El cheapo moka pots

Gran Hermano

There is no longer any excuse to drink instant:
Lidl Special on Moka Pots €4.99 from 07/06/07.

Whilst it's not a Bialetti it should give anyone contemplating
purchasing a real moka pot a good idea of what they're like,
how they work and whether they like the end result.

RE*AC*TOR

then again if they are poor it could turn people off moka pots altogether.

Bialletis aren't expensive, I wouldn't bother with one of these. A tin of illy will cost you more.

JIZZLORD

turn people of moka pots?
ffs at 4.99 what do you expect, i'm going to get one anyway for the craic.

flogen

JIZZLORD wrote:

turn people of moka pots?
ffs at 4.99 what do you expect, i'm going to get one anyway for the craic.

Yeah, half thinking that myself. Planning on ordering a decent one in the next few days (see the thread with the poll on brewing techniques) but for a fiver it's hard to go wrong - even if it's shít you're not down very much.

RE*AC*TOR

JIZZLORD wrote:

turn people of moka pots?
ffs at 4.99 what do you expect, i'm going to get one anyway for the craic.

€4.99 is €4.99. Why buy something cheap and nasty, when the real thing can be bought for about €20. You'll only end up having to throw the bloody thing out.

olaola

Ya might as well get the Bialletti. It is not that pricey and it will last you a lifetime. My only fear is that the seals won't match up/be missing/be crap.
You need a tight fit for the pressure to build up!

JIZZLORD

it may well be crap for all i know, but as the op said, it'd be good to get it to get the feel of one and also to take into account the fact that it wont be as good as a bialletti.

dudara

Bialetti are dirt cheap, considering that they last for a lifetime. Plus, they have the lovely little man etched on the side

Capt'n Midnight

It's a 3 cup, a tad big for one person unless you are a real addict.

flogen

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

It's a 3 cup, a tad big for one person unless you are a real addict.

I was thinking that myself when I was about to pick up a biatteli one the other day - I'd be just making ones for myself most of the time, but on the odd occasion where I'd be making a few for a group, a 1 cup pot would be useless.

If you had a three cup one, couldn't you just put enough water in for one anyway? Or does that have much impact on taste etc.?

Capt'n Midnight

flogen wrote:

If you had a three cup one, couldn't you just put enough water in for one anyway? Or does that have much impact on taste etc.?

at €4.99 you might as well get one to have around if friends call

the point of the moka pot is that you cram in a lot of coffee grounds, like a dome of coffee, so there is a lot of pressure when the water is forced though, if you put in less coffee it won't taste the same. Some people I've seen, you wonder why the safety valve hasn't gone off !

flogen

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

at €
4.99 you might as well get one to have around if friends call

Yeah - I'll probably get one anyway, as you say, it's only a fiver.

the point of the moka pot is that you cram in a lot of coffee grounds, like a dome of coffee, so there is a lot of pressure when the water is forced though, if you put in less coffee it won't taste the same

[/quote]

So I assume putting 1 cup worth of water in with the normal amount of coffee (enough to fill a 3-cup for example) would mean you'd get a more concentrated taste?

Might just get this 3-cup out of curiosity and pick up a 1-cup Biattelli too.

Gran Hermano

Make sure you fill it up with ground coffee.

Don't get coffee suitable for French press as it's too coarse a grind.
Get Lavazza, Illy or similar 'espresso' grind. The twin pack of Lavazza
is what I used to use myself back in the day when I used the mokas.

Put it on a high heat and once it starts percolating turn the heat down.
I posted a video clip here on how to use one.

flogen

Gran Hermano wrote:

Make sure you fill it up with ground coffee.

Don't get coffee suitable for French press as it's too coarse a grind.
Get Lavazza, Illy or similar 'espresso' grind. The twin pack of Lavazza
is what I used to use myself back in the day when I used the mokas.

Put it on a high heat and once it starts percolating turn the heat down.
I posted a video clip here on how to use one.

Yes, but my question is, will it make a difference if I only have enough water for 1 cup in a 3 cup maker (assuming I still fill it with coffee)? Besides using three times as much coffee as I would in a 1 cup maker, will it affect taste in any way.

Gran Hermano

When they say 3-cup, they are referring to 3 espresso cups, about 3 x 1.5 fluid
ounces. It's not 3 full 'tea-cups' but rather 3 shots. Less water in the reservoir
will result in a more concentrated shot. I used a 2-cup one myself in the
past and it'd fill less than a quarter of my large mug which I would top up
with either hot water or hot milk. Hope that helps.

dudara

Just a word, I was camping at the weekend, and pulled my old Bialetti out of the press to take with us. (Its been languishing in there since we got an espresso machine). Lit up on the gas stove in the morning, popped the pot on top and hey presto, fresh, black strong coffee. Just the job for a bright warm summer morning.

I'm delighted to have a new use for the pot. It's got a whole new lease of life.

Mr Magnolia

Right so, ordering mine today.