Stovetop Espresso Maker

[JPDyson]

1. Steam powered "espresso" isn't. It just can't get up to enough pressure. If you want espresso, steam power is out.
2. the Mypressi Twist uses CO2 cartridges for pressure. It wouldn't take long to brew two doubles. (just two rounds of brewing, each at 1min. or less)
3. So, warm the milk first. Alternatively, you could use a French press to aerate the milk if you don't mind intense washing between milk and coffee uses.

4. There is no such thing as stove-top "espresso". There is stove-top pressurized brewing, but it doesn't come close to approaching 130psi. At this point, if I wanted a lot of volume in little time, concentrated, and brewed under pressure, I would just stick with an Aeropress.

Didnt steam powered espresso predate piston, actually? It seems like we've redefined espresso and then rewrote history. Not to say it's better, but steam is original.

 

[LuckyMan]

I bought my Bialetti Xpress stovetop unit in Florence and it works great. Should be able to get one online for under $50. Someone else mentioned a French Press and I would agree with that. It's not espresso but that's what I use to make my morning coffee and that is a fine way to make coffee. Some afficianado's feel the French Press is the "proper" way to make coffee which has a great deal to do with water temperature for proper brewing (just below boiling point). I recently replaced my old french press with one from Ikea and it was $16.

 

[Jasonian]

Oh, well I am not gonna mess with any CO2 cartridges. I thought the Mypressi was the one you pump up. Maybe I will go with the Aeropress and for steaming milk, the Bellman.

Oh, that's the Handpresso Wild.

 

[Jasonian]

Didnt steam powered espresso predate piston, actually? It seems like we've redefined espresso and then rewrote history. Not to say it's better, but steam is original.

Okay, technically, you're correct. It was replaced because burned coffee sucks. Gaggia's spring lever was the game-changer that produced crema. These days, espresso is defined with an anatomy of crema, body, and heart. This is only possible in what we now know as espresso, and is not possible with steam.

It's a bit like language. The official definition is defined by popular usage of the time, and has little to do with the etymology of the word. (much to my chagrin)

 

[WesternModern]

Thanks everyone for the advice, suggestions, opinions, etc..
My friend bought the Bellman CX25 that was pictured. He should get it tomorrow.
Not only that, he just found a bright-blue Bialetti Moka pot at a thrift store for 5 bucks, so now he has two stove-tops!
As for grinding...well, he's not interested in that. He's perfectly happy with letting Starbucks grind his coffee for him.
He didn't want a higher-end machine, and his kitchen is tiny, so he liked the idea of a stove-top.

 

[StillShaving]

As for grinding...well, he's not interested in that. He's perfectly happy with letting Starbucks grind his coffee for him.

He can get an enjoyable cup of coffee that way, but may unknowingly give up some flavors he likes for this convenience. An analogy is someone who goes to the fresh produce market and buys a bag of apples in order to make a pie. Where the apples are sliced into the "correct" size at the market before taking them home. By the time the apples are used, they are brown from the oxidation. That still taste okay, but not like when first sliced. The resulting pie from the pre-sliced apples was also okay, but when making a second pie the cook wanted to make the individual slices slightly larger or slightly smaller in order to match the characteristics of their oven or the hardness of the apples, but is stuck with the original size.

Coffee brewing is similar in that different methods need different particle sizes, and a given method (such as stovetop espresso) may need some final adjustments. And the coffee will not oxidize so much and preserve more flavor compounds if left whole until brewing.

 

[DE_Dude]

What you need is a Mypressi Twist and a lame battery-powered aerator. REAL espresso, and foam, if that's your dig. I'd probably skip the milk entirely if it were my boat, but if I had to have foam'd calf's food on my coffee, that's what I'd do.

Man, that thing is cool! I've never heard about it before. I might have to get one some day as an upgrade from my moka pot.

 

[bogiesan]

One way to get a better tasting coffee from a stovetop pressurized unit is to remove it from the heat as soon as the first drops of coffee enter the upper reservoir. This will produce much less liquid and it will be far stronger, but it prevents steam from entering the coffee chamber which would incinerate the fragile grounds.

Takes practice.

 

[dom1357]

YES. A Bialetti is what you want. Every Italian has at least one (or 3 in my home) of these. You don't need all of the fancy machines. Also, you can get one of these pots in all kinds of sizes, 2 cup, 4 cup, 6 cup, etc.... Some of my family have tried to Americanize with the new technology, but they always give up on it and go with the old standard. I suppose it's like giving up on a Mach3 to go back to DE. Use what you know and what works for you.

 

[dpm802]

Does anybody own this?
The Taylor and Ng CX-25. Its stainless-steel, has a steaming wand, and looks kinda retro. At about $125, the price is perfect.
I'm even considering buying this for him as a gift, so any thoughts or advice will be appreciated.

I owned one of these about 20 years ago. Didn't like it at all. It was clumsy and awkward to use. Took forever to heat up. And unless you were very, very careful putting it together, it leaked.

