in Brescia. Her lovely boutique in Centro Storico is home to an astounding display of Moka coffee makers of all shapes and sizes. As I was purchasing one of the more decorative items for my cucina, Grazia noted that the company manufacturing these lovely coffee makers—and one of the world’s largest Moka coffee maker producers—G.A.T., sits in my backyard in my hometown of Brescia, Italy. I had the chance to sit with G.A.T. founder Gianbattista Zappa and discuss the world of Moka coffee makers and what makes them special. A twinkle in his eye signaled that he is as passionate today as he was the day the very first Moka Maker came off the assembly line.
“Passion, creativity, evolution, and quality—these are the pillars of our belief and our business at G.A.T.,” noted Signor Zappa. “It was a simple beginning,” he explained. “In the mid-80s, we decided to make the world’s best Moka coffee maker. Thirty-six years ago, the concept of G.A.T. was conceived with the assistance of several good friends, sitting around the kitchen table. At that time, the Moka coffee maker was not that popular. Today, it’s a very different story. We weren’t the first to the market, but we were destined to become the best. To this day, we don’t employ salesmen or distributors but instead deal directly with clients worldwide in over 50 countries. Every day, we produce more than 10,000 coffee makers destined to find themselves in the kitchens or on the tables of our customers. More than 100 million G.A.T. coffee makers have been sold worldwide. We are 100% Made in Italy!”
Good coffee is like good music—both touch the soul.
— ROGER CICERO
The “Made in Italy” statement is a source of pride for Signor Zappa. There are larger firms, but G.A.T. holds the distinction of being the only truly 100% Italian-made Moka maker. There’s a boyish charm about this man. He holds his coffee makers with the love of someone who has just given birth to a child. “We are very proud of what we make here at G.A.T. It’s a combination of dedicated people working in the plant and people focusing on excellence at every level. Our quality is the best in the world.” His pride in this statement is evident. An impressive line of 30+ styles of Moka Makers lines their showroom walls, with the standard model available in everything from one cup all the way up to 48 cups. Design and color options have evolved over the years to meet the tastes of even the most demanding kitchen designers. From the simple aluminum standard to highly colorful and decorated pots, customers worldwide have endless options to choose from.
A walk through the plant and a conversation with the staff clearly indicate the pride they take in their work. In a business that could surely benefit from the cost reduction of robotics, there is an apparent resistance to this kind of technological change. “Our business is about people and their craft. Our machines are precise and exceptional, but our workers are at the heart of what makes us special,” noted Signor Zappa. To this writer, it’s a constant reminder when traveling through Italy that, unlike some nations that trade quality for quantity, a commitment to craft, precision, and excellence is at home here at G.A.T., as it is throughout much of the industrial sector of northern Italy.
Our business is about people and their craft. Our machines are precise and exceptional, but our workers are at the heart of what makes us special.
The G.A.T. Moka coffee pots are uniquely simple: a bottom chamber (the boiler) that holds the water, a funnel to hold the coffee, a filter, and a top chamber that collects the brewed coffee. The classic Moka is different from espresso in that it uses a slightly coarser grind of espresso coffee to permit the water and steam to flow more easily through the ground beans. Making a cup of coffee with your Moka Maker is a classic statement of slow living, where water and coffee come together in a slow dance to produce thick, velvety coffee that is a joy to behold and a delight to taste. Over time, it has become one of the staples of Italian culture. It’s a timeless creature that fights the “speed to cup” approach of other new-age coffee “machines”.
Making the perfect Moka caffè is slightly time-intensive but a ritual that is an essential beginning to each morning. I simply fill the lower chamber with water, place the metal funnel onto the lower chamber and fill it with high-quality, medium-ground espresso coffee (do not pack the coffee; put it in loose), screw on the upper chamber with the filter, and place the assembled pot on the stove. As the water begins to boil, the steam creates pressure in the lower chamber and gently moves the water through the coffee grounds in the filter. The coffee arrives in a sort of slow melody that is joyous to watch and makes the tasting even more special. The upper chamber condenses and collects the coffee. It’s one of the few times in my hectic life where time completely stops, and like a child mesmerized by the flame of a flickering fire, my attention is captivated by this simple yet delicious process.
Following our tour and time at the G.A.T. plant, in typical Italian fashion and kindness, Signor Zappa invited me and my dear friend Grazia to his country home in Toscana for the weekend. There was a slight mist in the fields of Tenuta la Farneta (where we were staying) as I walked up from my room to join the “family” for breakfast. In the early morning light, Signor Zappa was busily preparing our morning caffè Moka. The aroma of the gently steamed and simmering coffee filled the air, and the undeniable sound of the slight gurgling signaled the coffee was ready to enjoy.
Great conversations, plenty of laughter, and the honor of the creator and founder of G.A.T. making me likely the world’s best Moka coffee was a most memorable moment. As the sun rose over the country estate, I stepped out onto the terrace, coffee cup in hand, and slowly indulged in my coffee experience. Time stopped, anxiety had left town, and a sense of inner peace comforted me. I was reminded of the quote by Roger Cicero: “Good coffee is like good music—both touch the soul.” – VV
That’s a captivating article! I’ve lived in Italy for 50 years and never knew or saw this brand of mokka. I’ll be looking out for it here in Rome!