Buying a Moka Pot

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
User avatar
SpromoSapiens
Posts: 518
Joined: 12 years ago

#1: Post by SpromoSapiens »

My main questions are:

Does quality really take a hit from brand to brand? (I.e., Bialetti vs. Cuisinox vs Vev Vigano vs Chef's Secret etc)

Does a pot's stated cup quantity hold true for the most recently established best practices of brewing?
What I mean is, if it says it's a 6-cup moka pot, do you actually wind up with 12oz of delicious coffee every time, or is the final volume less when you grind a little finer and cool the lower chamber in time to avoid burnt flavors?

Does anyone have a Bialetti Dama with the "gold" handle, and does that handle get hot?

Many thanks to all.

User avatar
[creative nickname]
Posts: 1832
Joined: 11 years ago

#2: Post by [creative nickname] »

I haven't tried all the pots under the sun, so I can't say much about the non-Bialetti brands. I do recommend getting stainless rather than aluminum.

In my Bialetti Venus 4-cup, I typically get something closer to 6 ounces rather than the full 8 ounces of brew that they advertise, if I cool the lower chamber to stop the flow once the stream starts to get light in color.
LMWDP #435

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14348
Joined: 14 years ago

#3: Post by drgary »

LVX recommended to me vintage Bialetti aluminum when I started to explore moka pots. He says it has the best taste of that line. He's the world expert on moka pots and a member here. He has hundreds in his collection. I haven't compared it to steel, but it certainly works nicely. At the price you can find them online you could have one and compare it to others. I opened the link below by going to his site and searching Bialetti. Opening it in Chrome gives you a quick translation from the Italian.

http://caffettiere.blogspot.com/search?q=bialetti
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

User avatar
SpromoSapiens (original poster)
Posts: 518
Joined: 12 years ago

#4: Post by SpromoSapiens (original poster) »

Wow -- awesome website! Thanks Gary, a wealth of fascinating info, images and history there.

But -- aluminum? Of all other recommendations on HB, that's the first I've heard of a preference for aluminum! Here I'd been restricting my search to stainless. Aluminum pots abound and are almost always cheaper. I guess I probably wouldn't bother putting my pot in the dishwasher anyway.

There are 2 good deals I'm eyeing online at the moment. Just waiting to hear back about cup volumes. Both are steel Bialettis, "vintage" but looking pretty spotless. I did the rounds of all my local thrift stores to no avail. It seems like moka pots are exactly the kind of thing you see often in thrift stores when you're not looking for one, but as soon as you are -- poof, they vanish.

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14348
Joined: 14 years ago

#5: Post by drgary »

SpromoSapiens wrote:But -- aluminum? Of all other recommendations on HB, that's the first I've heard of a preference for aluminum! Here I'd been restricting my search to stainless. Aluminum pots abound and are almost always cheaper. I guess I probably wouldn't bother putting my pot in the dishwasher anyway.
Yes, that's what Lucio suggested. I got my 6 cup vintage aluminum Bialetti on eBay for about $20 and don't feel the need for another. When I put an AeroPress filter on top of the coffee cake it yields a clean cup with lots of caramel.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

User avatar
[creative nickname]
Posts: 1832
Joined: 11 years ago

#6: Post by [creative nickname] »

I chose stainless for longevity, but it is interesting to read that some prefer aluminum. I suppose there may be some advantages in terms of differing levels of heat retention?

I also enjoy the results when an Aeropress filter is added. You get a great balance of clarity and strength.
LMWDP #435

User avatar
SpromoSapiens (original poster)
Posts: 518
Joined: 12 years ago

#7: Post by SpromoSapiens (original poster) »

Longevity, because stainless will never rust? Would prompt washing & drying of aluminum alleviate the rust risk?

Does the aluminum impart any flavor? Stainless adherents seem to say that the steel does not at all.

Do you soak or rinse the paper filter first? I've actually got about 1000 aeropress filters sitting in a closet somewhere from when i stocked up before switching to a metal disc. This would be a good use for them. Although I am also expecting my new Kohi aeropress fine mesh filter to arrive soon, I wonder how this would perform inside a moka pot...

In real life, do folks generally pour a whole pot into one hearty mug and kick back, or do you actually serve it 2oz at a time, and share it?

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14348
Joined: 14 years ago

#8: Post by drgary »

Aluminum doesn't rust, it corrodes, and only if you leave it wet. After a brew session I disassemble and clean the moka pot and put it in the dish drain to dry. I can't taste anything metallic in the brew. I brew up to the crease of the spout before dipping the bottom in a bowl of room temperature water. Then I split the contents into two pours. One would be a lot of caffeine at once, but I'm probably more sensitive to that then others.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

User avatar
SpromoSapiens (original poster)
Posts: 518
Joined: 12 years ago

#9: Post by SpromoSapiens (original poster) »

Has anyone had occasion to try / compare a moka pot with a ceramic top? There are some charming pots on Etsy and elsewhere. Aluminum bottom, cute ceramic tops. A simple stovetop device seems like a nice opportunity to add something decorative to the collection. I wonder about heat retention and flavor effects as it travels up and out the ceramic spout. And though it might be trickier to scrub by hand around a thin ceramic spout, it probably does great in the dishwasher.

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14348
Joined: 14 years ago

#10: Post by drgary »

I see a moka pot collection starting on this side of the pond ... 8)
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

Post Reply