4 reviews for Aluminum Mocha Pot Coffee Maker

Terrence Walsh
Rated 5 out of 5
January 14, 2022
We bought the 3-cup moka pot. Fantastic!1. They tell you to run three cycles of plain water through it before brewing anything. Did that. All good.2. They tell you to fill the base with water but DO NOT cover the relief valve. Obviously good advice.3. They tell you to NOT overfill the little filter basket and leave grounds loose, not tamped. Good advice.4. They say it must be screwed together firmly (but not too firmly). In practice, what does that mean? I tried tightening so the pouring spout lined up with the relief valve on the bottom, which took two complete turns of the top onto the bottom (or bottom onto top). That mostly worked but we had more leakage through the screw threads than expected. When I looked closer I found a better way. The top and bottom portions are each octagons (8 sides), with clearly defined panels. When the vertical lines on the top match the vertical lines on the bottom it seems to be just right. When we had leaks after that, every time I saw that we had not quite gotten the panels lined up right. A few loose grounds on the mating surface are enough to throw it off. Make sure the upper gasket and lower rim are perfectly clear.5. Then fire up, and wait. They also say to heat on low to medium heat so the steam and water have time to work their magic.And it is, indeed, magic.We've had good success with the Illy, moka ground, classic medium roast. Looking forward to trying some others as well.Amazon asked three feature-specific questions. They didn't seem well formulated:1. Blending power? This is not a blender. What does this even mean?2. Easy to clean? 5 stars. Knock out the used grounds, rinse, and dry. Note that DRYING is important for the long life of this pot, based on reading many reviews. Don't just brew in the morning and leave it sitting all day. Get it rinsed, drained, and drying before you leave. The metal will get pitted if you don't dry it out between uses.3. Flavor? Not rated. How to answer? The pot is flavorless. The moka is wonderfully flavorful, but that varies based on the grounds you use. Not a useful question IMO.This moka pot already has over seven thousand reviews, so my enthusiasm is just a drop in the bucket. But, maybe this will be helpful for someone.Brew often. Be well.
Jennifer
Rated 5 out of 5
May 30, 2021
I bought this little pot after hrs of research on Espresso machines. I was very close to buying a Breville machine but after reading through so many reviews and many of which weren't great and given the price tag of the high end machines I decided that I'd give this a try. First impressions on the coffee is that it was bitter like BIG time. It took me reading reviews, watching tutorials, reading forums, etc to FINALLY get a good cup of coffee. So for those still struggling, it is possible! I used room temp filter water (I have a large mason jar set aside and refill it). I use a Burr grinder set to 8.5 (using Fresh Roasted Coffee brand coffee... SO good) and fill the grind cup/funnel on the pot full and just rub my finger over it to smooth it out but not pressing to tamp. I set it on the stove top to the side of the electric glass top eye (since there's no coil in the very center) and set my stove top between Med & 4 with the lid up. It takes about 10-11 minutes and when it starts to have clear bubbles I take it off the heat. Like many others have said this is not real espresso since espresso is made with very high pressure but I would say that the coffee itself is strong like expresso which is what I was hoping for. We have been using a french press and must say that the results from this are much better in flavor and intensity! Now the only problem is I should have bought the 6 cup one. The 3 cup makes enough coffee for a traditional Japanese cup/mug and is perfect for that even with adding milk but a normal US mug size not so much. So overall, its awesome and gives you a strong coffee but does take practice and patients and even with that said everyones stove is different and so is the coffee you use!
Jessica
Rated 5 out of 5
May 27, 2021
Love my little moka pot! Although its not a true expresso, I'm still making great tasting cappuccinos with it. The 3 cup makes enough for two cappuccinos. I use the 3 cup for myself and purchased a 9 cup to use when I have guests. It takes very little time to prepare, heat and enjoy on an electric stove. I am experimenting with different coffees but so far I like to use Starbucks Sumatra, Peets Domingo and Illy Moka.Some people are complaining about the aluminum discoloring and a metal aftertaste. I have no such issues. I initially seasoned it by making 3 throwaway pots. I never leave coffee sitting in it for long. I thoroughly rinse it with hot water and a non abrasive cloth (never using soap) and leave it on the rack to dry. To prevent mold, I don't seal it up until its fully dry. Its still shiny and nice looking.
Anthony G
Rated 5 out of 5
May 27, 2021
The media could not be loaded.  Having purchased, or received as gifts, several moka pots over the years, I finally bought a Bialetti. Seeing them in "mart" stores they were always overpriced, but the price here on Amazon was perfect. I was also able to get a genuine Italian one and not some outsourced version. After doing some reading, genuine Bialetti is made in Italy...nowhere else. The "three-cup" version is perfect as my daily morning dose.Regarding function, when compared to others I have owned. The handle is sturdier, this was the reason for replacing my older one which had the handle break off. The handle on this model is longer towards the body and made of a different composite. My old one lasted about 2-years and the handle just fell off one morning while preparing coffee. Just glad it wasn't full of hot coffee!The pour is smooth, no slow pouring off an inferior molded lip. Since I drink 3-shots every morning, I don't want to sit and pour slowly like I am filling demitasse cups. My older one's pour spout looked exactly the same, but if you pour too fast it would run down the side.No leaking on back hinge. Older generic one leaked on the back once the coffee boiled up. This one does not and the lid actually has a "snap" like closure when pushed down. Not loose, a very secure lid.The weight of this one is a bit less than my older non-Bialetti, but it is still just as durable. My older one would leave about 1oz or more of water in the base after each brew, and this caused pitting/buildup even though I used filtered water. The Bialetti probably has about 1/4oz of water left in the bottom, meaning more is being pushed up into the basket. Regarding the basket, one of my pots baskets were so thin it actually bent when tamping out the grounds! The Bialetti basket it stamped "made in Italy" and very sturdy. Nice to see Country pride!Overall - after having several stainless and generic (similar in style) pots, I like the fact that Bialetti sells parts. Replacement gaskets and handles are available on Amazon and direct from Bialetti, allowing me to repair the pot instead of replacing it. The gasket is the biggest bonus, as most gaskets don't last over two years and finding an exact match for a generic pot was impossible.Coffee - I find Lavazza, Bustello and La Llave to be good in these pots. When you first get your pot just run a couple pots through of any generic coffee - don't' wash the pot! This allows it to get cleaned via boiling coffee and "seasons" the pot. Never wash the inside of the pot, seasoning helps to obtain the best possible cup.Brew - When you are ready to make your first pot fill the water to the line, which is just below the pressure purge valve. Bottled or filtered water is best. Then fill the coffee basket with grounds, don't pack them in, just heap it on top then use the straight edge of a spoon or scoop to level off the top. Then tap the basket bottom on the counter twice to get the grounds to settle. Do not tamp the grounds as you would do in an espresso machine!!! Drop the basket into the base, screw the top on until it's a bit over snug, then place on heat. I brew mine on the lowest heat possible, it will eventually boil due to the confined environment and I don't have to worry about a poor cup. If you heat it with high heat, the water will boil too fast and cause a rush through the grounds leading to a weaker cup or a "burnt" taste as the water was too hot. Moka pots take time to brew, but well worth the wait.