I tried to return it after a week or two, but the store wouldn't take it back. I don't know what ever happened to it, but I never used it again.

Stick with the classic Bialetti Moka. Seek out the brand-name model, don't settle for a cheap knock-off. Get the largest size you can find, which I think is a 9 cup (demi-tasse size.) And stock up on spare gaskets and a good cleaning solution, since the aluminum will build up a thick gunk on the interior rather quickly.

You'll also want a good burr grinder, to produce the fine dark brown dust that Italian coffee calls for. You can buy pre-ground coffee at the supermarket that will work just as well, but beans will stay fresh longer. My father was fond of Medaglia D'Oro in a can.

And +1 to professorchaos ... this produces Italian Coffee, not true espresso ... but it is much more economical and convenient than the real deal. Spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a true espresso machine is a bit much if you're only going to have one or two demi-tasse a day at home. Leave the real espresso-making for the baristas at your favorite coffee-shop ... your home-made coffee will do quite nicely on a daily basis.

Hint: Add the zest of a lemon to your cup, and it will soften the bitterness that many people find objectionable, even if they love the taste.

 

[EricBNC]

I use a very small two cup Bialetti Brikka. I haven't touched my regular moka since getting the Brikka. The extraction reminds me of some spring lever espresso I have tried - it really is a nice device when fed the right coffee...

 

[Mick]

We run a Bialetti stainless version (by another brand) and work on a 4 cup unit for 2 people (we like mugs of coffee). To speed the process up, we usually pre-boil the water in the kettle and then tip it into the lower chamber. Works perfectly for us. If you want a bigger maker, check out this site.

Stainless works on induction countertop plates.

My stainless goes from cold water to start of brew in 3 min on induction as opposed to 10 min on a 18k btu gas burner.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I eventually did get a Bellman. Wow this is kind of a necro-thread. Anyway I was underwhelmed. It worked, but took a lot of work and attention and used a lot of heat which on my little boat is a hassle and expense. The Moka was maybe a bit better in all regards than the Bellman except the Bellman has a higher cool factor and can steam milk. Both are a PITA to clean. French press, slightly easier to clean but still a PITA. For stove top coffee I decided that a pourover is the way to go. Permanent filter for when I can be bothered with cleaning it, paper filter when I can't. BUT my favorite brew method now that I have a fairly big battery bank and a 3kw inverter on the boat is my DeLonghi Magnifica Superautomatic machine. Froths milk great. Makes a great shot, or in my case two great double shots. Easy cleaning... does it by itself, I just empty the pucks, keep a cup under the spout for the self clean water, and I do a deep clean every couple of weeks along with a descale. I don't have to grind the beans, either, I just dump them in the hopper and Mr. DeLonghi grinds them for me, packs and tamps them, and brews my espresso at the touch of a button. Pretty sweet. The one on my boat is now I think going on 5 years old, no issues so far. I have another one at my GF house, and another fancier one on my last ship which I will be returning to, that has the milk tank thingie so I don't have to manually steam my milk. True one touch cappuccino in the morning. It's a beautiful thing. Once everything is adjusted, way better than TarMucks.

But this thread is about stovetop espresso makers. For stovetop pressurized brewing I have now tried the Bellman and the Moka pot and I have to give the nod between the two to the Moka in spite of not being able to steam milk with it. Bialetti has another pot that I believe can do this, but nah. The handpresso thingies I haven't tried but I suspect they would work poorly for me due to only making one shot at a time. Best brewing method overall not involving a fancy machine is IMHO a good pourover with a nice kettle and grinder.

One project like dozens of others still existing only in my mind is a compressed air powered stovetop espresso machine. The idea is basically similar to a typical steam powered Mr Coffee type espresso machine using portafilter, except after the water and the brewing assembly are at the correct temp, opening a valve to introduce 110 to 130 PSI air into the top of the boiler would push the heated water through the puck for a proper espresso. Maybe a giant size portafilter, for like a quad shot. Go big or go home, right? The air would of course have to be filtered. Maybe a scuba tank and first stage regulator would work, and be quite convenient for my fellow divers. Most shop compressor setups store air at around 95 to 130 PSI I believe. A purpose built compressor for this would still need a tank, at least a couple of gallons volume, to enable use of a small compressor, which would pump up the tank whenever it is depleted. Then the compressed air would be ready on demand, as soon as you heat up the brew water and brew head. On a boat the compressor could be engine driven. A manual compressor like a large bike tire pump could be used if a small tank is acceptable. With a smaller tank, pressure will of course drop off during the brew process. A bigger tank would take forever to pressurize sufficiently.

A stovetop system with TWO boilers might be the way to go. One boiler for brewing water and one to provide 8 or 9 bars of steam pressure to force the brew water through the puck. HELP WANTED: Courageous stovetop espresso machine test pilots, preferably unmarried orphans. LOL!