Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker

RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Pari (Guest Post) (09/24/2008) Put your coffee in the FREEZER! I guarantee it will taste better. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Pari (Guest Post) (09/24/2008) If you have tried all these methods and your coffee still turns out tasting bad, Janet, You may want to put your coffee in the freezer. Coffee that sits out for over a week will taste stale, bitter, and outright terrible. Buy a higher quality coffee instead of Folgers which taste terrible and stale the day you buy it! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Aaron (Guest Post) (07/30/2008) Even simple tasks are a mystery until you see how it is done once. Any kind of coffee beans can be used, but the traditional southern Italian espresso is dark roasted and bitter arabica beans. The grind for the stove top makers should be a "fine drip grind". (Do not grind to a fine power as for commercial style espresso machines.) Generally. fill the filter funnel completely but do not pack the coffee down. As the coffee hydrates it expands and compacts on its own. The amount of water used is critical. My pot (Bialetti Brikka) came with a measure cup. In addition there is a level mark inside the bottom portion of the pot. Use the measure or fill just to the mark, carefully. Using too much water may cause the coffee to boil over. Wipe the parts that mate to clean off any stray coffee grounds that might prevent a good seal. Screw the upper and lower parts of the pot together. The gaskets that seal the various parts need to be in good condition. If you start to make the coffee and you see steam or water leaking from the middle joint of the pot, either you have a bad gasket or you did not twist the parts together tightly enough. Now that you have loaded the pot with water and the coffee, place the pot over a small concentrated source of heat at medium level. I have a gas stove so that is all I know. It should take about 3-4 mins. for the whole process. If it takes too much time use more heat. Just be careful not to let the flames come around the outside of the pot where it would heat the handle. The heat will cause the water to boil and the steam generated will force the water up through the funnel stem and into the upper part of the pot. When all the water has been forced through the coffee you will hear a sudden gurgling sound. Listen for this carefully. This is the end point. Remove the pot from the heat immediately. Place the pot on a heat proof surface (trivet pad) and let stand for another 3-5 seconds for the last traces of water to come through the system. Quickly pour your coffee into a waiting cup, add what you like and enjoy. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Biscotti (Guest Post) (06/28/2008) You should use finely ground coffee. The grind should be uniform and it should be slightly finer than what you use for a drip machine, but coarser than the espresso grind. http://www.espresso-machines-and-co ... stove-top-espresso-coffee-maker.html has some useful tips for using stovetop espresso maker. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Joe T. (Guest Post) (07/26/2007) Try this web site! Although it is describing them from a selling standpoint, some of them give brief descriptions that may help you. Good Luck! http://www.bizrate.com/espressomach ... eyword--stovetop+coffee+machine.html Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post by Shawn N. (1) | (02/11/2007) Profile | Contact I was looking at a couple different versions of stove top expresso makers at www.gourmethomeentertaining.com and I was wondering if there is a taste difference between the aluminum, Anodized Aluminum and Stainless Steel versions? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Jared (Guest Post) (02/09/2007) I would highly recommend using Cafe Du Monde coffee which can be found in Asian groceries or your local supermarket if it's big enough. This coffe is delicious and cheap. If you can't find it try the espressos in the Spanish foods aisle until you find one you like. Cafe Bustelo is pretty drinkable if you're not a snob and it's the coffe they use in the Cuban eateries around me. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Peter, London (Guest Post) (01/29/2007) An additional tip that might help: having lightly tamped the coffee, ensure a tight seal by running a finger lightly round the rim of the coffee basket to clear away any stray coffee grains or dust (I believe the trainers at Starbucks and the like refer to this as 'loving' the coffee  yuk!) Also, you don't have to use an 'espresso' roast  because they work on steam pressure, stovetops operate at higher temperatures than automatic machines (which are pumped mechanically), which can result in an overly thin and bitter brew when used with a very dark roast, such as espresso. I get great results with regular roast Colombian or Guatemalan, but I suggest experimenting to find out what works best with your water supply and suits your taste. