I'm curious to hear what people's experience has been with the steam driven "fake espresso machines" and moka pots. I picked up a Krups "steamtoy" up from a thrift store for five dollars about a year ago. Last time I brought it out was about a year ago... When I was using it for that brief stint, I'd keep it stored out in the garage at temperatures well below freezing, then take it in and fill it to the top with ice water (less the cubes), thinking that overheating was much more of a danger than brewing too cool. I'll have to pull it out again and give it a try, but I seem to remember it making a drink that wasn't all that terrible. I have never had a moka pot.

Does one of these designs have a tendency to make better coffee than the other? I tend to think of them as being the same brewing method, but my thought is that the plastic encased version might have the edge over the stovetop one. But then I have negligible experience with the one and zero with the other, so I'd like to hear other people's thoughts. And if you are using a brewing method like this, what is your technique to manage temperature?