Bialetti Moka Espresso Coffee Maker

[martym]

Bought 1 today.Just made a few pots to cure it.
I just drank a cup.
AWESOME!
It could not have been better.
I bought the 9 cup pot.
I can see it filling my 1st 16oz morning mug to get my day started right and then using my french press to fill my two 16 oz thermos bottles.
Perfect for a long day.
marty

 

[professorchaos]

They do make some excellent coffee. When used correctly, they really bring out the best parts of the coffee. Easy to use poorly though and end up with scorched coffee.

 

[DevilDog0402]

Damn you. I have to buy one now...

 

[martym]

At least they r inexpensive. 20% off at B,B, & B.
i am still loving it.
bought some coffee from Velton's.
marty

 

[Liberty_2112]

I may need to try one of these as well.....

 

[VeLoRoK]

I've had one for years. They have been extremely finicky for me. All things equal (bean, grind, dose, temperature) I end up with wildly varying end results. Slow, sputtering, burnt seems more the norm than I'd like it to be. I still hope to, someday, get this this to work in a consistently delicious manner.

 

[franz]

It's true that they can be somewhat finicky. Once you dial it in (grind, temp, etc.) it really does make nice coffee. A true Italian classic.

 

[jrward2]

I have one and love it. I bought some illy espresso grind from the grocery store and it makes a great consistent cup of coffee. I know that grinding your own is better, I just don't have a good grinder yet. I heat up some milk and froth it and mix in a tsp of sugar.

 

[SiBurning]

Is there any way to season the bottom part? I started dumping the leftover few teaspoons of coffee into it, but only after it cools off, and that's not helping. I love this thing... but...

 

[VeLoRoK]

Season the bottom? I hope you aren't talking about the horrible practice of not cleaning your moka pot. Seems that some poor advice, readily found online, would have one not wash their pot with the idea that the coffee oils will somehow create a barrier against the aluminum. What really happens is that these coffee oils go rancid and make your coffee taste like crap. I guess that it's not a big deal to the canned, stale, grocery store coffee with milk and sugar crowd, but I am still on a quest to one day find a consistent method to brew some delicious artisan roasted coffee.

 

[rockviper]

I use a Bodum. Was going to get a Baletti but the Bodum was on sale.

Ask syngent if the coffee that comes out of it is any good.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

I love my Moka Pot. It doesn't get enough love at the moment... I will have to remedy that tomorrow. I get great results from mine but I watch it like a hawk and start with near boiling water.

 

[professorchaos]

Season the bottom? I hope you aren't talking about the horrible practice of not cleaning your moka pot. Seems that some poor advice, readily found online, would have one not wash their pot with the idea that the coffee oils will somehow create a barrier against the aluminum. What really happens is that these coffee oils go rancid and make your coffee taste like crap. I guess that it's not a big deal to the canned, stale, grocery store coffee with milk and sugar crowd, but I am still on a quest to one day find a consistent method to brew some delicious artisan roasted coffee.

Once that happens, you might as well toss the pot. Nothing can scrub the taint of rancid oils off.

 

[SiBurning]

There's never enough to stick around. It seems like there's only what little is left from the last pot, if anything at all. I'm guessing it ends up in the coffee next time you heat it. Not a problem if you use it often enough. I don't think anything has time to become rancid.

OTOH, the bare aluminum gets nasty. Much as I like the way aluminum heats, I've been seriously considering going with a stainless version, though I've heard mostly bad to mediocre things about them. If only someone would could make an aluminum version with a stainless lining.

 

[StillShaving]

G.A.T. (Gruppo Alternativo Tecnoindustriale) makes some stainless pots with aluminum cores. Their "Basic" and "Pratika" models and there may be more options. I have been considering a pot which could work on an induction stove, but have not purchased anything yet.

 

[SiBurning]

That might do the trick.

 

[syngent]

I use a Bodum. Was going to get a Baletti but the Bodum was on sale.

Ask syngent if the coffee that comes out of it is any good.

It makes a great cup of Joe, or well Sam rather, but then I use a kuerig, Id love one of these guys in a demonstrator model to watch it do its thing

 

[Virgilio]

Edit: I meant this as a reply to whoever said they were having trouble with consistency.

I think I can help you. The secret is to add more water than you need to the bottom chamber, and then pull it off of the heat and pour before you get to the sputtering burnt stage.


If I remember correctly on the Moka-letti, the little button pops up and the you press it down to simultaneously froth your milk and infuse the espresso from the bottom (purely ingenious and awesome). But the most concentrated, flavorful and rich espresso is the first runnings, and it becomes more diffuse and watery the longer you let it run. Further complicating the process, some of the water vapor/steam cools in the percolating tube or in the grounds and gravity carries it back to the water pot along with some grounds. This results in darkened and nasty source water that, if allowed to continue cooking, will scorch and eventually send smoky steam through the frothing line.


Another theory that I have about this is that as the coffee grounds approach 212(or more if the vapor is being superheated), and are being continuously rinsed with hot steam and water, they start to give off that unpleasant woody flavor.


The point is that as soon as the good stuff has run its course, stop the heat! And if it continues to run, then pour it off quickly to your drinking vessel before it becomes infused with unpleasant flavors. If you make regular espresso in a simple 2 cup machinetta then similar rules apply.


My goal is to leave 10-15% of the source water in the water pot. Also, like the others have said, you have to be consistent with grind, bean, heat etc.

 

[Alacrity59]

I use a Bodum. Was going to get a Baletti but the Bodum was on sale.

Ask syngent if the coffee that comes out of it is any good.

It makes a great cup of Joe, or well Sam rather, but then I use a kuerig, Id love one of these guys in a demonstrator model to watch it do its thing

Oh man, nice pens, inks, and paper and you use a kuerig? Clearly it is time for an intervention. I have to admit that I love a Saturday or Sunday morning when I can have a nice shave with a straight razor, cook breakfast for my wife and I in a cast iron frying pan while brewing some freshly roasted coffee from Fortino's (Lowblaw's) in a Bodum Santos. After breakfast sit near the kitchen window watching birds at the feeder enjoying coffee and writing letters with a fountain pen, most recently a Parker 51 fine point with that little bit of scratchy I love and loaded with Quink Blue/Black.

You want a demonstrator? Check out the Bodum Santos on YouTube.

 

[SiBurning]

Live well!