Just got a 6 cup Bialetti this week, love it.
First off, don''t be deceived by the 6-cup description, this pot will only make enough to fill one larger cup as our land of supersizers knows of it. If you are looking for 6 true cups of coffee at a time, stick with your countertop brewer or go for a larger size. Also, you won''t be able to make successive cups (for company or spouse) due to the pot being lava hot after brewing one cup. Someone said the smaller the pot, the better the brew, I can''t confirm this, but I''ll assume they know what they are talking about. I''m single, so this product is perfect for me.
Who this product is best suited for:
* Someone who can appreciate coffee for what it is by itself, including both taste and smell. I will cut a square of semi-sweet bakers chocolate and pair it with a small cup in the evening, it''s become one of my guilty pleasures and the slightly bitter combination mixes oh so well. But I digress.
* Someone who likes strong coffee. Whether or not you join in the debate regarding whether it''s true espresso or not really isn''t important, it''s a thick brew. With that said, it''s not meant to be the equivalent of espresso that''s steam piped through a machine.
* Someone who thinks of coffee as more than something to wash down their eggs and toast.
* Someone who doesn''t need to drink it by the pot just to function in the morning.
* Someone who likes the simple things. There really is nothing that can break (other than the gasket ring that will need to be replaced periodically), no maintenance (in the Moka''s case, less is better), no wondering if you should''ve bought the extended warranty. Reclaim your countertop.
What I wish I could change about it:
* I wish there was a method to pull the basket out without growing fingernails. Maybe a small post in the middle of the basket? That''s the extent of my engineering suggestions.
* I wish it would cool down enough to clean it out by the time I needed to go to work. Beginning to end, you will need to have about 30 minutes to spare, or clean it when you get home from work. I don''t wash mine, water boils in it everyday, so I don''t see the need to sterilize it. If you are germaphobe, you might be better off without one of these, as washing it is discouraged. But I don''t like warm, wet grounds being left in it at room temperature all day.
Important tips:
* Not sure if I''d purchase this if I had an electric stove. I suppose you could brew on an electric stove, though I can''t picture it. Common sense says use the smallest burner with the flame no wider than the bottom of the pot. Negative reviewers have complained that the handle melted during brewing. Duh.
* Pull it off the heat before it gurgles, the foamy water is just that, let it draw up by itself for the last minute or so. I leave the cover open for the last five minutes, I only close it for the first couple minutes to warm the top of the pot. It doesn''t come shooting out like an oil well unless you''ve done something wrong, it only dribbles out. I did neglect to screw it together tightly once and bubbles came out the sides, this might be dangerous given the physics of steam and pressure, but I was there to oversee what was going on and fixed it. Lesson learned.
* I''m not going to promote any specific type of coffee. I use whole beans that I grind myself, mine aren''t specifically marketed for espresso. By the way, I think espresso is a grind, not a roast, but I''ll leave that to the coffee officiandos out there to correct me, it''s really not something I''m compelled to argue. I don''t use ultra dark roasts, either, as a normal roast tends to produce strong enough coffee for me in this thing, and I''m a strong coffee drinker.
Whew. Thanks for reading, I can''t think of anything else that hasn''t already been pointed out by the moka veterans who''ve reviewed.
There are a few reviews here spreading the word that Aluminum, the element this coffee maker is made of, is harmful. Having just read about this (in a science book, not some random web page), I feel the need to step in...: Aluminum is considered safe in cookware. The Al does not bind to the food unless it''s acid (like rhubarb). The stigma dates from an incident that happened in the 70ies with dialysis machines, where the aluminum did bind to the blood and cause harm to patients. Also, the dementia claim came about because Al was found in Alzheimer patients'' brains, but it was later determined that it was likely put there by the imaging process, not the cookware. In fact, if you''re afraid of Al in your food, you should probably avoid spinach and processed cheese (ie. all cheese sold in the US). Source: Nature''s Building Blocks
I have to say this though: if you put this pot into the dishwasher, it comes out like you could donate it to the Museum of Natural History: not only several shades darker, but also with nasty streaks and spots. However, once I got over the original shock of suddenly owning an ''antique'' coffee maker, I keep on putting it in the washer, because I''ve found the coffee to taste better that way. I still wish there was a steel (or copper, if thermal conductivity is so important?) knockoff, but at least I know it''s not harmful, only ugly.
