Help purchasing a Moka Pot

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
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Barb
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#1: Post by Barb »

Am traveling to my family in Canada.Will be away from my Strega for two weeks. I have to do something to prevent withdrawal.
Thinking that a Moka pot would be the answer. Small, inexpensive, easy to take in our car and makes coffee approaching what I get in espresso.Can leave in my daughter's home when I come back home
I won't have a grinder and will have to use ground coffee

Your advice will be appreciated

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beta14ok
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#2: Post by beta14ok »

My wife uses an electric version of the Bialetti as a daily rather than my espresso machine so we have some experience. It's fine....but it's small, basically a single coffee per brew. You mention "family" so you might consider a larger version, but I don't think they come as electric, so you will need a stove top or camp stove as a heat source.

Also, fresh ground with the right particle size is still an issue, so consider a good hand grinder if you are traveling! We seem to get the best results from our Moka Pot when starting with hot water, either from the espresso machine or from our bonavita electric kettle. If you let the coffee grounds "cook" while waiting for the cold water to get to the flash point of brewing in a moka pot, then I think you lose something....so, you might wanna pack a source for hot water.

When we are traveling or camping with "family", I use a french press and bring the hand grinder along with electric kettle or a camp stove w/ standard kettle. The press pot brews enough in a single brew that everyone gets a hit without waiting.

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cuppajoe
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#3: Post by cuppajoe »

Coupla ways to go about it. There is new, and there is vintage. If it's just tossed in a cupboard when not used, esthetics is probably not a consideration. Just pick one you like for the mount of cups you're planning to brew. Bialetti's are the most common, and stainless probably better for a daily driver.

If vintage is more your style, poke around a bit on ebay, many come up for very little to quite a bit in price. The number of varieties is staggering, as it seems that any Italian designer worth his salt has to have one under his belt.

Since the little buggers can be had fairly cheap(picked up most for $30-40), collecting them can get addictive...
David - LMWDP 448

My coffee wasn't strong enough to defend itself - Tom Waits

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Barb (original poster)
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#4: Post by Barb (original poster) »

Beta140k- Thank you
What hand grinder would you suggest. My HG-One is not traveling with me:)

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Boldjava
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#5: Post by Boldjava »

Barb wrote:.
What hand grinder would you suggest. My HG-One is not traveling with me:)
I am with Beta in suggesting Bialettis. Try a stainless steel one rather than the aluminum ones. Much easier to clean.

Grinder? Lido 2 (big dime) or Hario hand grinder (little dime). Have used them both. One guess which I prefer...

DB
-----
LMWDP #339

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beta14ok
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#6: Post by beta14ok »

I have an older Zassenhaus Turkish style. I also have that ancient Tre Spade, which I know was originally used by a relative specifically for grinding coffee for a stove top Moka Pot, which makes it very cool and sentamental, but the Zass' is more compact.

The other suggestions above sound excellent also......may even be better.

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Balthazar_B
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#7: Post by Balthazar_B »

Barb wrote:Beta140k- Thank you
What hand grinder would you suggest. My HG-One is not traveling with me:)
The Lido 3 is really, really nice, and while not compact or particularly light, folds up well for traveling. IMHO, short of a true backpacking trip, it's worth taking along if you think life's too short for bad coffee.

I'll echo what others have said about stainless vs. aluminum moka pots, with the caveat that I haven't been in the market for a new one in ages (so I don't know the latest and greatest, nor whether someone has come out with a steel-lined copper product, which would be the best choice of all in terms of materials). While stainless requires a slightly modified routine (because it heats more slowly than aluminum), I think the results, durability, and maintenance factors make it worthwhile.

My advice would be to practice on it for at least a couple weeks before taking it somewhere and relying on it. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy to reliably turn out nice coffee (as millions of Italians do at home every day).
- John

LMWDP # 577

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drgary
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#8: Post by drgary »

Boldjava wrote:I am with Beta in suggesting Bialettis. Try a stainless steel one rather than the aluminum ones. Much easier to clean.

Grinder? Lido 2 (big dime) or Hario hand grinder (little dime). Have used them both. One guess which I prefer...

DB
LVX, our moka pot expert, suggested I get a vintage aluminum Bialetti. He said the coffee tastes better than in the new ones. Since he knows more than anyone else about this, that's what I bought. Does it taste better? I dunno. Didn't compare it with blind tasting to the new one I found at Goodwill or to steel. Haven't had any problems at all cleaning it. The technique is to stop the brew before it overheats. I agree on the LIDO grinder, but the LIDO 3 is much lighter for traveling and easier to turn than my first-run LIDO 2, although they may now share the same burrs so one isn't harder than the other.

I also don't know if I would suggest a moka pot for travel, just another way to brew good coffee, like a press pot, a Clever Coffee Dripper, an AeroPress, and a hot pot and food thermometer for the heated water.
Gary
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What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

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Balthazar_B
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#9: Post by Balthazar_B »

drgary wrote:I also don't know if I would suggest a moka pot for travel, just another way to brew good coffee, like a press pot, a Clever Coffee Dripper, an AeroPress, and a hot pot and food thermometer for the heated water.
Sounds like it'll be a one-way trip for the moka pot:
Can leave in my daughter's home when I come back home.
Forgot to mention before that I'd recommend one that can make a couple of cups, in case the OE's daughter enjoys coffee. Would make for a nice shared morning event during visits.
- John

LMWDP # 577

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Barb (original poster)
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#10: Post by Barb (original poster) »

Thanks, all
Daughter has a Keurig for regular coffee. My thought was something to bring me closer to espresso. Hubby and I are so hooked now. we have espresso and cappuccino every night.
But I only have week's time to purchase... may not make that deadline. Aeropress is easily available but I don't need for regular brewed coffee
Lido 3 looks like the way to go... from all I have read.

Thanks all for the good ideas- will take a better Mokka pot with me I found I own a one cup older Aluminum Bialatti

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