Alessi 9090
The Alessi 9090, Richard Sapper’s 1979 stainless steel moka pot: a wide base, a lever lock instead of a screw, and Alessi’s first Compasso d’Oro. How to use it.
Contents
What is the Alessi 9090?
The Alessi 9090 is a stainless steel stovetop espresso maker (moka pot) designed by Richard Sapper in 1979. It was Alessi's first coffee maker and won the Compasso d'Oro that year. It's used like any moka pot, but it has a wide base to catch the heat, an anti-drip spout and a lever lock that opens and closes with one twist of the handle.
At a glance
- Grind
- Fine
- Water
- Stovetop
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Method
Fill the boiler
Fill the lower boiler with water up to the safety valve.
Fill the funnel
Fill the funnel filter with moka-grind coffee and level it without pressing down.
Close it
Fit the upper chamber and turn the handle to lock it; the 9090 uses a lever lock rather than a long screw thread.
Heat
Put it on a medium-low heat. On induction, check that your hob recognises a base of at least 90 mm.
Pour
Take it off the heat as soon as the coffee starts to gurgle, and pour.
The Alessi 9090 is the stovetop coffee maker that turned a kitchen tool into a design icon. Drawn by Richard Sapper and launched in 1979, it was Alessi’s first coffee maker, won the Compasso d’Oro that year, and was the first Alessi product at MoMA in New York. Inside, it’s a moka pot, but Sapper rethought the parts people found awkward: a wide base to catch the heat, an anti-drip spout, a steel handle that doesn’t burn, and a lever lock in place of the usual screw thread. Here’s what makes it different and how to use it.
The short version
- A stainless steel moka pot, designed by Richard Sapper, 1979.
- Wide conical base to collect heat; anti-drip spout.
- Lever lock: open and close it with a twist of the handle.
- Alessi’s first coffee maker and first Compasso d’Oro.
- 1, 3, 6 and 10 cups, with an induction version.
How do you use the Alessi 9090?
The same way as any moka pot:
- Fill the boiler with water up to the safety valve.
- Fill the funnel with moka-grind coffee, level it, and don’t tamp.
- Lock it: grasp the handle and turn. Museo Omero explains that a tooth above the valve and a pin opposite are the hooking and locking points.
- Heat it gently. For the induction version, Alessi warns that your hob must be able to switch on for a base at least 90 mm across.
- Take it off the heat as soon as it starts to gurgle, and pour.
What makes the 9090 different?
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Wider conical base | Collects and spreads the heat better (Museo Omero, Alessi) |
| Lever lock | Replaces “the ambiguous inconvenience of the screw lock” (Alessi) |
| Steel handle | Designed never to burn (Alessi) |
| Anti-drip spout | Pours cleanly (Alessi) |
| 18/10 stainless steel | The whole pot is made of steel (Museo Omero, Alessi) |
The 3-cup version is 17.5 cm tall, according to Museo Omero, and Alessi says each pot goes through more than 120 steps in its workshop. Sapper called it “a little steam engine”.
Museo Omero adds that Sapper wanted something easy and safe to use at a competitive cost, and calls it an “amphibious object”: made for the kitchen, but good-looking enough for the living room.
Where did the 9090 come from?
Alberto Alessi wanted to revisit the famous coffee pot of Alfonso Bialetti, a member of his mother’s family, Museo Omero explains. Wikipedia says Alessi commissioned Sapper in 1978, the first of a long series of products for the company, followed by a two-note whistling kettle. The 9090 appeared in 1979.
| Claim | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Compasso d’Oro, 1979 (11th edition) | Museo Omero, Alessi | Alessi’s first Compasso d’Oro |
| First Alessi object at MoMA | Museo Omero: “in the permanent collection”; Alessi: “exhibited at the MOMA” | The sources word it differently |
| “I wanted to give this machine capabilities that the others don’t have” | Alessi attributes it to Richard Sapper; Museo Omero to Alberto Alessi | Attributions differ |
Richard Sapper (1932–2015) was a German designer based in Milan, known for designs such as the Tizio lamp, and the winner of eleven Compasso d’Oro awards, according to both Alessi and Wikipedia.
General guidance only. Never open a moka pot while it’s hot or under pressure, and keep the safety valve clear.
Alessi 9090 vs other methods
- Moka pot: the full guide to stovetop coffee.
- Bialetti Venus: Bialetti’s own stainless steel moka.
- Atomic coffee maker: another design-classic stovetop brewer.
- 9Barista: a stovetop maker that reaches true espresso pressure.
Explore every pressure method in the pressure chapter.
What you’ll need
Words in this guide
- Safety valve
- A safety valve is a small pressure-release valve on the side of a moka pot base.
- Tamping
- Tamping is pressing ground coffee down into a firm, flat, even layer with a tool called a tamper.
Questions & answers
Who designed the Alessi 9090?
Richard Sapper (1932 to 2015), a German designer based in Milan. Alessi commissioned it in 1978 and launched it in 1979; it was his first product for Alessi.
What's special about the 9090?
Alessi lists an enlarged base that maximises heat, an anti-drip spout, a steel handle that won't burn, and a lever lock that opens and closes the pot with one movement instead of a screw.
What awards has the 9090 won?
The Compasso d'Oro in 1979, Alessi's first. It was also the first Alessi product at the Museum of Modern Art in New York: Museo Omero says in its permanent collection, Alessi says exhibited there.
Does the 9090 work on induction?
There's an induction version with a magnetic steel base. Alessi warns to check that your hob can switch on with a base at least 90 mm across.
What sizes does the 9090 come in?
Alessi lists 1, 3, 6 and 10-cup versions.
Sources
- 9090 espresso coffee maker. Alessi
- Work: 9090. Museo Tattile Statale Omero
- Richard Sapper. Wikipedia
General guidance only. Not medical, food-safety or professional advice. Always follow your equipment's own instructions.