Anyone Here Using a Bialetti?

[Marco]

I lived in Europe with some Italian guys and they would always share their coffee with me. I came to love it and I really want to make my own. They used a little Bialetti and some brand of pre-ground espresso. If you use one of these moka pots, what coffee do you buy and where do you get it?

I've seen several brands of espresso but I'd like to know what you prefer in the moka.

Thanks for your responses

Sir, I'm Italian and I ONLY use a Bialetti Moka Express!

If you desire to get the best out of your Moka pot you need your coffee to be with a Moka grinding, NOT an Espresso grinding.

As about brands I strongly suggest Vergnano 1882 and Pellini. My two favourite blends are Vergnano 1882 Granaroma and Pellini n° 42 Tradizionale (pics attached).

 

[MntnMan62]

So, I used my new 6 cup Moka Express this morning. I used La Colombe pre-ground Nizza Coffee. Put on the stove (gas) over a small burner on medium and it did it’s thing. I frothed some milk in a Bodum manual milk frother. The coffee was ok. I felt it didn’t seem “thick” enough. It was strong but not thick. But maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be. It tasted pretty good. I didn’t tamp down the coffee in the filter per the instructions. I turned the burner off before it finished perking and there ended up being some water remaining in the bottom chamber. Next time I’ll wait until it sounds like all the water has made into the upper chamber before turning off the burner. Any suggestions or pointers? I welcome any and all comments.

 

[YKMV]

Pardon the thread hijack, but since @Marco checked in, I want to ask his opinion....
the Cloer Electric Espressomaker... any thoughts?
I'm leery of using a stove-top cooker because I get easily distracted and I'm afraid I'll burn the house down.
The electric versions have an automatic shutoff.

 

[Try em all]

Any suggestions or pointers? I welcome any and all comments.

My only suggestion is a practical one.
I find it less work & hassle to put the milk & sweetener in the top container of the moka pot.

 

[Marco]

Pardon the thread hijack, but since @Marco checked in, I want to ask his opinion....
the Cloer Electric Espressomaker... any thoughts?
I'm leery of using a stove-top cooker because I get easily distracted and I'm afraid I'll burn the house down.
The electric versions have an automatic shutoff.

My friend, in all honesty I do not know the Cloer. For a quality Espresso machine at home I do suggest De Longhi or Gaggia.

If you desire, Bialetti has some electric versions with timer and automatic turn-off system. Also, you really cannot forget the regular Bialetti on the fire if you're in the same room: once the moka coffee is coming out you clearly hear the typical gurgle from the pot!

 

[Legion]

I started with a Bialetti, and it worked fine, and made a good cup. Somewhere along the line someone put the fear in me, as it was aluminium, and that was supposed to make your head fall off, or some other health issue, or something.

I then switched to a stainless version of the same sort of thing. I think I bought it from Aldi, and the lid eventually fell off, but apart from that there is not much to go wrong, and it also works fine. They are not a complicated machine.

 

[MntnMan62]

My only suggestion is a practical one.
I find it less work & hassle to put the milk & sweetener in the top container of the moka pot.

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually have the Bialetti Muka Express as well which is designed for that approach. I have now used both and think I prefer doing them seperately. Although I’m going to have to do a side by side comparison of the Moka and Muka.

 

[MntnMan62]

I made my second pot this morning. I have no idea what I did differently other than keep the flame at solid medium and resisted the urge to turn it up. This time the coffee flowed into the top chamber slower and I noticed a little crema forming on top. Yesterday it bubbled more vigorously into the top chamber. And for whatever reason the coffee tasted much better this morning. I was treated to two mugs of about half milk and foam and half coffee that was excellent, with the second mug tasting better for some reason than the first. I think I like this thing. So I think I have the process down and now need to experiment with different coffee brands for taste. Besides doing a side by side comparison between the Moka Express and Muka Express I need to add the french press in there and compare all three. I’ll have to do that on a weekend so my son can help me consume all the coffee and offer his perspective. Gee this is fun.

 

[YKMV]

@MntnMan62
And, unlike the fun of shaving experiments, you don't have to wait 24 hours to try again...and it tastes much better than shaving soap or AS..

 

[YKMV]

Thanks, @Marco I'll look into the electric Bialetti. I'm very easily distr......... oh look, pancake bunnies!!!

