Pots and pods a hot topic for coffee drinkers

ROME - The long history of the stove-top moka coffee pot has, for generations, been among the most fundamental possessions of Italian families, but it may be bubbling to an end in the wake of relentless competition from modern technology.

However, the high-tech coffee pod machine is facing its own challenges, as pressure from environmental groups mounts amid worries about the impact the discarded pods have on the ecosystem.

The moka coffee pot has remained virtually unchanged since it was invented. Alfonso Bialetti invented the eight-sided machine in 1933. The moka pot forces boiling water upward through a filter holding ground coffee, feeding the chamber before it is collected and served.