bialetti venus safety valve made in china

Bialetti is a company that invented moka pots. However, today many other brands offer Italian stove top coffee makers for 2 or even 3 times lower price. Is there any real difference between them except the famous ‘little man with the mustache’ logo, which Bialetti proudly put on its models? (Spoiler: yes)

I decided to compare stainless steel versions, since my new kitchen is equipped with a induction stove (classic aluminium moka pots like Moka Express or Brikka can’t work with it). I choose a Bialetti Venus by Bialetti (‘Made in India according to Bialetti’s quality standarts’ was written on the box) and a similar moka pot by some unknown brand from China (almost 3 times cheaper). Both are for 4 cups, which equals to 160ml. Here they are:

So let’s investigate the differences between cheap Chinese moka pot made of steel vs original Bialetti Venus.I will not describe the unboxing process (though Bialetti packaging was better) and focus on the materials, construction, coffee taste and temperature:

Both coffee makers are made of stainless steel. However the thickness of the metal is different, Chinese one definetly has more slim edges (hereinafter on photos the Bialetti is on left while the Chinese one is on right):

The fact that Bialetti uses a lot more metal while producing their stove top espresso makers is also proven by the weight. According to my kitchen scale it’s 544 grams (19.2 ounces) in the case of Bialetti vs 330 grams (11.6 ounces) in the case of its counterpart. Both measurements are made without boxes:

❕ The main thing, that dissapointed me was the weirdly coated bottom section in Chinese moka pot. While the Bialetti has a equaly shiny polished steel both outside and inside, the bottom chamber of the second coffee maker has a layer of some strange material:

My last observation is about emergency valve that is located one the side of the bottom chamber and that is used to lower the pressure if the funnel would be clogged. They are different:

The Bialetti inspection valve is a patented valve, which has been designed to guarantee the use of the coffee maker in complete safety. Using the coffee maker with drinking water entails the risk of formation of lime scale in the hole of the safety valve, causing the clogging of the valve itself and the malfunctioning of the product.

With the Bialetti inspection valve, it is very simple to avoid clogging arising from lime scale: just move the small piston coming out of the valve along its axis when washing the coffee maker.

As I mentioned above the fact that Chinese has thinner metal body affects the brewing proccess. Bialetti’s upper chamber stays cools longer, while all parts of Chinese coffee maker becomes hot very soon. That means that temperature of extraction is higher on Chinese one. It’s generally condidered to be bad for the coffee taste (because it may become bitter), however it’s better for lovers of hot coffee.

Here are photos of coffee temperature measurement in Bialetti Venus and in ATWFS moka pot just after brewing on gas cooker (photos kindly provided by my reader kroleg-m):

The devil is in the details. It is often the smallest things, the particularities, that make all the difference. This is also the case in regards to the preparation of a good coffee, a ritual in which all the steps and every single component play a fundamental role. Among all, one of the most important elements is the Moka valve. Often ignored, it is vital not only for the quality of the coffee, but also for the safety of those who prepare it.

The valve was born with the invention of the Moka Express in 1933. It is a safety valve positioned on the bottom chamber. To better understand the importance of the valve and its use, we need to take a step back and illustrate step by step

This is where the valve of the Moka comes into play. It must open when the pressure is too high. By doing so, it allows the steam to escape regularly, without causing any damage. In short, the Moka’s safety valve provides security. Hence, it should only intervene when the coffee maker is used under abnormal operating conditions.

A long-standing and debated question: how far can you fill the bottom chamber for a state-of-the-art coffee? The Moka valve can come in handy to answer this dilemma. Another important role of the valve is that it acts as a "measuring cup". Its position on the bottom chamber is not accidental. Rather, it indicates to those who prepare the coffee the correct amount of water to use. The only exception is for some special coffee pots that are already equipped with a measuring cup. Ideally the water should reach just below the safety valve.

The Moka valve, therefore, is not a decoration or a mere design element. Rather, it is a very important component for the correct functioning of the coffee maker. It guarantees safety and plays a part in the making of an excellent coffee.

Consequently, it is necessary to keep it clean and maintain it regularly. For example, using tap water to make coffee brings with it the risk of limescale deposits obstructing the hole in the valve. The resulting danger is that it could get clogged.

We have seen that one can simply use hot water to clean the Moka valve. To avoid limescale obstructions, simply move the piston that comes out of the valve along its axis when washing it. To ensure the Moka functions correctly, it is recommended to repeat this checkup periodically.

