Looking for some advice on Moka pots

[Zykris]

Hey all! My name is Zykris and my coffee enjoyment is more of a recent addition to my life. Of course, I've had coffee before but now it's more of a fine appreciation for brew.
My coffee experience, sad but true, has been regulated to mainly drip coffee only. So I'm trying to broaden my horizons to new options.
As of the last week, I've been doing extensive research on different brewing methods and I was mainly gathering information on older ways of making coffee. While I'd love to get a real espresso machine, alas it is not in my budget. I became highly interested in Moka pots but before making a purchase of one, I was wanting to get others opinions. Right now, after looking at a plethora of manufacturers, am down to Bariletti and Vev Vigano products. Alessi is out of my price range. Does anyone have any feedback on the two companies and which products I should seriously consider. From Bariletti I've had my eye on the Moka Express, Musa and Brikka pots. From Vev Vigano, I like too many to list. LOL Any info would be appreciated!

 

[CoffeeJunky]

All of them do pretty good job making espresso. But do you enjoy espresso or cappuccino?
I have Brikka and few other ones but my favorite ones are made with Stainless Steel.
Most of these are made out of aluminum.

Good Luck with your finding.

Oh by the way, around this time of the year, TJ Maxx have Mokka pots in their stock. They are reasonably priced.

Check them out.

Good Luck

 

[Zykris]

All of them do pretty good job making espresso. But do you enjoy espresso or cappuccino?
I have Brikka and few other ones but my favorite ones are made with Stainless Steel.
Most of these are made out of aluminum.

Good Luck with your finding.

Oh by the way, around this time of the year, TJ Maxx have Mokka pots in their stock. They are reasonably priced.

Check them out.

Good Luck

To be truthful, I've never had espresso but I have had cappuccinos liked before and liked them. Most of the time I just drink my coffee black.
Unfortunately, I don't have a TJ Maxx near me but I have Amazon as an option.
Is the Brikka worth the tad bit extra money than the others?

 

[Zykris]

Also wanted to check as to be absolutely sure...can aluminum moka pots be used on electric coiled stoves?

 

[CoffeeJunky]

Yes they can be used on electric coiled stove.
I suggested TJ Maxx because they have very cheap version of Moka Pot( I saw few of them for around 20 dollars)
But I bought stainless steel Mokka Pot recently on ebay and I actually liked it better.

2 Cup Percolator Stove Top Coffee Maker Moka Espresso Latte Stainless Steel Pot | eBay

Also if you never have tried Espresso, I would go out and purchase cup of espresso or order Americano and try before investing any money on these.
If you like Cappuccino, I would go and look into way to make steamed milk with foam.

 

[Zykris]

I would of tried one previously but the area I live in doesn't have a place where espresso is served. Sad. LOL

 

[PinkRose]

Hello Zykris,

Moka Pots make strong coffee. (like espresso)

Since you're used to drinking drip coffee, it may take a bit of experimenting to get it to the way you like it.

Have you ever thought about getting a French Press, or is your heart set on getting a moka pot?

All of the Moka Pots can be used on gas or electric stove tops.

Lots of stores sell Moka pots. You can always order one from Amazon. The place where I buy my roasted coffee sells Bialetti Moka Pots. They're pretty popular. Bialetti also makes the Brikka stovetop espresso makers.

There are a lot of videos and instructional websites on the Internet that show and explain how to use a Moka Pot. It will take some experimenting and practice to get the coffee to come out the way you like it.

Rose

 

[Zykris]

Hello Pink Rose,
I've been going back and forth on whether I want to get both. French presses are not that big of investment. I've experimented kind of by grinding down whole beans and steeping them in hot water for about four minutes before straining the grinds out. Not exactly a french press but I loved the way the coffee came out.
I'm rather wet behind the ears when it comes to coffee preparation but I'm eager to jump in.
Any recommendations on a good french press and moka pot?

 

[PinkRose]

Hello Zykris,

After reading how you made your coffee, I'm pretty sure the French Press would be a great choice for you.

You should be able to find one locally. Do you buy your whole beans from a local roaster? They may also sell the French Presses.

Bodum is a good brand, although I recall some other members of this Forum recommending other kinds too. I guess it depends on how much you want to spend.

Rose

 

[Zykris]

Hello Pink Rose,
Just read your reply and funny enough I did pick up a french press while out. It is only a Mr.Coffee brand style but I figured it would give me some practice before purchasing an upgraded model. I was impressed by the Bodum types when I was looking around.
I really appreciate the feedback I am getting! It certainly is a help.
I haven't found any local roasters right now. So far I've taken a liking to Gevalia Traditional Medium Roast.

 

[peterjschmidt]

What are you using for a grinder Zykris?

 

[Zykris]

Hamilton Beach Automatic Grinder. I didn't want to go into the really expensive ones like a burr grinder just yet.

 

[peterjschmidt]

Hamilton Beach Automatic Grinder. I didn't want to go into the really expensive ones like a burr grinder just yet.

The reason I ask is because of all the brew methods I've used, press pot is the least compatible to a blade grinder (well non-espresso brew methods, that is). Blade grinders can do fine fairly well - just keep the button pressed for a long time, and everything gets chopped up uniformly. But for a medium or coarse grind, they don't produce coffee particles of uniform size, which is what you want; the beans that get chopped up first end up too fine, and the beans toward the end well be too coarse, and what you'll have is over-extraction from the too-fine particles and under-extraction from the too-coarse particles. I think it's the main reason that people give up on their press post, because they can't get a good cup w/ a weed-wacker-grinder. The blade grinders are best suited for a brew method the employs paper filters because then you can go very fine on the grind.

 

[Zykris]

So far so good with the Bialetti Brikka. It's definitely makes a strong coffee, more than ive ever experienced but I'm getting used to it. Makes a heck of a cappuccino.
The grinder I've been using seems to work ok thus far. I'm satisfied.
I just wanted to say thank tou to all who have helped me along the way. Its really appreciated.

 

[PinkRose]

Zykris,

Thanks for the update. Congratulations on your success.

It's always nice to know how things are going, especially when someone starts a new coffee making advenutue.

I'm sure you'll be tweaking your coffee-to-water ratio for a while, until you get it exactly the way you like it.


Rose