The Neapolitan flip coffee pot ( or , ; , ) or is a drip brew coffeemaker for the stove top very popular in Italy and France until the 20th century. Unlike a moka express, it does not use the pressure of steam to force the water through the coffee, relying instead on gravity.
History The was invented in 1819 by Jean-Louis Morize,William Harrison Ukers, All About Coffee, New York, The Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company, 1922, cap. 34. https://archive.org/details/allaboutcoffee00ukeruoft a tinsmith and lampmaker from Paris, France. It was originally constructed out of copper, until 1886, when the material was switched to aluminum. The reason for taking its name from the Italian city of Naples in English is unknown.
The namesake derives from , meaning 'copper or terracotta vase'.
The is a small paper cone (which is used in other ways in Naples, such as holding food) that goes over the spout. This is used to preserve the aroma of the coffee while it drips into the tank, which can take up to 10 minutes or more. To make a , a small piece of paper is folded to create a cone shape. Eduardo De Filippo offers a description of the and the importance of coffee in Naples.
Variants
Some of the finely crafted coffee pots manufactured in the late 19th-century work on the same principle, including the Russian reversible pot Russian egg, and the reversible Potsdam cafetière a.k.a. Potsdam boiler. Another variant was the (not to be confused with the ). A spirit cooker heats the mounted flippable pot.
Classic designs Italian Riccardo Dalisi redesigned this classic for Alessi. He began his research in 1979 and earned international attention when his design entered into production in 1987. As they have come back to gain some popularity, ILSA now also makes them in stainless steel.
See also
Moka pot – similar looking, but different type of pot – similar looking, but different type of pots
References
Further reading (2+2+166+8+2 pages) (NB. The original 1989 edition was by Lucchetti editore, Bergamo, Italy.); (168+2 pages) (NB. The German translation contains many typographical errors.) Cocozza, Simona; Samantha Cito, eds. "The ritual and sociability of Neapolitan coffee culture", Regiona Campania, https://cultura.regione.campania.it/en/la-cultura-del-caffe-napoletano (775+1 pages) (NB. This is the ISBN of the second edition (2020), however, the ISBN of the first edition (2013) appears to be the same.) Mani San Max, Isabelle. "Exploring the cuccuma: a traditional Neapolitan coffee pot". Perfect Daily Grind, 2021-03-15, https://perfectdailygrind.com/2021/03/exploring-the-cuccuma-a-traditional-neapolitan-coffee-pot/ Mazzoleni, Martina. "Neapolitan: how to prepare coffee with cuccumella!". Caffè Ernani, 2022-08-04, https://www.caffeernani.com/en/recipes/neapolitan-how-to-prepare-coffee-with-cuccumella/ "The Secret of a Neapolitan Coffee Maker". Lavazza, Luigi Lavazza SPA, https://www.lavazza.co.uk/en/coffee-secrets/neapolitan-coffee-maker "Upside-down percolation". Collezione Enrico Maltoni, TITANKA! Spa, https://www.espressomadeinitaly.com/en/history-gallery-upside-down-percolation.php
External links
The Coffee FAQ brewing techniques: Neapolitan The Neapolitan Coffee Maker (2023-12-21) by James Hoffmann [15:34]