This moka pot—which, of the four models we tested, comes closest to Alfonso Bialetti’s original design—has a classic look, is dead simple to use, and brews coffee as rich and flavorful as that of any model we tested.

In my own kitchen in St. Louis, I conducted a taste test with four 6-cup moka pots: my Bialetti Moka Express, the Alessi Moka, the Grosche Milano Red, and the stainless steel Ilsa Turbo Express. Dozens of variations are available—from IKEA’s Scandinavian spin on the classic moka pot to the MoMA Design Store’s cute and colorful Cocca Moka to innumerable knockoffs on Amazon—but we concluded that the four models we chose represented the range of options well.

I am by no means a coffee expert (as I said, I just started drinking it regularly in the past year), but I did find some obvious differences between the pots’ brews. The Bialetti Moka Express performed the best overall, producing a smooth, full-bodied flavor profile—chocolatey, smoky, and just a bit acidic—compared with the rest of the bunch. The Alessi Moka’s brews were a little more acidic and slightly less rich, but they were otherwise almost indistinguishable from the Bialetti’s. Results from the stainless steel Ilsa Turbo Express were drinkable, if somewhat hollow and flat, and brews from the Grosche Milano Red were the worst—watery and flavorless.

The Bialetti pot that I’ve had for years—which my boyfriend and now I have put through some serious wear and tear—seems mostly infallible. Other than a hairline crack on the hinge (which is a stress point if you try to screw the top on one-handed, as I have), it hasn’t sustained any major damage. The cast-aluminum pieces fit together smoothly and are fairly easy to clean. When the pot is not in use, it fits into my mid-century modern decor as a piece of functional art.

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The original Bialetti Moka Pot needs no introduction and it certainly has been and still is one of the best coffee making devices to be found on the market.

Traditionally manufactured out of aluminium, the Bialetti Moka Pot including the many other makes are also manufactured out of stainless steel and other alloys.

Use a damp dishcloth to hold the water holder in one hand and screw the two chambers together and avoid exerting any force against the handle. (I generally use the safety valve as an extra source of grip.)

over the years I have made many cups of espresso styled coffee using my trusted single cup Bialetti Moka Pot even when I needed to produce more than one coffee at a time.

The Bialetti “Venus” moka pot model boasts an unmistakeable and elegant design. Adorning the pot, the Bialetti man with the moustache, recognised now by pretty much everyone and featuring on all of the brand’s products, represents Renato Bialetti himself, son of the inventor of the moka pot, Alfonso. This iconic logo was designed in 1953 by Paul Campani, an Italian artist.

Suited for the smartest, most elegant of environments, this pot guarantees high quality thanks to its patented safety valve, which makes it easy to clean too. Bialetti “Venus” offers maximum strength and is built to last: the wall of the bottom chamber is 20% thicker than usual, which results in high performance and unmatched robustness. Made from stainless steel and hence suited for induction hobs, it maintains its original characteristics even after years of use. The size of Bialetti moka pots is measured in cups: the capacity of this one is 4 cups, which corresponds to 170 ml coffee. “Venus” is a truly timeless classic, enabling you to enjoy Italian coffee brewed with exquisite style and elegance.

Bialetti “Venus” is made of sturdy, high-quality stainless steel, which guarantees durability over time, creates an unmistakeable look, and lets you use the pot on induction hobs too.

To brew some delicious coffee, fill the bottom chamber with water all the way up to the safety valve, insert the metal filter and pour some ground coffee into the basket (without pressing), then put the upper chamber on top and place the pot on the hob. Wait for the coffee to start gurgling as it rises and reaches the collecting chamber: once that’s done, take the pot off the heat and enjoy!

Rinse your “Venus” under running water after each use. Do not use detergents. The product should not be washed in the dishwasher as this could damage the pot and affect the flavour of your coffee.