I would also like to point out that the produced drink is not espresso, which the Italians have named and perfected to be made under pressure. Consequently, the produced black liquid can''t match my Gaggia coffee maker''s real espresso, but it''s "pretty good", above drip coffee in my opinion. Of course, this makes it the nonplusultra camping coffee "machine".
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This makes an excellent cup of caffè. I call it "caffè" so as not to offend any purists that say this machine does not produce the requisite amount of pressure to be called espresso... but it''s certainly closer to espresso than what most people would call coffee. In my opinion it produces a better tasting liquid than what you can pick up a the counter of a [insert large coffeehouse chain]. In addition, I frequently prefer it to the coffee I get at [insert local coffeehouse]; this is because I am able to have control over the cup. My local shop pulls an amazing cup of espresso, but they rotate their espresso beans and often times it is a roast that I find to be rubbish.
I would spend the money on a Bialetti model as I purchased a cheapo model at TJ Max and it took a lot of fiddling to get a good cup. Then I needed to replace the rubber gasket, when I did everything went fubar. I realized that the problem was in the build quality and that the pieces fit together so poorly that steam was passing around the filter rather than pushing water through the grinds. This machine is far more well built and I know I can buy replacement parts that will fit it perfectly. I took off the plastic parts and now my old machine is now dedicated to campfires.
I said it before and I''ll say it again:
-Don''t wash it, but it''s not the end of the world if you do... like some people say. It will ruin the finish (but make it look rustic, if you are into that) and you will have to ''re-season'' it with few batches of caffe.
-It''s not that you necessarily have to use it often for good coffee, it''s just that the oils on the wall of the pot (that collect from not washing it) will start to not taste so good.
-If you''ve been around a bit you know of the differences in tap water. Most tap water in the US is perfectly fine. I''d avoid most well water but a filter would probably make it fine to use. The water may make some difference, but not nearly as much as the bean. Especially in this application where the coffee is boiling up and going through the grounds like passing through a filter.
-I have a 3-cup and it shouldn''t take more than 5 minutes, so 10 might be a little long for a 6-cup but not by much. Nothing useful is going on while the water heats up so there is no reason to start at a low heat. It''s all about how long it takes the water to pass through the grounds... that doesn''t start happening till the water is almost boiling. Therefore I start mine on hot for a minute and then dial it back to medium. The final temperature all depends on your taste, your stovetop, and the size of your pot. If it takes too long, the caffe will be bitter (keep in mind strong and bitter are not the same). If you brew it too fast, you''ll end up with something burnt tasting. The easiest way to find the perfect temperature is to watch it brew with the lid up. If the coffee is coming out nice and slow with maximum crema, you are in good shape. If it bursts out of there and shoots all over your kitchen, you might need to check your relief valve, your grind might be too fine, or your temperature might be too hot. Do take it off as soon as it starts to bubble out of the spout and the liquid coming out is lighter in color. Once you are able to hear it, it''s almost too late, so hurry. Pour and enjoy.
-If you wanted to speed up the process you could boil water in a kettle, let it cool a bit, pour it in, assemble the pot with pot holders, and get it back on the heat to brew. This is way too much work and clean up for me.
-Keep in mind you can''t screw the pot together too tight... unless you can''t get it apart.
