With the stove top espresso maker we’re getting to the nuts and bolts of how traditional coffee has been brewed for some time, or at least traditional espresso. We’re talking about the stove top espresso maker.
Many of you will be very familiar with these types of espresso coffee makers. If you don’t have one yourself then you probably know a friend or perhaps even a grand parent who has used or does use such an awesome method of making espresso. But before I get to an explanation of what stove top espresso makers are, I just have to say that I am one of their biggest fans. I just love the flavor profile that you get from such a machine. And the great thing about them as you’ll learn is that they are very manual, which means you can tweak practically everything about your coffee beverage with such a cappuccino machine.
What I mean by that, is that you can determine the type of coffee grind you use for the beans. You can determine the amount of ground beans that you decide to put into the stove top espresso maker. You can determine the tamping pressure of the beans and you can even determine the amount of water that you allow to percolate or “pressure infuse” the beans. If I could have only one type of coffee maker for the rest of my life, without a doubt it would be a stovetop espresso maker also known as the moka pot or in Italian as the macchinetta or little machine!
History of your stove top espresso maker
The stove top coffee maker was invented of course by an Italian by the name of Alfonso Bialetti in 1933. Bialetti, the company that carries his name is actually still very much involved in the manufacturing of stove top espresso makers and the picture you see here is of a Bialetti espresso maker and probably one you’ve seen before which is the Bialetti “Moka Express”.
Other companies now make stove top espresso machines and you can also find them as electric moka pots as well as several varieties of stainless steel stove top coffee makers. Bodum has introduced the “Chambord” stovetop coffee maker to their line which works with the same principles although looks a little different. Alessi is another Italian manufacturer who make their own line of Alessi stove top espresso makers.
Stainless steel or aluminum stove top espresso maker?
I personally prefer the stainless steel stove top espresso maker as there has been some concern in the news that using aluminum cookware, and I’d consider a stovetop espresso maker to be cookware, might contribute to alzheimers. My best advice would be to invest in a stainless steel moka pot just to be on the safe side. And along with that, purists never wash their espresso makers in soapy water. Rather, just give it a good rinsing with hot water. This will help keep the thin layer of coffee oils that will develop on the inside of the coffee makers and help keep any metallic taste at bay.
So if you’re looking for coffee service for your guests that is quite a delight and visual treat, consider the stove top espresso maker. It will become a conversation piece as you hand craft espresso and lattes with your manual espresso machine. And if you really want to get fancy, you can use the “Mukka Expresso” by Bialetti which also froths milk at the same time, saving you a bit of time too. Mukka is a play on the Italian word mucca for cow. If you’re really interested in fine hand crafted coffee, then I’d say you should have a stove top espresso maker in your arsenal.