Bialetti Espresso Makers

[maxmillan]

I'm considering purchasing a stove top coffee maker within a few $$ and small enough to fit in my tiny kitchen and I have considered the Bialetti.

Have anyone here used this machine or tasted coffee from it? There are several different models - aluminum ones to stainless steel.

I chose the stainless steel for ease of cleaning and health reasons.

I'm not a daily coffee drinker but when I do have a cup of Americano, it's gotta be good. Coming from Brazil, Starbucks and other American franchises tastes bitter and/or doesn't have that lingering richness which I found in Sao Paulo.

I'm planning to use Lavazza Gold...even Illy pales by comparison. It is cheaper, smoother and yummier!

I just want to know what your opinions are with regards to the Bialetti.

Thanks.

[slkinsey]

Hi maxmillan.

If you are talking about a Bialetti, you are talking about a moka rather than an espresso maker. There is no such thing as a stovetop espresso maker. One place to look for information is the thread The Pleasures of Moka, espresso's poor cousin. Another place would be the Bialetti web site.

Bialetti is certainly a good place to look, as they do seem to be the leading maker of moka pots. Personally, of the Bialetti moka pots, I always preferred the Brikka.

Another thing you might consider is a caffettiera Napoletana (Neapolitan coffee maker) like this one.

As for the aluminum vs. stainless steel question, the supposed health risks of cooking on aluminum have been thoroughly debunked for years.

[maxmillan]

Thanks for the heads up on moka and the Neapolitan coffee maker. Decisions, decisions.

Asides from the debunked debate on aluminum versus stainless steel, I'll take the stainless steel. Most beverages that comes from aluminum tastes inferior to those of glass bottles (beer, pop, etc.) so I assume the acidity of the coffee will affect the aluminum moreso than the stainless steel.

[Mayhaw Man]

Not that I am trying to change the subject (but of course, I am ) what's up with vacuum coffee makers? They are really cool looking (always an important factor). Do they make decent coffee?

[phaelon56]

Not that I am trying to change the subject (but of course, I am ) what's up with vacuum coffee makers? They are really cool looking (always an important factor). Do they make decent coffee?

We'll soon find out.... I recently purchased one and will attempt to use it tomorrow - will start a new thread with pics once the deed is done.

[Mayhaw Man]

I might be with you if the thing makes a decent cup. One of those would make a handsome addition to my bar top (now that the cocktail gear seems to have more or less permanently dissappeared).

[Mayhaw Man]

Owen,

What happened with the vacuum rig?

Incidentally, thanks for the advice on how to convince my wife about my pressing need for expensive coffee gear. I am preparing an excel file for her to demonstrate the economic sense of spending upwards of a $1000USD on equipment to make a slightly better cup of joe. Sometimes black and white numbers are just what I need to put her on my side (sadly, this does not work anymore with fishing equipment-she has seen through my lies for the last time in that important shopping category )

[Mayhaw Man]

Owen?

Did it work out or are you just too disgusted to discuss it in a public forum?

[phaelon56]

I'm just procrastinating and have not had a good free morning to test it out in. I'm off from work today and hope to get to it this afternoon. I'll gladly discuss my failures in a public forum as readily as my successes (most of them, that is!). Our ongoing cold, dark and gray weather has been an impediment to doing anything much beyond heating up some leftovers and pulling espresso shots but today is looking like a good sunny day - it might even hit 50 degrees if we get lucky!

[CheNiPenso]

My $0.02 on the stovetops: I've been using one that I bought in Italy about 6 years ago (aluminum, by Guzzini -- same premise as the Bialetti only cuter). My partner and I start every day with espresso from that pot. For a few more $$$ you can get a stainless version; the Alessi model works nicely. Our good friend and neighbor uses that, again every day. The only caveat is that they do not produce the crema that you get out of an espresso machine, but otherwise the product is good.

