Coffee the Classic Way
Written: May 05 '06 (Updated May 05 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, easy to use and clean, lasts for years, and makes great coffee!
Cons: You can't brag about how expensive it is; no fun levers or buttons.
The Bottom Line: An inexpensive, simple, classic way to make good espresso-based coffee at home.
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| sulkn's Full Review: Bialetti Stove Top Moka Espresso Makers |
Now that the Starbucks-ization of our world is complete, people are no longer content to drink the same mediocre, cardboard-tasting swill that most of us in North America grew up calling “coffee”. Anyone who is a coffee drinker has, by now, had at least a few cups of coffee that made them sit up and say “wow”… and then perhaps spend years trying to duplicate at home. If you’re like me, those attempts at replication have always been mediocre at best.
Infomercials and store shelves are filled with expensive, complicated gadgets that claim they will turn your kitchen into a Starbucks. You can easily drop hundreds or thousands of dollars on fancy machines covered with levers and spouts.
I’ve never tried any of these machines. I have better things to do with my money (heck, for $1,000 I can take a trip to Europe and drink the Real Thing, and I don’t mean cola) and we simply don’t have room in our tiny condo for large contraptions that may just end up eating valuable counter or closet space.
So imagine how happy I was when a friend turned me on to a small, simple, old-fashioned gadget: the stovetop espresso maker. If you’re Italian, I know, it’s a no-brainer. If you grew up in suburban Ontario, on the other hand, this simple gadget is something you might not have heard of -- I never had.
This review is aimed at people like those described above – people like I was a few years ago – who are not necessarily coffee connoisseurs, or self-proclaimed experts, but who simply want to be able to make themselves a nice-tasting cup of espresso-based coffee without taking out a second mortgage. If you’re one of those coffee gurus who feels a need to spend thousands, and who sets the room temperature of your home to a certain level to allow your coffee grinds to reach optimum temperature before you brew, then more power to you. But this review is for the rest of us.
Bialetti is an Italian kitchenware company. In 1933, its founder, Alfonso Bialetti launched the aluminum stove top espresso maker; the company’s web site now claims that a variation of this product is found in 90% of Italian homes. While their products have been available in North America in specialty shops and Italian neighbourhoods for years, in the early 2000s Bialetti finally began shipping their products to major American chains. As a result, you should no longer have too much of a hard time finding them for sale somewhere near you.
While there are now many variations, the classic Bialetti stovetop maker is a simple device that has stood the test of time. The base is filled with water, to a predetermined level. A small metal filter fits on top of the base, elevated slightly above the water. This is filled, level but not packed, with finely ground espresso coffee. The top half of the maker is then screwed on, with a rubber seal ensuring that the water and coffee is airtight. The entire maker is place on a stove burner, heat is applied, and soon the water boils. With no way to escape, the steam is forced up through the coffee grounds, where it then condenses against the lid of the maker and dribbles down into the upper chamber in the form of delicious espresso.
Cleaning the maker is fairly simple, as it consists of only the three metal parts, each which can be fully submerged and washed with water and a little soap. Dishwashers are not recommended, however, as they will destroy the life of the rubber seal, and tend to dull the shine on the metal.
Over the years, the only maintenance that may be required will be the rubber seal: these can usually be purchased at any store that sells the makers themselves, for somewhere between 50 cents and a dollar. It might be a good idea to ask the seller to toss a few extra ones in when you make your original purchase, because sometimes stores might not have in stock the exact replacement sizes you need, right when you need them.
Your only major decision to make when purchasing is size. Generally, the stovetop makers are available in sizes that range from the tiny 1-cup and 3-cup all the way up to 6-cup or 12-cup monsters. Keep in mind that it is very difficult to make less coffee than the maker is designed for: in order to keep the proportions correct, you really need to fill the water and coffee ground chambers to the correct levels. If you have a small family or don’t think you are up to drinking 12 shots of espresso every morning, it’s probably better to err on the side of caution and pick a smaller size. The 3-cup sizes will make two generous espressos (or cappuccinos, or lattes, etc.) and if you have visitors only occasionally, you can always make coffee in a few shifts.
In Canada, prices range from about $30 for the smallest makers, up to little over $100 for the larger sizes. Several other companies -- both North American and European – now manufacture similar products that are slightly less expensive. In my experience, though, many of these simply look and feel “cheap” compared to the Bialettis, and seem to be made out of lighter weight, thinner metals that don’t screw together as nicely as the Bialetti makers. A good, tight seal is important so that the steam is forced upward and doesn’t escape out the sides. Your little maker will survive many years of daily use with minimal care, so spending an extra $10 up front to get a good quality maker is probably worthwhile.
If you’re not into straight espresso, you’ll probably also want to invest in a milk frother to make cappuccinos or lattes with. These are a separate product so I won’t go into too much detail here, but I’d recommend spending the time to hunt for a frother that is made from stainless steel, rather than metal or glass, so it can be warmed on a burner. I find that warmer froth is much nicer in a cup of coffee, and the heated milk seems to froth better than cold milk.
In the end, for a casual coffee drinker who wants to enjoy a good cup on a regular basis, I can’t think of a better investment than a Bialleti stovetop maker. While it won’t be an awesome display of technology that will impress the neighbours, it will make great tasting coffee with minimal fuss. Sometimes simple and classic is the best.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sulkn
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Member: Gary
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 29 members
About Me:
A 30-year-old web developer in Toronto, Canada.
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