Atomic Stovetop Coffee Maker

The Atomic is a stovetop espresso maker with a steam wand, and one of the most recognisable coffee makers ever designed: a rounded, polished aluminium body that looks a little like a 1950s rocket. A sealed boiler heats on the hob, steam pressure pushes hot water through coffee in a clamped-in holder and out into a jug, and the same steam feeds a wand for frothing milk. It was designed by Giordano Robbiati of Milan, who first filed his patent in Italy in 1946. Here’s how to use one and where it came from.

The short version

• A stovetop espresso maker with a sealed boiler and a coffee holder that clamps into the head.
• A steam wand for frothing milk while the coffee brews.
• A fine, consistent grind, but not an espresso grind.
• Coffee arrives in about 2 to 4 minutes on a high heat.
• First patented in Italy in 1946 by Giordano Robbiati, and later made under the Atomic name in Austria, Hungary and the UK.

How does the Atomic work?

1. The boiler is sealed, so as the water heats on the hob, steam pressure builds inside it.
2. That pressure pushes hot water through the coffee in the holder clamped into the head, and out through a spout into the jug.
3. The same steam feeds the wand. Open the knob and steam comes out of the wand, ready to froth milk.

The Atomic works on the same steam pressure as a moka pot and the first steam espresso machines, well short of the roughly 9 bar of a modern espresso machine. As Coffee Crew puts it, steam-powered makers like this lack the pressure to make true espresso.

What do you need?

• An Atomic, with its coffee holder, jug and steam wand
• A hob
• Coffee and a grinder that can grind fine (not espresso fine) and consistently
• Cold milk and a jug, if you want to froth

What grind size should I use?

Fine and consistent, but not espresso fine. The Atomic manual, transcribed by Coffee Crew, says to fill the holder with finely ground coffee, not espresso ground coffee. It stresses a consistent grind, and warns that coarse grounds make the steam build-up weaker, which also makes frothing harder.

How do you use an Atomic, step by step?

These steps follow the Coffee Crew Atomic manual:

1. Fill the boiler with water and close the filler cap firmly. Hot water is fine and quicker.
2. Fill the coffee holder and press the coffee down gently with the back of a spoon. If you use less coffee or a smaller filter, pack it down a little more.
3. Clamp the holder into the head and set the jug in place.
4. Make sure the steam knob is shut (not every model has one), then heat on high. Coffee usually starts to arrive in 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Froth the milk as it brews, keeping the heat high (see below). The coffee fills to about three quarters of an inch from the top of the jug.
6. Turn the heat off once the milk is frothed.

Afterwards, the manual says to empty the leftover water from the unit. For a smaller brew, it suggests less coffee and less water: a cup of water per cup of coffee, plus one cup for the steam.

How do you froth milk with an Atomic?

Fill a pint jug about half full of cold milk. Put the wand deep into the milk, open the red knob several turns for plenty of steam, then lower the jug until the tip of the wand just breaks the surface. If the wand sits too deep, the milk just swirls and heats; it won’t froth. Clean the wand tip after every use and never let dried milk build up on it.

A short history of the Atomic

• 1946: Giordano Robbiati of Milan files his patent in Italy. His US patent (No. 2,549,132, filed in June 1947 and granted in 1951) gives the Italian date as 14 September 1946, and his Austrian patent claims a priority date of 18 September 1946. Machines were made as Brevetti Robbiati. Some sources, such as the Museum of Design in Plastics, give 1947.
• Several makers: Wikipedia says the Atomic name was used by makers in Italy, Austria, Hungary and the UK. In Austria the trademark holder was Desider Josef Stern (Stella).
• About 1955 to 1965: A. & M.G. Sassoon made British versions, including a “standard” and a “Cappucino” model, also sold as Atomic. Wikipedia says one is on display at the Science Museum in London.
• Today: reproductions are sold, and the Otto is a stainless steel redesign of the original aluminium Atomic.

Atomic vs other stovetop brewers

	Atomic	Moka pot	Espresso machine
Pressure	Steam, well below espresso	Steam, about 1 to 2 bar	About 9 bar
Coffee holder	Clamped into the head	Basket in the base	Portafilter
Milk	Steam wand	None	Steam wand on most
Heat	Hob	Hob	Electric

How do you clean an Atomic?

Let it cool fully first. Empty the leftover water from the boiler, knock out and rinse the coffee holder, and wipe and clear the steam wand tip. The manual also says to leave the black filler knob reasonably loose between uses, or it can seize.

General guidance only. The Atomic’s boiler is under pressure when hot: never open the filler cap or remove the coffee holder while it’s hot, check old seals before using a vintage one, and follow the maker’s instructions.

Atomic vs other methods

• Moka pot: the everyday stovetop brewer, without a steam wand.
• Steam espresso: the early café machines that worked on the same steam pressure.
• Espresso: the 9 bar shot the Atomic was imitating at home.
• Portable espresso: modern hand-powered espresso away from the kitchen.

Explore every pressure method in the pressure chapter.