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The classic Moka Express lets coffee trickle up into the top chamber as soon as there’s enough steam pressure to push it. The Brikka holds it back. A valve on top of the column stays shut until the pressure builds, then the coffee comes out in one quick, foamy rush.
The result is shorter, stronger and topped with a layer of foam. It’s the closest a moka pot gets to espresso, and it makes a better base for a milk drink.
How the Valve Works
On the original Brikka, a weighted cap sat on the coffee column like the regulator on a pressure cooker. Steam had to lift it. When it did, coffee and vapour burst out together and whipped into foam. Bialetti says the result is almost twice as concentrated as a Moka Express.
In 2020 Bialetti redesigned it. The New Brikka has a silver top over a black base, an updated column and a silicone valve in place of the old weighted cap, and it comes with a cup for measuring the water. Users say the burst is less dramatic than on the old design. If you read older reviews, keep that in mind.
Is the Foam Crema?
Bialetti calls it crema. Strictly, it isn’t. The foam is bubblier and fades faster than espresso crema, because the coffee is pushed by a little over one bar of pressure, not espresso’s nine. Blends with some robusta make a thicker head; our beans for milk drinks guide has options.
Sizes
- 2-cup Brikka: about 90 to 100 ml of coffee. Right for one strong cortado or two small ones.
- 4-cup Brikka: about 150 to 200 ml.
Each pot makes one fixed amount. You can’t brew a half batch, because the valve needs the full dose of water to work properly.
How to Brew It
- Measure the water with the included cup and pour it into the base.
- Fill the funnel loosely with medium-fine coffee. Don’t tamp.
- Screw it together and put it on low to medium heat.
- When the burst comes and the flow finishes, take it off the heat straight away.
The standard Brikka is aluminium and won’t work on induction without a plate. There’s a separate Brikka Induction model. Hand wash only. Spare gaskets are shared with the Moka Express: the 2-cup takes the 3-cup gasket, the 4-cup takes the 6-cup one.
Brikka or Moka Express?
The Moka Express is cheaper and makes very good coffee. The Brikka makes a smaller, stronger, frothier cup, and that suits milk drinks. If you want a stovetop cortado, cut Brikka coffee with an equal amount of warm, lightly foamed milk from a milk frother. If you want real espresso without a machine, look at a manual lever press instead.
Small pot, short burst, strong coffee.