These are completely normal in Italy. When my cousin Alessandra was visiting the US from Rome a couple years ago, she had a terrible time finding acceptable espresso (as do I, which is partly why I make it at home). Her first morning at our place, she sipped her espresso and said, "Mmm ... you make the best espresso in America." javascript:emoticon(':smile:')

On the crema discussion, Lavazza makes a special "Crema e Gusto" pot with special coffee to match -- it has a fat stem that causes foaming and hence crema. Does anyone have experience using this? I've had trouble tracking one down (though I can find the coffee around). Our neighbor had one, and says it makes great espresso, but you have to watch it like a hawk or it will spew coffee all over your kitchen.

[slkinsey]

The main difficulty I experienced with mokas during my pre-Rancilio days is that they are too small for the typical American gas burner. This is to say that the flame was always significantly larger than the moka itsself, so you had to position the moka kind-of on the side of the burner. It was inetivable that you would end up heating the metal that forms the upper chamber. No matter what you did, there would be significant heat going up the side of the moka. With the "crema" models like the Brikka, which let all the water through in one go, if the top of moka got too hot the coffee would boil furiously as it shot out of the pipe and shoot all over the kitchen. I never had this problem in the kitchens of the various pensioni and appartamenti where I have stayed, because the burners were typically quite small.

[Blondie]

I'm tempted to try the Bialetti model that includes an electric heating element. Seems like a great idea for travelling, but the automatic shut-off would make it easier for me on those mornings when I have a 6am crew call - I can get ready for work without having to keep an eye on the stove. Any feedback?

[maxmillan]

What? A Bialetti with an electric heating element! Wonderful! Blondie, is there a web site where I can see it? I didn't notice it on the Bialetti home site.

CheNiPenso, I will check out the Italian stores in my city to see where I can get a

"Crema e Gusto". I did, however, buy a decaf "La Crema del Caffe" and I've seen the caffeinated Lavazza's brand of Crema del Caffe. I didn't realize you needed a different Bialetti for this type of coffee.

I found that the one-cup Bialetti ($24 Cad) was just not enough coffee to make my Americano so I bought a 6-cup Vev Vigano (similar to the Bialetti) for $30 Cad.

The similiar Bialetti was $35. I was floored by how deliciously strong and smooth it made my Americano using both of these two units. I used much less sugar and savoured each sip like chocolate. This was using the Lavazza Gold label fine grind coffee.

I notice that the prices in my favorite store, Bosa, in Vancouver BC, are much cheaper than the cheapest price on internet. I think if you venture into an authentic Italian grocer, you may find the same. Same goes for olive oil, deli, etc. The Lavazza Gold Qualita Oro (gold package) 250g (8.8 oz) sold for $5...the cheapest anywhere. As I said earlier, I think it tastes better than Illy, which, BTW, is also sold at this store dirt cheap.

One question on cleaning. Am I suppose to take the rubber ring out each time I clean it? I just pour hot water over the unit with the remaining kettle water (from making my Americano.) I notice that there is water behind this ring but hesitate to remove the ring in case it wears out faster from consistent removal.

Thanks again for all your input.

Edited April 11, 2004 by maxmillan (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Sam -- Was your Brikka the 2 cup or 4 cup model? Some people have said the end result is better in the larger pots, so I was wondering if anyone has experienced that between the two Brikka sizes?

[prasantrin]

Has anyone tried Bialetti's Mukka Express? I don't drink much coffee, but I sometimes get a craving for cafe au lait. I usually use those solo-cup filters with coffee (Mon Cafe) and I microwave my milk. It seems that this machine would produce a better cup of cafe au lait than my present method. I don't drink any other kind of coffee, nor do I drink coffee without milk, so it would seem a waste of space to get a regular coffee maker or espresso maker. I read the Amazon reviews, but I was hoping for other thoughts or reviews of this machine.

[slkinsey]

This is just a "trendy looking" version of Bialetti's Moka Express. It's a perfectly good moka pot, if that's a kind of coffee you like. But it's not espresso by any means. I think the Bialetti Brikka is really a better moka pot.

