Bialetti Moka Express Review: 6 Cup Espresso Maker

Bialetti is a brand name that is familiar to most coffee enthusiasts, as their uniquely designed Moka Express coffee maker has been a prominent style icon for more than six decades now.

The company’s Moka Express Espresso Maker is one of the more recent iterations of the classic Moka Express model that was first introduced in 1933, and along with its unmistakable aesthetic appeal, this coffee maker gets top marks for its ease of use as well.

Bialetti Moka Express review

bialetti moka express

Bialetti Moka Express

What I like

  • Sturdy build, stylish design
  •  Easy to clean
  •  Delivers smooth, rich coffee
  •  Portable

What I don’t like

  •  Takes longer to brew
  •  Spout has a tendency to dribble

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What are you buying?

The Bialetti Moka Express is a 6-cup coffee pot that allows you to brew pre-ground coffee directly on your stove top.

The operation is quite simple: Just fill the base of the coffee pot with cold water, fill the funnel with ground coffee, screw on the top part of the unit, and then place it on the stove top over medium heat.

Within minutes, fresh coffee will begin to fill the reservoir at the top of the pot, as the heat from the stove begins to force the water up through the coffee grounds. When it’s all said and done, you will have a delicious batch of freshly brewed coffee to enjoy.

I must confess that I have a little bit of an obsession for Italian food culture (especially as it pertains to coffee making), and one thing I was delighted to discover was that practically every Italian home has at least one or two Bialetti machines in various sizes.

Simply put, Bialetti’s machines represent the traditional way of making and enjoying Italian style coffee, and in my humble opinion, the traditional way is the better way due to its simplicity and timeless appeal.

You can select the quality and quantity of your coffee blend directly in the filter, but no matter which type of coffee you use, you can depend upon the reliable performance of the Bialetti Moka Express to deliver a smooth, rich, full-bodied coffee with excellent flavour.

In addition, the unit is well-made and durable, being comprised of food grade aluminum and heat-resistant nylon.

How easy is it to use?

Ease of use is definitely one of the strong points of the Bialetti Moka Express; truth be told, there really isn’t anything complicated about using this coffee maker.

As mentioned earlier, all you have to do is fill the bottom reservoir with water and then fill the funnel with your pre-ground coffee; after that, you simply screw on the top portion of the unit and start brewing.

One thing that should be noted is that in order for you to get highest quality brewing capability out of the machine, you need to make sure that you have screwed the top portion of the unit on as tightly as possible.

If any air is allowed to escape through that seal, it can diminish the performance of the coffee pot, thereby reducing the quality of its output.

In addition, the Moka Express is also very easy to clean even though you have to do it by hand (the unit is not dishwasher safe).

What accessories are included?

Simplicity is the name of the game with the Bialetti Moka Express, so everything you need to begin making outstanding coffee is contained within the unit itself. All you need to bring is the water, coffee and heat, and you’re good to go!

Bialetti Moka Express key features

Pros

  • Sturdy and solid build with stylish design
  • Delivers smooth, rich coffee
  • Easy to clean
  • Highly portable (great for traveling)

Cons

  • Coffee takes a little longer to brew than traditional drip machines (but it’s worth the wait!)
  • Be mindful to pour your coffee slowly out of the pot, as the spout has a tendency to dribble if poured too quickly

Anything else you should know?

Bear in mind that you will have to factor in the occasional rubber gasket replacement into your budget. The gasket I’m referring to is the one that seals the gap between the bottom part of the unit (the water reservoir and funnel holder) and the top chamber where the coffee ultimately ends up after brewing.

As can be expected (especially with very frequent use), this gasket can become dried up or worn out, and at that point, it will no longer provide an adequate seal to ensure optimal brewing. Fortunately, Bialetti sells replacement gasket sets for this very purpose.

Conclusion

Bialetti has become a legendary name in the household appliance sphere, and this has been due in large part to its uber-popular flagship Moka Express coffee maker. I encourage you to try this coffee maker out for yourself to see whether it lives up to all the hype.

I can’t speak for everyone, but based on my personal experience with this coffee maker, I’m pretty confident that you will not be disappointed.

Where to buy?


Frequently asked questions

1. How do you use the Bialetti Moka Express coffee maker?

Separate the three sections of the coffee maker: the bottom section, the strainer and the top chamber.

Add filtered or ordinary tap water to the bottom chamber up to the indicated level just below the release valve. Put the strainer on top and add ground coffee.

How much ground coffee you put in the strainer depends on how strong you want your coffee to be. Experiment with different amounts to determine how much works for you.

Screw the top chamber tightly onto the bottom one and place the coffee maker on a stove. As the water heats up, steam build up pushes it through the ground coffee and into the top chamber. When you hear a gurgling sound, your coffee is ready.

2. How does the Bialetti Moka coffee compare to espresso and drip coffee?

Moka pot coffee falls somewhere between drip or filtered coffee and espresso. It is stronger than drip coffee but not as strong as the espresso from a 15-bar espresso machine.

Pressure generated in a Moka pot is nowhere near as powerful as an espresso machine, hence the difference in strength and flavour.

But many customers say they prefer the espresso from their Bialetti Moka pot to a regular espresso.

3. How much coffee can the Bialetti Moka make?

Bialetti Moka has a 6-cup capacity. Note that these are 6 espresso sized cups. A full pot will get you about two medium sized mugs of coffee.

Bialetti Moka Express Review
  • Performance
  • Cleaning
  • Noise
  • Comfort
  • Ease of Use
4.6

Summary

The company’s Moka Express Espresso Maker is one of the more recent iterations of the classic Moka Express model that was first introduced in 1933, and along with its unmistakable aesthetic appeal, this coffee maker gets top marks for its ease of use as well.

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