I enjoy my espresso made on a stove top. But lately there has been a nagging empty space on my kitchen counter that seems to be begging for one of those fancy barrista style espresso machines. And my wife -- in her usual fashion -- asked, "Do you really think the fancy shiny machine will make a better cup of espresso?" I hate questions like that. So I said to her, "I will ask the experts -- so I am asking you -- does a fancy shiny barrista style espresso machine really make a better cup of espresso?" And if so, can you recommend a style/brand that you use.
Espresso -- Stove top or fancy barrista style machine -- which is best?
- Thread starter Rusty Blade
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I enjoy coffee, all types, especially a good short espresso. Stove top method has been good for coffee, but less so for a good espresso IMHO. Years ago I had a machine, basic, had some issues, returned and didn’t replace. Just bought a Breville Cafe Roma for my daughter (me). She loves it and I think it functions well. Simple, user friendly, makes good espresso with consistently rich crema. No issues so far, a basic machine, good value, doesn’t take up much counter space. It’s nothing fancy, as far as being better than stove top, for me, this machine is getting it done very nicely.
We've done moka pots for decades before getting above-mentioned Cafe Roma couple years ago. It makes better coffee, IMO! We use it daily.
AA
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EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I used a moka pot for years and still use it occasionally. For the last two years I have used a Delonghi Dedica and I love it. The Dedica is small, basic and easy to use but has a milk frother for the wife's mocca-chocka-ccinos and makes great crema on my espresso or Americano. I use it several times per day and would replace it immediately if it failed. I love love love it.
If you want the complexity and richness that you get in a proper espresso, you'll never get it from a Moka pot. It just doesn't get there.
Moka pots can make a fine cup of coffee, but "stovetop espresso" (a phrase I abhor) isn't espresso any more than "vegetarian bacon" is bacon. It is its own thing.
Moka pots can make a fine cup of coffee, but "stovetop espresso" (a phrase I abhor) isn't espresso any more than "vegetarian bacon" is bacon. It is its own thing.
I used the moka pot for decades with no complaints, and still use it for camping and power failures. Then used a baby Gaggia for ten years and liked that better. I now have a Saeco Via Venezia and like that best of all. A decent machine is really worth it if you drink espresso or cappuccino every day. The coffee is better than with the moka pot.
If you want a simple solid coffee keep the stovetop. If you want fancy lattes or cappuccinos, get the countertop machine.
If you feel that you are yearning for a better cup of coffee than a stovetop can produce, then start trying some Americanos at coffee shops. The countertop machines can do those too.
Do some research as there are solid best buys at each price point. The ones mentioned previously are great, Brevviles single and dual broiler machines are better but more money. So many great options out there.
If you feel that you are yearning for a better cup of coffee than a stovetop can produce, then start trying some Americanos at coffee shops. The countertop machines can do those too.
Do some research as there are solid best buys at each price point. The ones mentioned previously are great, Brevviles single and dual broiler machines are better but more money. So many great options out there.
As others have said, a stovetop moka pot makes a brew that’s different from true espresso. One additional thing to keep in mind is that making real espresso takes not only a much bigger investment in hardware, but also a significant investment in developing the skills and procedures to make a consistently good cup, especially if you’re drinking it without adding milk or other ingredients.
So while they are two different types of coffee, good moka pot coffee is much more easily made than good espresso.
So while they are two different types of coffee, good moka pot coffee is much more easily made than good espresso.
As others have stated, whether it will produce a "better" cup is open for debate and depends on your taste preferences, something which you can not really understand until you have tired. I do think an espresso machine can produce a more complex flavor profile, particularly something that is sweeter tasting. But you might only consider it a 10% improvement (or degradation) rather than being twice as good as a moka pot or drip machine.
Of course the downside is the cost involved in getting a good machine and good grinder and perhaps needing a steady supply of fresher coffee beans than what you are currently using. So there is a lot of cost involved and it can take more time to make a cup as there are more steps involved unless you have super automatic machine. I get the best and worse cups of coffee when making Americanos. There are more variables involved and the shot produced by different machines and grinders will also vary.
Of course the downside is the cost involved in getting a good machine and good grinder and perhaps needing a steady supply of fresher coffee beans than what you are currently using. So there is a lot of cost involved and it can take more time to make a cup as there are more steps involved unless you have super automatic machine. I get the best and worse cups of coffee when making Americanos. There are more variables involved and the shot produced by different machines and grinders will also vary.
An espresso machine makes better espresso and a Moka Pot makes better “coffee”. They are different and both wonderful.
This past Christmas I bought the wife a small Nespresso Essenza Mini. She was never going to work the Moka Pot, so I needed something easy for her to use when I was gone. This baby is easy, 19 bar pressure and so simple my wife could do it. Grinding, weighing and tamping was out, so I went with the pods. Wasn’t a fan of the idea of pods at first, but that changed when I saw all the different coffees available and you’re just buying a few pods and not an entire bag. Anyway, the nice shiny espresso machines look amazing and make great espresso, just wasn’t what we needed, and the Nespresso was a lot less, .02
I have to say that I'm impressed with Nespresso. A friend of ours got one, and that's some pretty good stuff. If I hadn't gotten into roasting my own and different varietals, I bet we would've picked up a Nespresso machine of some sort.
If you go down the espresso machine route, don't forget to budget for a good grinder. what works well for regular coffee/moka pot usually does not cut it for espresso.
I've never managed to get a really good cup of espresso from a Moka. A couple of years ago I bought a Breville Barista Express (BES870XL) and I'm more than happy with the quality of the espresso it produces. I make Americano for our breakfast coffee, and espresso as desired. It's super easy to use, ad fast as well, because it doesn't use a boiler, it uses an on demand heater.
Before I bought I checked out a few of the hardcore cofee forums, and people were comparing it to machines costing 4 of 5 times as much.
I got mine from Amazon.
Before I bought I checked out a few of the hardcore cofee forums, and people were comparing it to machines costing 4 of 5 times as much.
I got mine from Amazon.
In the years I have had several methods and you can make a nice cup with some dedication with most of them. Biggest drawback of the more complex full auto espresso machines that they are like a car expect maintenance and repairs, regardless of the brand. We have had several gaggia, saeco and a jura and none of them was not repaired. In contrast my first piston/ese serving with a separate grinder, tamper, milk frother never broke down....
A mokka or even cafetière is of course even more reliable.
but for pure convenience and a great coffee I love my jura s80.. even if it needed a warranty touchscreen fix a couple of weeks ago
A mokka or even cafetière is of course even more reliable.
but for pure convenience and a great coffee I love my jura s80.. even if it needed a warranty touchscreen fix a couple of weeks ago
I just bought a steam valve rebuild kit for my GS3. Over the years I have had do replace a few bits an pieces. I also regularly replace the portafilter gasket when it starts to become less elastic (a couple times a year). But I really like having a plumbed in machine that is always ready to pull a shots.
For years I confused Nespresso with the detestable Keurig, but before the pandemic I was staying in London and the hotel room had a Nespresso machine. I was very impressed with the taste and ease of use. I've had pump espresso machines for decades and use tea-bag like pods with a special handle (they are paper, not metal; allow for ease of clean up but lose of flavor). In my next office I will definitely get a Nespresso to make friends in high places!