 

[MntnMan62]

This morning I did a side by side comparison of the Moka Express and the Muka Express. So, the Moka is the silver one that so many people have while the Muka has a cow pattern on it and you put milk in the top chamber so it makes cappuccino. I used my Bodum Latteo milk frother for the Moka. The first thing I noticed was the Muka was a much more mellow and smoother flavor, kind of like a mocha. The Moka ended up being much stronger flavored even with half a mug of milk and foam. They really make two very different tasting coffees. Both are good, just different and I guess they satisfy different moods. The Muka would be good for a calm undemanding morning with a crumpet. The Moka is good for a morning where you need a jolt to get you going for a busy day.

My son did the tasting with me. He made it clear that if he were comparing these two to my french press, he prefers the french press, which I found interesting.

On a separate note, when I cleaned up I noticed the beaker of the Bodum was cracked. So I just ordered a new one.

 

[Bikac]

Moka is good but try buy some Mazzer to grind fresh roast for your pot...

 

[steveclarkus]

I lived in Europe with some Italian guys and they would always share their coffee with me. I came to love it and I really want to make my own. They used a little Bialetti and some brand of pre-ground espresso. If you use one of these moka pots, what coffee do you buy and where do you get it?

I've seen several brands of espresso but I'd like to know what you prefer in the moka.

Thanks for your responses

Great little pots. I have a small and a medium at the moment - have had several over the years. I generally buy espresso made by Roland Roasters in Miami, FL as it is in most all grocery stores and is fresh. I am more of a tea drinker but when I want a cup of coffee, I prefer espresso.

 

[MntnMan62]

I only bought mine about a month ago and I already love it. It offers me an inexpensive change up from french press very morning. It is a more concentrated and stronger cup of coffee than french press. BUT, don't mistake moka pot coffee with espresso. It is NOT espresso. It's just very strong coffee. Period. Call it Moka Pot coffee if you have to put a name to it. But it's not espresso. And I love it for what it truly is.

 

[anemic]

I love my 3 cup Bialetti Moka pot! I make 3x per morning. I fill with hot/boiling water so the coffee is less scorched. I roast my own beans (Bemor home roaster). Past methods include various French presses & pour overs. With good process and a proper Moka grind it is a very good brew. I would like to try a 6, 9 or 12 cup Moka.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[draconicsonic]

Sir, I'm Italian and I ONLY use a Bialetti Moka Express!

If you desire to get the best out of your Moka pot you need your coffee to be with a Moka grinding, NOT an Espresso grinding.

As about brands I strongly suggest Vergnano 1882 and Pellini. My two favourite blends are Vergnano 1882 Granaroma and Pellini n° 42 Tradizionale (pics attached).

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Ah, I'd not heard of these brands. I will see if I can find them. Thank you very much, Marco.

 

[draconicsonic]

I've been away for a while but thought I'd update on my progress with my moka. I've been using Lavazza Rossa, Cafe Bustelo, and Cafe Pilon, all with success. The Lavazza has been my favorite but is not available locally so I have to order it online. As others have said, it does not produce an espresso-like coffee but rather a very strong coffee. Regardless of what it should be called, it is very tasty indeed. I will be looking into some other Italian brands going forward.

I must say I'm happy to see this thread has five pages. Lots of great conversation here.

 

[TexLaw]

Has anyone used a Brikka? It sounds interesting, but at about twice the price, is it worth it?

 

[MntnMan62]

Go to Youtube and type in Moka vs Brikka. I found two videos where someone videos making a pot of each side by side. No talking though. So no idea what the taste is like. The Brikka seems to make more crema. Then I found an old B&B thread. Short but there is some discussion surrounding taste. I only have a Moka so I can't compare them. Based on what I've found though, I'm sticking with what I have.

Moka vs. Brikka... Am I the only one?

 

[TexLaw]

Thanks for doing the legwork for me, @MntnMan62. I was look at the thread on my phone, so searching just wasn't in the cards. Yes, listening to that thread and some online reviews, it sounds like the Brikka is more trouble than it's worth, especially since I already can make true espresso.

I've been eyeing a Moka (just because it seems like it's time for another toy), so I'll have to keep my eye out and see if I can pick one up on some sort of deal.