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Anna (Guest Post) (01/08/2007) Janet, I can offer some suggestions. For "good water" any bottled or filtered water is fine; it's preferable to tap water. The grind needs to be fine, like powder. It's preferable to grind your own -- a burr grinder is what you need, or you can buy coffee that is ground for an espresso maker, usually labled as such in the store. A "regular" blade coffee grinder (not good!) will not be able to give you the right grind. So if you don't want to spring for a burr grinder (might be a good idea, as it will give you excellent grind for regular coffee, too), than buy already ground espresso at a store, or someplace where you can have it ground for you. First it is important that your maker be clean and dry. The base, the funnel filter, the filter plate at the bottom of the pot part, and the pot where the coffee will go once it's brewed. Fill the base with water just to the level of the steam release valve. This is the funny little hole you see on the base. If you have a six-cup maker, and you only want two, you must still fill it to the level of the valve, which is why people will often have several stove top espresso makers for different amounts. Fill the funnel filter just about to the top with the finely ground espresso. Again, if it's a larger pot and you want less, you must fill the filter with coffee. Smooth it lightly, but don't press it down hard. Place the top chamber, what looks like the coffee pot, on top and be sure it is secure. Put this on the stove on about a medium heat. If you have a gas stove, you want the flame to be circling the bottom, but not flaming up the sides. I don't know what to advise about an electric stove or some of the newer cooktops, as I've only used gas. After several minutes, you should hear some gurgling noises from the unit. This means the water is passing through the coffee and coming up brewed to the top chamber. When the noise stops and the top chamber is full, your coffee is done. Hope this helps! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Anna (Guest Post) (01/08/2007) I recently got a stovetop espresso maker. I had one years ago and never had any problems making it. The first couple times I've made it with the new one, all has been fine, but the next few times not all the water came up from the base, only about half. Any suggestions? It was on the stove about 20 minutes on a medium gas flame that circled the entire bottom of the pot. It seems to stop making the gurgling noise when only half the water has come up. So, it sounds like it's done. Any ideas? Thanks! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post by khogue (7) | (01/04/2007) Contact Sorry for the duplicate link!!! This might help get your started. http://www.ringsurf.com/info/Food/C ... esso/Stovetop_Espresso_Coffee_Maker/ Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post by Cindy S. (122) | (01/04/2007) Profile | Contact I have a small stovetop espresso maker. I use Goya fine ground coffee. You fill the bottom of the carafe with water. You fill the top part with the coffee up to the line. You should see a line marking the spot on the sides. Put the lid on and put it on the stove. It will start to boil and then "perk". Listen for it to stop perking and then remove from the heat. It should come out good this way. Good Luck! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post by cookwie (1100) | (01/03/2007) Profile | Contact Coffee may be ground any where from fine to coarse. Different brewing methods will require a specific grind. When you use the grinding machine at the supermarket, pay special attention to the grind dial. Also, if you don't like the coffee, I'd like to suggest that you try a low acid brewing method like www.toddycafe.com (which sells low acid concentrates and a brewing system with carafe) or look up aerobie on ebay for a small quantity brew system. The absolutely only coffee I like is made with either of these 2 methods. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By rae ann (Guest Post) (01/03/2007) The most important thing is to use espresso grind, not regular coffee grounds. I like Albertsons Cafe La LLave. I tried a slightly less expensive Mexican espresso grind and I didn't like it as well, Probably just because I am not used to it. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By (Guest Post) (01/03/2007) I am a coffee snob, too. I brew Starbucks coffee in my regular coffee maker and I think it's great. I use 3/4 tablespoon of unground coffee beans per serving, and a one-person serving is two "cups" on the coffee maker. I grind it right before I brew the coffee, but after measuring, so I measure the unground beans, not the powder. Sometimes I use Eight-O-Clock coffee when I am feeling thrifty. It's almost as good as Starbucks. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker Post By Michawn (Guest Post) (01/01/2007) http://www.ringsurf.com/info/Food/C ... esso/Stovetop_Espresso_Coffee_Maker/ Try this. I do know that Espresso must be made with espresso beans and grind. When I've ground my coffee at the store (gasp, I know that is the WRONG way to do it but grinding my own it way too much) they have an espresso grind on the machine, I think it's really fine. I also know that I've seen cans of Espresso coffee, towards the top of the shelves. I've seen Giada DeLaurentis (sp?) on the food network make it, maybe you could try her? Good luck! Report Spam or Abuse