Customer Reviews

Bialetti Mukka Express 2-Cup Cow-Print Stovetop Cappuccino Maker, Black and White

5 star:		(159)
4 star:		(85)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(51)

 

 

I was really excited to get this new product and I tried it right way. The first time I used it, I put the flame on too high and not only did I get milk everywhere (which I should have known from heating up milk and cream when making bechemel sauce or yogurt, milk goes EVERYWHERE when overheated) but water leaked as well.

I can't tell how many times I've used it since (sometimes twice or three pots a day) and I haven't had a problem with it at all. My guests love it as well. If the flame is medium, it doesn't leak. As soon as I hear the milk or cream frothing, I take it off the stove and put it on the sink (just in case, but it hasn't overflowed over since that first time I used it).

It's superfast, and it's supereasy to clean. This little product is saving me lots of money because I no longer desire to buy Cappuccino from Starbucks.

My only complaint about this product is that it has a two-cup capacity. That would be a two-espresso-cup capacity. So if you buy this product don't think it will make 16oz. And keep the flame low-medium. And take it off the heat when the milk starts frothing :)

ok, let's be honest, if your looking to spend less than $400 this is probably your best bet. Anything under that price is going to have it's idiosyncrasies (read "problems") But for the money this is a great buy, and if you take some time with it in the beginning you'll be happier in the end. And in the time that I have had mine here's what I learned.

First off - read the instructions!
- Throw away the first 3 - 5 cups (read "don't drink") think of this as seasoning your Mukka
- Use a coarse espresso grind, too fine and the water doesn't make it through and then it's leaking all over your stove.
- Don't pack-down (tamp) the grounds in the filter basket, see problem above.
- Don't fill the filter basket with grounds while it is sitting in the water reservoir, instead hold it in your hand over the sink to prevent getting grounds all over the seals. See problem above.
- Clean all the grounds off the seals. See problem above.
- Wet the seals with water before brewing. See problem above.
- Turn the heat down, adjust your gas so that the flame doesn't go past the edge of the mukka, this will improve your foam although I don't know the physics of it, it just seems to work better if the heat isn't too high.
- Use "cold" Whole milk, I have tried 2%, half and half, 1/2 2% and 1/2 half and half, and had the best foam with whole milk, but it isn't ever going to be "micro-foam" and it's not going to come out white, cause the coffee does the steaming.
- Let the Mukka steam the milk and then wait a minute leaving it on the heat till it steams again, I think that second boil is important for taste,and it makes the coffee good and hot.
- Pour your cappucino or latte into a cup and IMMEDIATELY clean the Mukka, or at least soak it with water so the milk doesn't dry up. Don't worry your coffee will still be hot. See suggestion above.
- on the steamer there is a black button you push for cappucino and below that a gray collar you can lift up. PULL UP ON THE GRAY COLLAR and rotate the steaming mechanism counter clockwise to remove the steamer. If you don't pull up on the gray collar good luck on getting the steaming mechanism off.

Cappucino - button down
Latte - Button up
Espresso - no Milk, button up
Cafe Americano - add water instead of milk, to line, button up

So with about a month of time in on my Mukka I have started to get good latte's from it, hopefully these suggestions shorten that time for you. And I have stopped going to "fourbucks" every morning so it is also saving me money.

...and if you do it makes a great latte or cappucino. Follow the directions explicitly, or you could have a mess on your hands, as some other reviewers have reported. Now that I've had it a couple of months, it comes out perfectly (including lots of foam, if that's what you choose)99% of the time. When there is a problem (leaking, exploding, etc., as noted by others) it's because you haven't done something right. When instructions are followed, it works just great. Some things to particularly watch out for:

-Be certain the rubber seal is properly seated.
-Check to make sure you have properly screwed the two main parts together - correctly and securely.
-Observe fill line guidelines strictly - if you put in either too much water or milk, it will overflow.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the design - when I've had problems, it's been my error.

The instructions are clear and thorough - just don't be hasty or careless and you will love this item.

Sell your Starbucks stock because this product is amazing! In just 4 quick minutes a delicious frothy cuppucino is ready - and it tastes better than Starbucks!! Forget the bad reviews, if you have half a brain this maker is no problem. Just add water to the line on bottom, scoop in a few teaspoons of espresso, screw on the top, add milk to the line, put it on the stove, wait for the button to pop and your done!

I bought this little gem so that I could enjoy a quick cappuccino after dinner, and I'm 100% satisfied with it. It seems a few (several) people here have had issues using it, and 99.9% of the time, those errors are user-errors. That said, here's how I consistently get great cappuccinos with my Mukka Express...

1. Use the right grind. Most store-bought espresso grinds are too fine, as the Mukka explicitly states to use rough ground espresso. If you find that you have coffee dregs in the water tank after brewing, your grind it too fine.

2. I use a glass top stove, and the water measurement is 6 ounces. BE SURE TO GET THIS RIGHT!

3. Use medium-high heat. I set my cook top to 7.5, and my cappuccino is ready in just over 5 minutes.

4. Do NOT let any -- and I mean ANY -- coffee grinds remain on the basket or heater rim. The couple of times I have had seal issues, grinds were the problem. If you don't have a steady hand, just fill the coffee basket separately, then put it onto the heat tank.

5. I recommend using less milk than the directions indicate -- especially as you first get used to using the Mukka. Since I also like a stronger cup, I fill the milk to around 1/4-inch below the recommended line. Experiment with this, starting with FAR LESS, so that you avoid potential froth-overs. The temp you end up using will also impact the amount of froth, so play it safe to begin with and use less milk.

