Well...I did it!
Well, I did it! I sent an order to www.bella-italia.com for a 2 cup Brikka. I'm SO excited!!! I think I'm going to be like Calvin in "Calvin and Hobbes" after he ordered the beanie from the cereal company.....running to my mailbox EVERYDAY! LOL!
In the meantime I'm still watching e-bay for a deal on a Moka Express so I can use it at work (I'm a scientist and have a hotplate in my office!heheheehee)!
Posted by goodstuff1313 on Wed, Oct 04, 2006, 13:09 Permalink
Article category: Where to buy
Article keyword: Brikka 2 cup Italy
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That sounds pretty good, I hope it arrives quickly. BTW, I ordered mine from citychef.ca and it came in just 4 or 5 days, wasn't long at all and it also was only 67 bucks including the shipping (part of that additional amount over what you'd ideally pay here in the US being that the machine goes for $60 CDN instead of $50 like it would be here and I think the dollar is relatively low right now).
I'd be interested in hearing how you like the moka coffee versus the Brikka coffee also. I have thought about getting one of the cheap moka pots to compare, because I went "straight to" the Brikka without taking the intermediate pit-stop at a regular moka machine. So I'd be interested in hearing what you think there.
Good luck with the purchase and may your crema rise ever higher! :)
Posted by brikka2cupnewbie on Wed, Oct 04, 2006, 22:30
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Sounds like we did the same thing. I also went straight for a Brikka and am also looking for a Moka Express on E-bay. I can get one a Target for $25 but I'm cheap! LOL.
Did you get a 2 cup or a 4 cup Brikka? I got the 2 cup because of the recommendations from here and coffeegeek.com. I'm thinking now that a 2 cup is actually a single serving, but I guess I'll see soon enough!
Posted by goodstuff1313 on Thu, Oct 05, 2006, 06:15
Beanie:
Hahaha. Beanie Brikka!
Posted by DAIGO on Fri, Oct 06, 2006, 10:26
: brikka2cupnewbie, I feel you are correct in your assumption. I have been using the 'two' cup for awhile and it suffices for one person. I also discovered that the 'two' cup does produce slightly more crema than the 'four'. Mind you there are allot of other variables which can affect that: altitude, water hardness, stove temperature, how often the Brikka is used, bean types/blends, freshness of the beans et cetera. Enjoy.
Posted by cafecortadito on Fri, Oct 06, 2006, 10:54
Quantity of Coffee:
You may be disappointed in the amount of coffee it puts out as I've heard one or two people take that view.
I don't take that view because one of the reasons I was looking for a new brewer was because I wanted a machine *just for one serving.* Something like let's say a Senseo - but God forbid I should ever own one of those awful things, that was definitely not an option.
The 2-cup Brikka disadvantage then seemed like an advantage to me, because I precisely wanted a medium sized cup of strong coffee, and didn't want to always be wasting beans and making extra (if I have someone over too, I can brew 2x and let them enjoy it first, or just share a smaller cup).
So the Brikka does the Senseo one-serving thing to me quite perfectly.
Now as to quantity, if you pour it into a standard American mug, the quantity would seem small and would just be sitting there in the bottom of your mug staring up at you (albeit cutely!).
I make my coffee with milk, so for me it comes down to a simple thing: ADD MILK TO DILUTE THE COFFEE TO THE DESIRED STRENGTH. For me, this means I end up with about 1/2 of a pretty big American mug of coffee.
For me, this is about the right amount. Let's say a diner-style coffee cup full (those being more like a straight 8 oz probably when filled to the brim, I guess this would mean about 6-7 oz of nice strong cofee).
And the coffee is strong.
Also, I heat the milk and have that in the cup when the Brikka coffee is being poured. This works pretty well and the crema sits on top just as it would if the cup was empty. That is the extent of the preparations then. In fact I microwave the milk, so there is no additional cleanup or anything from the milk step either.
Hope that helps and if anyone has any suggestions for good, simple medium sized cups let me know, I've been looking for those.
