Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Espresso Maker

The device is simple and beautifully made. I'd recommend the six-cup version, the smaller versions just don't make very much espresso -- I mean, get the six-cup version if there are two of you, since that will make an adequate amount.

Really a brilliant product. I wish that everything was so well-designed and robust. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!


Simple. Consistent. Tasty. Bialetti.   August 23, 2006
Jonathan A Blevins (Duluth, MN)
47 out of 49 found this review helpful

My wife and I have been spending a pretty penny at the local coffee shop, so I began looking for inexpensive home alternatives. Most of the coffee snobs claim you have to purchase a $200+ machine and $150+ grinder to have a decent cup of espresso. I turned instead to the frugal Italians. They did invent the stuff, afterall. My Bialetti Moka Express coffee pot came this afternoon. I was a little concerned that a $20 pot might not meet the high standards of the gourmet beverages wifey and I have become accustomed to. I was wrong. The brew made by this ingenious little pot is a little weaker than "pumped" espresso and lacks the foamy cap (crema) that all the snobs rave about, but mixed with some hot, frothed milk and a bit of chocolate syrup I couldn't tell the difference between Bialetti and Seattle's Best.

This rich brew comes from a tiny little aluminum contraption with no moving parts, no electronic gizmos, no pump handle and virtually no wait time or clean-up. You just fill, brew and pour. It's that simple. Its base only covers half of the stovetop's smallest eye and I expect it will be easy to store due to its diminuitive size. I've already had three cups of homemade mocha today, and I've only had the pot since noon! *jitter jitter* The point is this: If you're a coffee lover who is bored with Folgers from a Mr. Coffee drip machine or is spending way too much at Starbucks, the Moka pot is an inexpensive and easy-to-use alternative with excellent results.


A how-to, for the curious   September 26, 2006
Sheehan Moore (Fredericton, NB Canada)
32 out of 32 found this review helpful

I got my Bialetti 6-cup about a week and a half ago. It took me a while to learn all the tricks of the trade, so I thought I'd piece it together here.

1. Rinse out the pot, preferably with warm water and not with any abrasive cloth.

2. Fill the bottom of the pot with water to the line. If you go over it, the pot might explode. Seriously.

3. Fill the middle filter with ground espresso roast (dark) beans. Grind them a little bit finer then auto drip grind, to about the grain of fine sand. Level off the filter, and put it in the pot.

4. Screw on the top hard. Don't use the handle to screw it, because it could snap off.

5. My stove goes LO, 1, 2, ... 8, 9, HI; I usually set it between 3 and 5. It takes 5-ish minutes to finish. Take it off the stove when you hear it gurgling and sputtering.

Things I've learned:
*If it's going to be mainly you drinking the espresso, consider a 3-cup. I usually make a double cappuccino in the morning, and the rest of my family uses no more than 3 shots total. I stick the left-over in a Tupperware container and refrigerate it (a practice sure to make Italians shudder) to mix with milk and sugar when I come home from work.
*You can open the top to watch the espresso come out, because it is really cool. Just be sure to close it before it starts sputtering, because it goes all over.
*Read an article in a magazine or something while you wait--just don't wander off, because the time between when it first comes out and when it's finished is brief.

Moka pots make great 'espresso,' plus they're cheap and quick. From what I've gathered, Bialetti's the best maker. So I definitely recommend this.