![]() However, the pot boiler has always been a clumsy copy of the espresso principle and isn’t entirely free from controversy. An espresso machine, on the other hand, will have a hard time keeping up with that! Plus, good espresso makers from Bialetti and others are practically indestructible and you can ( thoroughly) cleaned one in seconds. Let’s not forget: the moka pot’s basic principle has never changed - why should it when it’s so easy to achieve such clear results? You can choose between dozens of brands and countless design and function ideas - you can even find electric models! There are both cheaper and more expensive variants, too. You can still buy this aluminum classic anywhere - and only have to throw down around $20. A similar principle, similar results, much lower price! The trouble was that the average person couldn’t afford a stainless steel behemoth.įortunately, Alfonso Bialetti was kind enough to invent the Bialetti Moka Express in 1933. They wanted to experience this pleasure at home. When the espresso machine was invented in 1884, Italians went crazy for strong espresso with delicious crema. ![]() Of course, we mustn’t lose sight of why the stovetop espresso maker - we’ll continue to use this term for simplicity’s sake - exists in the first place. The higher preparation temperature brings out classic espresso notes.The coffee beans are roasted equally as dark.The ground coffee is also compacted (minimally by the funnel shape).The coffee beans are ground (almost) as finely.The fact that coffee from a moka pot is comparable, in many respects, to a classic Italian espresso is due to the circumstances surrounding its preparation: That said, the linguistic and visual similarity of the two forms of preparation can’t be denied. On average, it only reaches 1.5 bars.ĭue to this “upside down” brewing principle, the espresso pot belongs to the percolator family - so it’s more like that hipster favorite, the siphon coffee maker. Still, even with a super valve, a stovetop espresso pot doesn’t get close to the 9 bars of pressure needed for an optimal espresso - or any espresso, for that matter. In some cases, it’s called a “crema valve” intended to produce the coffee foam that we appreciate so much in espresso. It then wafts through the coffee grounds, cools to a liquid and thus, ends up coffee in the pot’s upper chamber.ĭepending on the moka pot model, the liquid still has to pass through a more or less resistant valve. Water is heated in the stovetop pot’s lower chamber until it reaches the boiling point. However, the stovetop pot relies on physics instead of pumps. Here, too, finely ground coffee in a filter insert forms a barrier against hot water. The stovetop espresso maker mimics this principle. A pump pushes hot water at pressure through this barrier. ![]() Finely ground espresso is compressed into a coffee puck in the portafilter, creating resistance to water shooting through.In an espresso machine, this pressure comes from two sides: If we leave all other factors aside, pressure is the most important element in espresso preparation. That way, you can decide for yourselves whether these differences or comments are important to you. I’ll boil down all of my reservations about the stovetop espresso maker into one chapter. Thanks for that, and keep up the good work!īialetti Moka Express Bialetti Venus Bialetti Brikka I’ve also corrected a few errors and removed ambiguities that you pointed out about the first version. I’ll compare stainless steel and aluminum moka pots, as well as look at whether the original Bialetti is still the best moka pot around. In this review, I’ll give you an overview of manufacturers and variants for different types of stoves. Although using “espresso” in the name isn’t justified for construction reasons alone.Įither way, we’re dealing with an exciting form of preparation here, which I’d like to reintroduce to you in an update without reservations. Easy to use without much prior knowledgeĮven if we cover our eyes a little, the drink from a stovetop espresso maker certainly reminds us of espresso.Your numerous comments and questions have encouraged me to give the $20 moka pot another chance and see it for what it is: Recently, though, my attitude has changed a bit, and you guys are not entirely without blame for that. The first version of this guide expanded on what the moka pot can’t do - focusing on espresso, in particular. In my hit list of coffee preparation methods, the best moka pot ranks far behind pour-over filters and the French press.
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