6. MAKE SURE THE PRESSURE VALVE IS LOCKED! The only way the pressure stem will fire off and leave the Mukka is if it's broken or not locked in place.

7. If you aren't getting much foam, your cook top temp is too low. If it's foaming out and you haven't overfilled with milk, your cook top temp is too high.


So, if you follow the steps, you should have no problems getting a great cappuccino. After a few tries, you'll find the right settings for your stove. ENJOY!

I got the Mukka Bialetti cappuccino maker as a gift.

Pros: It makes EXCELLENT cappuccino. Note: whole milk does not 'froth' as well as low fat. The taste and quality of the cappuccino is like what you would get in a coffee bar via a professional machine. I assume the quality of the coffee used is a factor, and I'm using good quality bean.

Cons: It makes a small amount of cappuccino. Enough for two demitasse small cups, or for one large mug. Also, there are four non-dishwasher-safe parts that have to be cleaned after each use: the lower (water) carafe, the coffee basket, the upper (milk) carafe, and the pressure valve. It's best to clean it right after serving before anything dries to the interior.

Even with the drawbacks of small portions and clean-up duties, I would recommend this maker for the great cappuccino it makes via such a small device.

I was very excited about purchasing this cappuccino maker. It worked great for about a month. After that, the pressure valve stopped working. I could no longer make a latte, and the milk would not froth for the cappuccino. Very disappointed, I went to return it and was talked into exchangeing it. The second one I had stopped working even sooner. This time the seal between the top and bottom stopped working. I tried it again and again, and it would work about half the time. Needless to say I returned it and got my money back. When it works, it makes a great cup of coffee. Unfortunately it does not work for long. Do not waste your money until they work the kinks out. I also tried to contact Bialetti directly and my e-mails were never answered.

I got my mukka about two months ago, and though the price was pretty steep, it was definitely well worth it. I use it everyday and get darn good cappuccino without using a bulky, intricate machine. The frother works very well, though it is not the 'cleanest' froth you would get by frothing the milk by itself, since the milk is steamed/frothed essentially by the espresso pushed through the valve at high pressure.

Only downside to this is you must keep your eye on it. It will boil over in a heartbeat, so have your cup ready and listen for the sound of the valve popping. Do not use unattened. Ever. Even so, I still LOVE this cappuccino maker!

Before I purchased this product, I read all the reviews here, on epinions, and on other sites. This product appeared to be exactly what I was looking for, but I was afraid I'd suffer some of the same problems experienced by people who wrote negative reviews.

But because I wanted something like this so badly and because there is nothing else out there in this price range that does the same thing, I went ahead and purchased it.

I've now been using it for several weeks and I can report that it is spectacular. After tinkering with coffee and milk amounts and proportions, I now have the recipe for a perfect cappuccino each and every time I make one with the Mukka.

Here are some suggestions:
1) Follow the instructions to the letter, especially the suggestion to make at least 3 pots and discard them before making one to consume. The first several pots look and taste terrible. But by the fourth or fifth, they are outstanding, and they only get better after time.
2) Make sure there are no coffee grounds on the rim of the bottom half, before you screw it into the top half.
3) Make sure you use at least a medium high flame on a gas stove. As the instructions state, if the product is not produced in 4-5 minutes from start to finish (i.e., from when you turn the flame on), your flame is too low.
4) Turn the flame off 10 seconds after you hear the pop of the center pressure valve. You will also see mocha-colored frothy milk begin to rise up into the pouring spout. That's your signal to turn the flame off. If you leave the pot sit for a minute or so, the coffee will be be piping hot. (But I usually pour mine immediately because I can't wait any longer!)
5) If you have trouble unscrewing the bottom half, it's because there is still pressure inside. Remove the center pressure valve (you'll hear a hissing sound indicating release of pressure) and the bottom half will unscrew without any problem.
6) The center pressure valve screws on GENTLY, not tightly. It took me a while to figure this out. You have pull up on the side tabs and turn it to the "unlock" position, but the turning process is very gentle. You will not feel a lot of resistance. Likewise, when you replace it, you must again lift up on the side tabs and it will turn gently into the "lock" position. Again, with the turning to this position, you will feel very little resistance and it will not feel "tight." I hope this makes sense. Work with it and you'll get the hang of it. I think this is the main reason why people end up with coffee and milk exploding everywhere: the pressure valve has not been properly fastened. It's tricky, but once you figure out how to do it, it's a breeze.

This is a great product and a brilliant invention. I didn't have the money for Gaggia, and I lost all patience for cheap Krups and Braun products (which I owned for years) that were highly labor intensive (i.e., I don't like to have to froth the milk in a separate step, after the espresso has brewed).

It sounds like I own stock in Bialetti, but trust me, I don't. I just wish I had read a review like mine when I was shopping around. I wouldn't have hesitated for a moment in purchasing it.

The worst case scenario is that you try it, you don't like it or it doesn't work for you (as some reviewers have experienced), and you return it. It's worth a try, if it looks like something you want.

I got my mukka about two months ago, and though the price was pretty steep, it was definitely well worth it. I use it everyday and get darn good cappuccino without using a bulky, intricate machine. The frother works very well, though it is not the 'cleanest' froth you would get by frothing the milk by itself, since the milk is steamed/frothed essentially by the espresso pushed through the valve at high pressure.

Only downside to this is you must keep your eye on it. It will boil over in a heartbeat, so have your cup ready and listen for the sound of the valve popping. Do not use unattened. Ever. Even so, I still LOVE this cappuccino maker!