There was a time when café-quality espresso belonged almost exclusively to professional machines and marble-topped counters. That changed in 1933, when Alfonso Bialetti and engineer Luigi De Ponti introduced the Moka Express, a compact stovetop brewer that used steam pressure to push hot water through coffee grounds and into an upper chamber. Simple, affordable, durable, and revolutionary, it reshaped how coffee was made at home.
The design itself has barely budged in the near century since. The octagonal aluminum boiler still holds 4.4 ounces, enough for three concentrated cups, and features an easy-clean safety valve built to withstand years of daily use. It works across gas, electric, and glass-ceramic cooktops, with an induction plate required for modern ranges.
At one point, the Moka Express was owned by more than 90 percent of Italian households, a statistic that speaks less to trend and more to trust. Its cultural and industrial significance runs so deep that an early version now sits in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art and was featured as a series of multi-color dancing Moka’s in the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.
Despite the alpine cues, this is not an exercise in ultralight performance gear. The collaboration does not promise better extraction at altitude or a radical rethink of camp coffee. What it offers instead is cohesion, charm, and a sense of occasion, even if the destination is closer to basecamp than the summit.
That endurance explains why Bialetti has resisted tinkering with the formula. Bialetti has never been precious about its icon. Instead, the brand has allowed the Moka Express to evolve culturally, partnering with contemporary names that understand ritual as much as function. Its latest collaboration with The North Face pairs Italian coffee heritage with nearly six decades of American expedition culture.
The result is the TNF x Bialetti Moka Express set, finished in Summit Gold and TNF black, a direct reference to The North Face’s original expedition parka. Alongside the three-cup brewer are two stainless steel espresso cups, small by American standards but properly scaled for the task, matching spoons engraved with “Never Stop Exploring,” and a tin of Bialetti’s Perfetto Moka Classico, a 50/50 Arabica-Robusta blend with notes of hazelnut and dried fruit.
Our take: Both brands have been fueling adventures in their own ways for decades, so while we’re not rushing to match our Moka to an expedition parka, the collaboration makes sense. Compared with the usual instant, dehydrated options most rely on for alpine starts, the aroma of freshly brewed espresso in open mountain air is a meaningful upgrade. The design is considered and fun, the pairing feels natural, and the fact that you can brew straight out of the box reinforces its thoughtfulness.
The TNF x Bialetti Moka Set, $220; thenorthface.com and bialetti.com
