Neapolitan Coffee Makers

Neapolitan Coffee Makers use the traditional drip brewing process. The unique part of the process is what's known as the flip drip!

They can be quite stylish like the one on the right which is steel mirror polished with a Canaletto walnut handle.

They are quite beautiful but they are rather expensive.

Also known as the Napoletana, this manual coffee maker was the domestic coffee pot before the invention of the Mocha pot.

Although not as common today, it is still used in Naples, Italy and has been said to be associated with the good times of the past.

Originally these flip drip coffee makers were made of tin, but you will also find them in aluminum and stainless steel. The picture at the bottom left shows a Napoletana made of aluminum which is fairly inexpensive.

How Neapolitan Coffee Makers Work

This coffee maker is often referred to as the flip drip because you do actually flip the entire unit over to finish brewing the coffee. Once the water is boiled, you flip the entire unit over and the water drips through the coffee grinds.

In the pictures you see on this page, this is the way the Napoletana will look when you've finished making a pot.

The Basic Instructions

There are four basic parts of this manual coffee maker which consists of the cover, the bottom unit (with the spout), the top unit (without the spout), and a two piece filter.

   - Remove the cover
   - Flip the pot over so the unit with the spout is on top
   - Remove the unit with the spout
   - When measuring your coffee, the cup size measurement for this coffee maker is one ounce.
   - Remove the filter and unscrew the filter cover
   - Add your coffee to the filter, you should use fine ground coffee and it shouldn't be tamped down.
   - Replace the cover on the filter.
   - Fill the bottom unit with water. You'll see a small vent hole, don't fill past the vent hole.
   - Place the filter back into the container filled with water.
   - Place the bottom unit (with spout upside down). This will snap in so the pot is secure.
   - Now you're ready to brew, so place the unit on your stovetop, but make sure the heat source covers only the bottom of the coffee maker.
   - When the water starts boiling, you'll see the steam exiting the vent hole.
   - Remove the coffee maker from your stovetop. Hold both handles firmly and turn the unit upside down.
   - Allow the coffee to brew for three to five minutes. When it's finished it will stop dripping.
   - Now you can remove the top unit and filter and replace them with the cover.
   - You'll see a little indentation on the filter. This is to make it easy to remove.

Experimenting is a great way to make sure you get the taste you're looking for. Some prefer to stop the process before the water is at a full boil. Others believe the water has to boil and let off steam for the coffee to be at its best.

Clean Up

Neapolitan Coffee makers require the basic cleaning. Clean the filter well and wash the unit with warm sudsy water. To keep the vent hole cleaned out well you may want to run a small cleaning brush through it.

The Napoletana range in size from three cups up to twelve cups. Some manufacturers do use two ounces for a cup measurement versus one ounce.

Alessi and Ilsa are two well known brand names for the Neapolitan coffee makers. These are imported from Italy.