La Conica Espresso coffee maker, 6 cups

Aldo Rossi's first moka pot for Alessi treats the coffee maker like a piece of architecture in miniature.

La Conica pairs a cylindrical stainless steel body with a conical top and a copper base — a composition of simple geometric forms that Rossi, an architect first, brought directly from his drawings to the table. The result reads less like kitchen hardware and more like a small structure that happens to make coffee, an early and enduring example of Alessi's practice of inviting architects to design domestic objects.

Alessi's personalization service is available for this piece, allowing initials to be added for a more considered gift.