this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2024
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Coffee
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What about a moka pot?
I have a cheap espresso machine (Princess) and a moka pot, so I can compare them easily.
The cheap machine can make some sort of espresso, and it can make hot milk foam. Microfoam seems to be impossible, so you can forget about doing latte art.
The moka pot can make strong coffee, but it’s not as strong as espresso, unless you use it in a very particular way. Here’s how: use the Hoffman method, but cut it short. You need to stop extracting a little bit before you actually run out of water. Also the flow rate should be as low as possible to give the extraction enough time.
If you do that, a moka pot can make strong coffee that is so close to what I can make with my cheap espresso machine that I can’t tell the difference. However, pulling it off requires patience and skill.
Since the cheap espresso machine can’t make nice foam, you might as well just use a moka pot and microwave the milk.
Seconding this. Moka pots are the classic Italian way for a reason. I keep a small one at home and it makes a lovely espresso.
I'll skip the usual NPC monologue about how a moka pot does not make espresso, period, because the grind and pressure and process are completely different and that's OK... Well, damn, still monologued. 🤣
Anyway, I have a Bambino (which is the absolute low end of things I'd consider) and a moka pot, they're both fun and make decent coffee, but the moka pot is a lot more forgiving than the espresso machine. The amounts of time I got really bad coffee out of the moka pot vs out of the espresso machine are not even close.
Similar experience with the Bambino, although I think that with any expresso machine, you are going to toss out a few cups until you get good.