-I use locally roasted beans within a month after they have been roasted. That makes more of a difference than anything. Buy a cheap blade grinder (you don''t need a burr grinder for this application) and grind it to somewhere between drip and espresso, possibly closer to espresso (again depending on taste, machine, and temperature). My cheap grinder doesn''t produce a homogeneous grind, so some grinds are more like drip, others more like espresso, but as long as your median grind is about right it really doesn''t matter (not like a true espresso machine that relies a lot more on an exact pressure being created against the grind). Grind the beans right before you put them in, not the day before, not at the store... along the same lines, use the beans soon after they are roasted, not next year. I don''t recommend any commercial brands as they are difficult to get fresh and the darker roasts are frequently over-roasted. If you find a commercial brand that has a roasted on date, has been roasted in the last couple weeks, and sounds delicious, give it a shot. Buy beans that you like the taste of, not because they sound appropriate. The world will continue turning even if you use lighter roast in something people frequently refer to as espresso.
-I use a coarser than espresso grind, with very slight packing of the grinds, no ''cupola'' just an even pack (as I find a cupola of grinds to sometimes get in the way of the seal as the grounds spread out when you screw the pot together) to make sure the ''puck'' is uniformly dense, starting on high heat, then turn down to medium (low heat would never get close to boiling water on my stove), I watch it and move it on and off the heat as needed for optimum crema. If you change any of the variables, and you will (intentionally or not), you will get a different cup of coffee. Some days will always be better than others, but after a little practice it will always be better than what you can get at 95% of the retail coffee outlets.
-For those wondering if you can buy a large size pot for versatility, you can not unless you make a large pot and throw out everything you don''t drink (wasting a lot of coffee). If you don''t fill the filter basket all the way the water will not have enough resistance to pass through and it would come out weak and probably bitter. If you fill the filter basket all the way but put in less water, you would not get a full extraction and your coffee would not have time to release the flavors and caffeine (also, you would be wasting a lot of coffee).
Read Best Reviews of Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Espresso Makers Here
I had tried several expensive coffee machine hoping to find one that would make just a really great cup of coffee, fresh tasting, and HOT. I was curious about this coffee maker so bought the small one just to try it. We loved it so much I bought the largest one. When they say 12 cup they are talking about an "expresso" size cup of coffee. I use regular Folgers coffee in this coffee maker, and it makes awesome coffee! You can make it as strong or as weak as you like. I highly recommend it.
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The Moka Express is the perfect little coffee maker and simple to use. I''ve read other reviews where users expressed problems they had. Here is what I have learned that might help others...
1. Use a good quality bean and grind it fresh just before making a pot..it really does taste better!
2. No need to pack down the grounds...just a nice level basket is all you need. In fact when you pack it down it takes longer for the coffee to rise to the top.
3. As others have said, don''t wash with detergent...easy to clean with warm water and a clean sponge.
4. Some have said the handle gets too hot...that means the heat is too high or the pot is placed in the center of the burner instead of on the edge. I place mine on the edge of a gas top burner, set the flame to med-low with the handle facing out and in about 5-6 minutes I start to hear the great gurgling sound...psssssss. Just when the pot starts to make the louder sound that signals the top is filled with a great cup of coffee I take it off and let it set for a few seconds before pouring it into my cup. If I want to make a second cup, I can hold the pot under the cold running water for just a few seconds and the pot is cool enough to hold in my bare hand or I can use a towel and even unscrew it without running it under cool water.
5. As to the comments that it''s hard to lift the basket without good fingernails, we save our coffee grounds to use in the garden so I have a container i pour the used grounds into. I take the bottom of the pot, with the basket in place, tip it over on its side (over the container) and the basket begins to slide out. I then grab the basket by the edge and dump the grounds into my container and I''m ready to rinse the basket, rinse the top part and begin to make a new pot of coffee.
6. Heating milk in the micro or stove top and pouring the hot coffee into the hot foaming milk is one great option and pouring the hot coffee over a shot of half and half is very good as well.
I hope this is helpful to you...enjoy!
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