Customer Reviews

Bialetti Moka Express 9-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The Bialetti Moka Express 3-Cup Coffeemaker is fantastic. I enjoy it immensely. Word of warning, don't forget to put water in it before placing on the stove! And if you have a gas stove with an open flame, do not use a flame that exceeds the size of the coffeemaker. The handle will melt.

I found mine at a 2nd hand store. Mine is, a smaller version(12 oz size), mug of perfection and i use it often. A permanent fixture on my stove top. Love it.

I love, love, LOVE my Bialetti Espresso Maker. Easy to use and works like a charm. Goes to show simple really is best, as opposed to the several hundred dollar hi-fi espresso makers sold at the department store. I've been making lattes and cafe au laits on a regular basis, and I couldn't be happier. I've used it for guests, and they like the lattes made at home more than the ones at the coffee stores. This is a GREAT product, works beautifully, and once you get the measurements down, you won't go anywhere else. If there is one complaint I have, it's that scrubbing the inside of the bottom half is difficult due to the small opening. Anyone have a solution for this?

This unit is a great little device for making strong coffee (somewhere between espresso and regular coffee, closer to the espresso side) in an elegant way, and it's designed to last a long time.

The coffee produced is extracted using steam that is generated when the bottom part of the pot gets heated from placing the unit on a stove top. You have to experiment to find the right low-to-medium heat to get the best results. Too low and it will not boil, but you probably want it just above that and not too hot. I have found a setting where it will boil in 5 mins, and then the coffee comes up in 1 minute or less. So, a total of 6 minutes, which is not bad at all. As mentioned, what's produced is close to what we call "espresso" in the US, but it is not the same thing. It is not as strong and with not quite the same taste as full-blown espresso created using an automatic or semi-automatic espresso maker. It's much stronger and more flavorful than regular coffee, though. I used the same Intelligentsia Coffee House Blend (a great coffee) through my French press and then the Moka pot, and the taste difference was eye-opening. Apparently, these stove-top coffee makers are the norm in Italy, and practically everybody has one.

If you enjoy taking your time making your coffee, this is a beautiful unit that creates great coffee (and apparently it gets better over time, as the coffee oils seep into the aluminum). And as mentioned, it's actually not that slow. It's a nice "coffee ritual." It's made in Italy. It only has three parts, which are easy to clean and look virtually impossible to break, so it will last.

The only potential downsides are:

(a) you need coffee ground to the correct size. Either you should get pre-ground Illy Coffee or else you should get a good grinder that can grind to just above espresso fineness. When using whole bean coffee, our old blade grinder does not work well at all with this (sometimes it's acceptable, sometimes hardly any coffee comes out), but we have a Vario on the way, so all is good... But it is a given that a grinder is extremely important regardless of what method of coffee brewing you use. So -- get a good grinder!

(b) you can only make the same amount of coffee each time. For example, we have the version that says 6 on the side (6 cup?) and it makes just enough for my wife and myself. (It doesn't actually make 6 cups, as far as I can tell -- it's more like 2 cups for us). That is, you cannot just put in less ground coffee and less water to make less coffee. If you do that, the mechanics of the steam don't work and you won't get proper coffee as a result. So, make sure you get the correct size for your use.

This thing is so cheap and well-made that anyone who loves coffee should have one around to try out or for occasional use. Ours will get regular use, alternating with our French press. I was very happy to find this.

Extremely pleased with this coffee maker, I use it for a making single high quality cups of coffee. Well constructed, although the instructions are little light on user information. Be careful not to over fill the bottom which contains the water. The aluminum construction makes for a very, very hot unit, so be safety minded and use with care.

This product is the most awesome product I've come across in a long time. For being extremely simple to use, it sure does produce an amazing cup of espresso. Love it, love it, love it! It came highly recommended by a good friend of mine and because of that, I ordered one from Amazon.com and am surely impressed! I recommend it highly to those of you who love a good cup of espresso and who doesn't want a complicated product. So easy to use! Magnifico!

This item yields excellent coffee as long as you have good quality beans, way better than Starbucks in my opinion. Be careful with the handle though when you tighten it. This is my second moka express purchase because I broke the handle.

Too many words would ruin the simplicity and elegance. It simply makes delicious espresso, quickly and with a minimum of effort. Cleans up in about 2 minutes...I take mine camping.

The "cup" ratings are for small, traditional sized espresso cups. If you like to pour a mug full of espresso, then divide the cup rating by 4 to arrive at an approximate size for your "machine". My nine cup maker gives me 2 full sized mugs of rich coffee. For you "crema" people...there is none.

It is inexpensive, relative to plug in type machines, so it is as nearly a risk free purchase as you can make. Enjoy.

I'm glad I didn't get this moka maker until three years ago. Before then, I was in fine coffee malaise, thinking the best I could ever manage would be watered down brownish gray swill from a drip machine. The fancy espresso makers came and went, usually as gifts, and after the one-off use, all the cleaning of those infernal machines made me regret ever having gotten hooked on "brown-bean." The french press, what a mess, but I digress. I tried all types of MJ (morning joe, ahem) to hit that right balance of flavor, price, and effect. The commercial grade folgers and dunkin, mid grade starbucks and Peet's, and then heading into the imported italian brands all did little to alleviate my condition in a drip maker.

Then I found the Bialetti Moka pot. Not quite espresso, but far from drip and press, it has changed my habit permanently. Just put water in the bottom to the line on the inside, coffee in the middle cup, put it on low-med on your stovetop, and just wait in anticipation until you hear the faint hiss and gurgle of perfection coming out of the top. Don't peek, ok, you can peek a little, but it may splash out a tiny bit as the all-to-perfect coffee ventures to the top. The type of coffee will be to your own preference. Espresso ground works well, and my bent is towards 100% arabica. Lavazza Oro, Illy, whatever. Try this, and you will never be able to go back.

After a trip to Spain where one of these little coffee makers was in the apartment where we stayed, I returned and purchased one, in spite of owning another pump driven expresso maker. This little guy makes very smooth strong expresso. Really not sure why I spent the money on a more expensive style expresso maker, when these little pots have them beat for great tasting expresso.

You won't be disappointed.