OMG Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 I have one of these, vintage, and I thought to see if they are still made and yes they are. It does make great coffee. Following is an Amazon review. My niece said "Imagine if this were the sole representation of humanity found 7000 years from now, OMG! So I have been using this Moka Pot for 2.5 years. My pretty decent espresso machine is now just a good burr grinder and hot water machine (lol), because I prefer coffee from this. I buy Peet's beans, because they are always about a week out from their roasted date, and glossy with oils and delicious. I get flavors out of this Alessi Moka Pot that even my local Peet's store with their multi-thousand dollar espresso machine cannot produce. Seriously, it's got some great nuance. Every first sip of a cup of coffee elicits an involuntary "MMMM" from me. I have a glass top electric stove, and I set it to just barely above medium heat, but I don't set this pot directly over it, but only put about 1/2 the pot on the burner, and spin is slightly while it heats. I feather it off and on the burner as the Moka Pot Chamber comes to full temp, watching what is coming out the coffee pot spout. I get great crema a couple of mm thick by doing this, dark and lovely. I am greedy when it comes to quantity, so it's always a dance to keep the lovely rich coffee coming out as the coffee carafe fills up to max, without getting that nasty white foam crap coming out that is dreadfully bitter. I monitor the temp of the boiling pot and the coffee inside with a thermometer as I am feathering the unit off and on the heat with a meat thermometer. Sure, it's a bit of work, but to me, it's a labor of love and art, and dancing with heat/water/pressure/flavor. For days when I am really busy, I often forget about it on the burner and get stuck with less than ideal coffee---thank goodness for sugar. But those days are few. I follow James Hoffman on youtube and he's taught me so much about coffee in general and Moka Pot brewing in particular. I love this Moka Pot and it still functions as well as the day I bought it and I expect to use it daily for decades to come. I change the rubber gasket about every 3 months. Best investment ever. I had originally ordered the Bialetti Musa, because I wanted a stainless steel one. What a hunk of crap. I received 2 (returned the first due to rusting) and both had issues. That's when I decided to buy something quality. This Moka pot is heavy (not in a bad way, just sturdy), and 18/10 stainless. I don't have to worry about rust with this like the Bialetti "stainless." It's wider base with the recessed edge on the base heats up very quickly. If I put preheated water in mine, it starts perculating at about 3 minutes (so much faster than the Bialetti), and also, I use a lower heat setting with this one. The snap-on upper pot is ideal for anyone wanting to preheat the coffee basket and lower pot water (no more trying to twist together the upper and lower while the lower is too hot to touch!) Getting upper and lower pots apart takes a little force, but after a few tries, it gets easier. The only thing I dislike (and it's small and definitely not a deal breaker) is the fact that the bottom of the handle is not attached to the upper pot (it's hinged at the top, because the bottom of the handle is what latches and snaps on the bottom pot to create a seal and lock the two pots together), so when washing the underneath of the upper pot, it's flopity, and if you want to separate the lower pot from the upper pot while you have coffee in the upper pot, it's difficult to pour. It seems they could have solved this with a little sliding pin for the handle hinge, or some other simple bit of engineering to lock the handle in place when it's not attached to the lower pot. But beyond that, it's fantastic. There is something about a Moka pot that brings out flavors I have never tasted in the high quality coffee I have been drinking for years that a pour over, or even my $700 espresso machine cannot suss out. It's vastly more rich and satisfying, and I drink less coffee because the rich flavor sates me. So I am saving money (I have to brew less) and calories, because I like a bit of milk or cream in my coffee. Except for the awkwardness of the handle when not attached to lower pot, they knocked this out of the park in terms of engineering, quality of materials, workmanship and commitment to excellence. Don't waste your money on lower quality stuff. Thanks Alessi! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 Link? Photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Posted October 24, 2023 Author Share Posted October 24, 2023 (edited) https://www.amazon.com/Alessi-9090-Stovetop-Richard-Espresso/dp/B0058UPSZ4/ref=sr_1_10?crid=1QNWA7UD3WGH2&keywords=alessi+moka&qid=1698156018&sprefix=alessi%2Caps%2C262&sr=8-10&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18ed3cb5-28d5-4975-8bc7-93deae8f9840 Mine is, like me, much older, and smaller. I've never had a problem with it, I do add the filters from the aero press under the top to the coffee basket to keep grounds out of the top. I don't see that piece included with the new ones. Edited October 24, 2023 by OMG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 If you're gonna get a moka pot, get a real one. https://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-06800-stove-coffee-Aluminum/dp/B000CNY6UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Posted October 24, 2023 Author Share Posted October 24, 2023 Aaaaaah no. No coffee in aluminum. And the screw types are a PITA. The Alessi with the snap handle is a game changer. If I remember correctly, Richard worked for Bialetti when he designed the one I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 Racist. The hot aluminum in a morning drink is what gives us Cubans our special flavor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 I liked the Bialetti when I thought it was Daffy Duck flipping the bird (in the thumbnail). In other news, my cuban friend brought me some cuban coffee. Not knowing any better I made my morning ~24oz coffee with it. Who needs meth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Krypt Keeper Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 The advantages of a Moka pot to extract more from the beans is exactly why I prefer a French press for my coffee. The 2 minute wait allows the grounds to bloom and forcing the water through them extracts the oils and coffee flavor notes that is left far behind in a traditional drip coffee. Leaving you with a creamier cup of coffee with lots of flavor. Not a big expresso fan, but not a hater either. Well, unless you are buying one of those BS milkshakes people call coffee with shots of expresso in them from Starbucks and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 Damn, I've been using a 5 minute timer with my French press, I also use espresso roasted beans, I find the darker roast has more taste, but less caffeine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Krypt Keeper Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 2 hours ago, JoWhee said: Damn, I've been using a 5 minute timer with my French press, I also use espresso roasted beans, I find the darker roast has more taste, but less caffeine. if you are happy with the taste why change it? I have never done a 5 minute wait using my press, will give it a go and see if I notice any changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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