Bialetti Moka Express

For the person who loves strong, dark coffee and has no interest in an espresso machine. The octagonal aluminum pot sits on the stove, and when it starts to gurgle, a small batch of thick, intense coffee is ready to drink straight or stretch with hot milk. The design has barely changed since 1933, which says plenty about how well it works. Buy it in the cup size they will actually brew, because a moka pot is filled to the same line every time rather than part-way. And be clear on what it makes: rich, punchy stovetop coffee, not true espresso with a layer of crema.