Bialetti Moka pot
Hacker ApprovedRanked 2 of 4 coffee makers by recommenders
Cheap stovetop maker that people say brews good coffee and lasts for years. Critics say it brews too hot, making coffee bitter.
Cheap stovetop maker that people say brews good coffee and lasts for years. Critics say it brews too hot, making coffee bitter.
15 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 11
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 73%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 11 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 2.8 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Cheap and long-lasting
“My stainless Bialetti was invented about a hundred years ago and cost less than 50€.”
Comment from 8 Oct 2026 in “Man discovers his parents' coffee machine used 1TB of data in 10 days” “They're not expensive and last a lifetime”
Comment from 8 Oct 2026 in “Man discovers his parents' coffee machine used 1TB of data in 10 days” “Fantastic coffee for very cheap.”
Comment from 24 Apr 2026 in “Habitual coffee intake shapes the microbiome, modifies physiology and cognition” Good-tasting coffee for little
“even using a standard Bialetti Moca cup produces exceptional results with that coffee”
Comment from 23 Apr 2026 in “The Ferrari of Espresso Machines Is Fueling a Hot Resale Market” “Even cheaper, tastes better, and takes only slightly longer to make.”
Comment from 12 Nov 2025 in “The last-ever penny will be minted today in Philadelphia” “It's way easier and I like the flavour more.”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?” - Comment from 24 Apr 2026 in “Habitual coffee intake shapes the microbiome, modifies physiology and cognition”
Easy to clean and use
“the stainless versions are also easier to clean, and work on induction”
Comment from 24 Apr 2026 in “Habitual coffee intake shapes the microbiome, modifies physiology and cognition” “It's way easier and I like the flavour more.”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?” Good for home coffee
“might well be at the optimum point of effort vs quality for home coffeemaking”
Comment from 26 Jan 2026 in “Why I Love Cheap Coffee” “which is what most Italians use at home anyway”
Comment from 23 Apr 2026 in “The Ferrari of Espresso Machines Is Fueling a Hot Resale Market”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Brews too hot, making bitter coffee
“they make horrible coffee, and can by design only brew at the wrong temperature”
Comment from 24 Apr 2026 in “The Ferrari of Espresso Machines Is Fueling a Hot Resale Market” “You are guaranteed to get bitter coffee brewing at close to 212F.”
Comment from 24 Apr 2026 in “The Ferrari of Espresso Machines Is Fueling a Hot Resale Market”
Other coffee makers people recommend
The three most recommended other coffee makers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AeroPress coffee maker | 17 | 2 | 89% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Bialetti Moka potThis page | 11 | 4 | 73% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Hario V60 dripper | 9 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Moccamaster coffee maker | 7 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
15 of the 16 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“My stainless Bialetti was invented about a hundred years ago and cost less than 50€.”
“They're not expensive and last a lifetime”
“You are guaranteed to get bitter coffee brewing at close to 212F.”
“the coffee that gets out destroys me: heart palpitations, slight arrhythmia, headaches, and energy crash”
“the stainless versions are also easier to clean, and work on induction”
“Fantastic coffee for very cheap.”
“they make horrible coffee, and can by design only brew at the wrong temperature”
“When I'm drinking Moka, it's more about the vibes anywho.”
“the Bialettis also let you make a great cafecito”
“even using a standard Bialetti Moca cup produces exceptional results with that coffee”
“which is what most Italians use at home anyway”
“might well be at the optimum point of effort vs quality for home coffeemaking”
“It's way easier and I like the flavour more.”
“Even cheaper, tastes better, and takes only slightly longer to make.”
“There is a deep crevice in the coffee compartment that cannot be cleaned mechanically”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.