Customer Reviews

Bialetti Moka Junior Express 6-Cup Coffeemaker

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

 

 

My wife and I have been spending a pretty penny at the local coffee shop, so I began looking for inexpensive home alternatives. Most of the coffee snobs claim you have to purchase a $200+ machine and $150+ grinder to have a decent cup of espresso. I turned instead to the frugal Italians. They did invent the stuff, afterall. My Bialetti Moka Express coffee pot came this afternoon. I was a little concerned that a $20 pot might not meet the high standards of the gourmet beverages wifey and I have become accustomed to. I was wrong. The brew made by this ingenious little pot is a little weaker than "pumped" espresso and lacks the foamy cap (crema) that all the snobs rave about, but mixed with some hot, frothed milk and a bit of chocolate syrup I couldn't tell the difference between Bialetti and Seattle's Best.

This rich brew comes from a tiny little aluminum contraption with no moving parts, no electronic gizmos, no pump handle and virtually no wait time or clean-up. You just fill, brew and pour. It's that simple. Its base only covers half of the stovetop's smallest eye and I expect it will be easy to store due to its diminuitive size. I've already had three cups of homemade mocha today, and I've only had the pot since noon! *jitter jitter* The point is this: If you're a coffee lover who is bored with Folgers from a Mr. Coffee drip machine or is spending way too much at Starbucks, the Moka pot is an inexpensive and easy-to-use alternative with excellent results.

The espresso is strong and hot. Excellent pot, very much like my Grandmothers espresso pot from Italy

This is the best espresso maker I have ever owned. Well made and makes a great cup of coffee. Easy to clean too.

I have used this espresso maker for years (almost daily). It does a great job and will match anthing you can buy at a cafe. A few tips follow:
1) Make sure you replace the gasket when it starts to get sticky.
2) Use low to medium heat, vs. high heat. When you can hear the coffee start to bubble out, turn the heat down to low to keep the espresso from overflowing or burning. High heat does not meaningfully decrease the time required and is more likely to result in a melted handle or burned espresso.
3) Do not bang the element that holds the coffee grounds against the trash can or sink to dump the coffee out. If you do so it will bend and you will compromise the seal in the coffee maker. That will mean your appliance will take longer to make espresso and may sometimes give you a burned half a pot. Instead, clean your espresso maker promptly after use and simply give it a good shake over the trash can to get the grounds out. If the element that holds the grounds gets too bent, you will probably have to buy a new appliance.
4) I have never had to replace the "filter" element. I don't know why they supply replacements with the gaskets. Some day I will figure that out. Perhaps some types of coffee grounds get stuck in there.
5) Dry your appliance completely before storing.
6) Use good coffee :-).
7) Enjoy. I know I do :-)

I received my item within a few days, and immediately I opened it, washed it, and made my first cup of espresso. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Ultra easy to assemble and make coffee,it was perfect. It brewed very fast, no mess, no fuss, no waiting. I love it, and foresee using this everyday.

Just do not open lid while coffee is still brewing; not only is it not safe, it will splatter and you will have little spill on the stove, other than that it's a perfect maker.

I normally make Arabic coffee over the stove, well this has definitely replaced the old way and will be my new best friend. I highly recommend.

I expected an old-school coffeemaker, which would be easy to operate. It was, except that the very basic instructions were focused on how to put the thing together and where to put the coffee, which I'm sure I could have figured out on my own. There was no mention of how much coffee to use, how much water, how much heat, how long to cook. So the first few pots I made tasted terrible. I finally had to write to the manufacturer.

More importantly, this pot makes a brew that's somewhat different than I'm used to. I was expecting the caramel brown, slightly frothy espresso, but instead, we're getting what looks a lot like black coffee. It tastes good, but not great. But maybe I'm still using it wrong...