Edit - 26th March, 2018. I bought a new 4 cup by another brand and am pleased with it. This one I am now using to make tea. I use one heaped teaspoon of loose tea. Of course the pot took a lot of cleaning to get rid of the coffee from before. My house is cold so I like this as it makes a piping hot cup of tea without phaffing around heating up a china pot and I don"t have to have a separate tea strainer. They make stainless steel teapots so I thought why not.I have had this for two weeks now and don"t like it very much. I am using it but am probably going to buy a different one to replace it pretty soon.The first problem was that the coffee maker arrived with a thick sticky oil in the groove inside the top of the pot at the base. This smelt like mechine oil. The inside has a raised platform and it is between this and the wall where this black oil was stuck. Cleaning this groove prooved to be extrememly difficult with detergent and boiling water so I ended up having to use a steam cleaner, five or six times, and wedging fine cloth into the groove to pull out the oil.I wrote to Bialetti and they said they had not sold the 10-cup for quite some time. The USA site has a different range of pots available and the Venus does not feature at all. I therefore think the 10-cup Venus is old stock (although on the Bialetti site written in Italian there is a 10-cup Venus). In fact I am confused, I thought Bialetti was Italian made but my 10-cup was made in China.The handle cannot be used to assist the taking off and putting on of the top. I can see no rivets and it feels slightly wobbly when picking up the pot to poor. I support the pot with a thick towel as I don"t want it to come off in my hand and spilll boiling coffee everywhere. I don"t think the handle will last long.After a few uses the coffee started to taste tainted despite rinsing out the pot and removing the upper filter and seal when leaving to dry. The pot after a few uses smells bad, very metallic I got around this by rinsing out thoroughly then putting the coffee maker on without any coffee in the basket, then dismantle whilst hot (use heavy toweling or oven gloves) and leaving to dry from the heat. The pot does not dry well on its own and needs heat to assist it. I put through the hot water two or three times at the end of the day. then leave to dry.This particular pot is very sensitive (I don"t remember my old Moka pot being so sensitive to parameters). Today I ground the coffee too fine and slightly pressed it. The coffee would not come through more than a couple of tablespoons and burnt as the pot was on the stove too long.This particular pot I own does not build up a good enough pressure to deal with too fine a grind, nor to fully empty the reservoir of water when the basked it filled with coffee. The water condenses at the lid and runs down the handle.So although I am using it I am on the lookout for a different one. In the meantime, I put it on the smallest gas and turn it half down. This helps stop the coffee burning and stops the condensate running down the handle. I stop the heating well before the lower pot has emptied and this also helps stop the coffee burning. I don"t quite fill the basket and use quite a coarse grind. I poor the coffee straight out and if there is too much I decant it into a glass or pottery jug.On the plus side I do prefer the stainless steel to the aluminium. It heats up quickly. It makes a good cup of coffee when I get the grind and quantity right, and the level of gas. I like Bialetti and like the look of thier new espresso stovetop pot but it is aluminium which I don"t want to use.One thing I have found though is that an ordinary cafettiere makes absolutely great frothy milk from warmed full fat milk. I saw it on you tube and it takes seconds to makes milk swell to three times the volume when froathed ( so don"t put too much milk in the pot).In two minds whether it was a two star or three star but because of the oil, the handle, and its finickyness with the gas level I wouldn"t buy this model again in this size so settled on two stars.

The Bialetti “Venus” moka pot model boasts an unmistakeable and elegant design. Adorning the pot, the Bialetti man with the moustache, recognised now by pretty much everyone and featuring on all of the brand’s products, represents Renato Bialetti himself, son of the inventor of the moka pot, Alfonso. This iconic logo was designed in 1953 by Paul Campani, an Italian artist.

Suited for the smartest, most elegant of environments, this pot guarantees high quality thanks to its patented safety valve, which makes it easy to clean too. Bialetti “Venus” offers maximum strength and is built to last: the wall of the bottom chamber is 20% thicker than usual, which results in high performance and unmatched robustness. Made from stainless steel and hence suited for induction hobs, it maintains its original characteristics even after years of use. The size of Bialetti moka pots is measured in cups: the capacity of this one is 4 cups, which corresponds to 170 ml coffee. “Venus” is a truly timeless classic, enabling you to enjoy Italian coffee brewed with exquisite style and elegance.

Bialetti “Venus” is made of sturdy, high-quality stainless steel, which guarantees durability over time, creates an unmistakeable look, and lets you use the pot on induction hobs too.

To brew some delicious coffee, fill the bottom chamber with water all the way up to the safety valve, insert the metal filter and pour some ground coffee into the basket (without pressing), then put the upper chamber on top and place the pot on the hob. Wait for the coffee to start gurgling as it rises and reaches the collecting chamber: once that’s done, take the pot off the heat and enjoy!

Rinse your “Venus” under running water after each use. Do not use detergents. The product should not be washed in the dishwasher as this could damage the pot and affect the flavour of your coffee.