Here is a good thread on moka that you may find informative.

[prasantrin]

This is just a "trendy looking" version of Bialetti's Moka Express.  It's a perfectly good moka pot, if that's a kind of coffee you like.  But it's not espresso by any means.  I think the Bialetti Brikka is really a better moka pot.

Here is a good thread on moka that you may find informative.

←

Thanks for the pointer to the thread. The Mukka is a Moka with a compartment for milk. Once the coffee is almost finished brewing, the milk steams and mixes in with the coffee. Kind of like an all-in-one pot. Very convenient, it seems, for people who only drink cafe au lait or cappucino, even if it's fake cappuccino, and I'd only be using a coffee pot for cafe au lait, anyway.

I would imagine, though, that a Moka or Mukka would make better cafe au lait than cappuccino, since the coffee produced is farther from the espresso required for cappuccino, and closer to the coffee needed for cafe au lait. Does that seem like a reasonable thought? I don't know much about these things, so I like to make things up as I go along.

[phaelon56]

I would imagine, though, that a Moka or Mukka would make better cafe au lait than cappuccino, since the coffee produced is farther from the espresso required for cappuccino, and closer to the coffee needed for cafe au lait.  Does that seem like a reasonable thought?  I don't know much about these things, so I like to make things up as I go along.   

←

IMHO it seems like a reasonable thought. A stronger and richer coffee certainly makes a difference in cafe au lait style drinks - cuts through the milk much better than regular drip coffee. And moka coffee is in some senses somewhere in between drip coffee and espresso.

[KevV]

Someone in the thread mentioned above wrote:

Recently, Bialetti created a new moka coffee maker which is supposed to make an "espresso-like" coffee. We purchased it, seriously putting at risk our lives as it has a deplorable inclination to explode...so, we renamed it "The Boom-Boom Machine". If you survive, you'll get a coffee cup that looks just like an espresso cup. My hubby is very proud of that, and I daren't tell him that the coffee is practically undrinkable...

Myself, I have the Moka Express. (I had a better stainless steal one from another company which got stolen.) The Moka Express sells for as little as $13.99 here in Toronto - which is $11 or $12 US I guess.

I set up the moka and then, while it heats, measure and start to boil whole milk in a small pot. Coffee finishes, stir and pour, and then the milk is ready, starting to froth. Pour it in. I do about half-and-half - a cafe con leche.

A shot of whisky, brandy, anis or kahlua works well instead of the milk too, but you knew that already I'm sure...

Edited October 12, 2005 by KevV (log)

[Woods]

Has anyone ever changed the handle on a Bialetti mukka express espresso maker? It seems easy but I can't get the broken piece out. Thanks.

Edited July 18, 2006 by Woods (log)

[prasantrin]

Has anyone ever changed the handle on a Bialetti mukka express espresso maker?  It seems easy but I can't get the broken piece out.  Thanks.

←

Mine is in Japan so I can't even look at it to give you some advice. Maybe you can contact Bialetti Shop customer service for help. You can find the e-mail address on this page?.

[Woods]

Has anyone ever changed the handle on a Bialetti mukka express espresso maker?  It seems easy but I can't get the broken piece out.  Thanks.

←

Mine is in Japan so I can't even look at it to give you some advice. Maybe you can contact Bialetti Shop customer service for help. You can find the e-mail address on this page?.

←

[tim]

Hi,

I am interested in any opinions on this new machine from Bialetti. Coffee Geek gave it a promising review.

Coffee Geek Consumer Review of the Bialetti Mukka Express Cappucino Maker

Thanks for responding,

Tim

[prasantrin]

If you do a search on the site (little boxes in the upper right-hand corner), you'll find that the Mukka has been mentioned a few times, including here and here (starting around page 3).

[tafkap4d]

We've been thinking about one of these for awhile...anything that is easy - is for me and this seems quite easy. Bed bath and beyond has them on sale.