Posted by brikka2cupnewbie on Fri, Oct 06, 2006, 11:05
Update:
I found a COOL little Moka pot at an oriental market yesterday. I'm playing with it now. Can anyone tell me what types of coffee they prefer to use??
Posted by goodstuff1313 on Fri, Oct 06, 2006, 16:01
Beans:
I used to get my beans from Whole Foods, where they have a roasting machine and everything was dated.
I'd also buy from places on the Internet, fresh roasted like day of order or so.
I'd basically just look for "Arabica" beans that looked like they came from a good source.
Like Whole Foods, not sure where they got theirs but they were Arabica and they seemed good.
So, to me the most important thing besides just going for the safe Arabica was that it was freshly roasted. I did try some of those "gourmet" or specialty coffees you'd see in the stores, but the results were never as good as with fresh beans in objective terms, like quantity of French Press "crema" (very minimal on a French Press when in the cup, but it's especially noticeable in the pot). I'd find these store bought beans just "looked dead" inside my French Press, whereas the fresh beans always would really perk up and have a froth, etc. It was one way I'd use to judge the quality of the bean, how it would appear in there (even then, it was the pursuit of *some kind of* crema).
Now of course it's crema that I get out of the Brikka that I'd use to judge, though I haven't yet tried any store bought in there, not sure maybe it still generates crema just fine even with those (but on the instructions it does mention a connection b/w freshness of beans and the Brikka crema output).
Also, I think the roast level is quite important to the taste, I am doing a pretty dark roast, not to French Roast, but pretty dark with beans that have oil all over, though not a ton of oil. How you prefer it I'd say is quite important.
My beans come from a guy who does an Internet fresh roasting service and he seems quite good so far: http://www.coffeemaria.com (not to be confused with Sweet Maria's, the name was not stolen from them or anything, just coincidence, this is a good guy over there who runs it, I've only gotten green beans from him so far but I've heard good things about his roasting too and he's quite easy to get hold of - and the prices are not excessive. If I wasn't roasting my own, I'd be using him or just Whole Foods.).
Posted by brikka2cupnewbie on Sat, Oct 07, 2006, 21:58
CDN Exchange rate: Actually, the exchange rate for CDN funds right now is about $0.89US. Without any service fees, that's about $56.18CDN, so the $60CDN is a bit high. I bought mine from a mailorder shop in Italy, and the cost with shipping was $65USD.
I have not yet tried Brikka coffee with milk (latt辿), but maybe I will tomorrow morning. I really like it black with sugar, so I'm always hestitant to change. :)
Posted by WeeDram on Mon, Oct 09, 2006, 21:59
HAHAHAHAHA Daigo!!!!:
That is EXACTLY the cartoon I was talking about, Daigo!!! There a LOT more cartoons that follow regarding the beanie and they are all great! But I'm quite sure I won't end up disappointed like Calvin!! :-)
Posted by goodstuff1313 on Tue, Oct 10, 2006, 13:34
Well! I just did it also!:
I just placed my order at bella-italia for the Brikka 2-cup. I have pondered and surfed since last spring (read all the comments here) when I placed an order for one at Chefini then was informed that there had been an error - they had none in stock. I have searched weekly for one to buy in the US. Tonight I ordered it from Italy (which makes it kind of special as well). I have used a Bialetti moka 3-cup to make my espresso and lattes for some time but I really wanted a Brikka. I use the Illy Espresso Beans and have been very happy with that brand as opposed to others I have tried.
I can't wait to get it!
ma deucePosted by a non-member on Fri, Oct 27, 2006, 21:20
espresso beans:
I have a friend in Seattle that sends me fresh beans from Vivace Roasteria in Seattle - it is excellent. One bean is for espresso and one is for lattes, etc.
If you are near there it is definitely worth trying.
Enjoy. I can't wait for my Brikka!
ma deucePosted by a non-member on Sat, Oct 28, 2006, 09:24
:
I meant to reply to your previous post that I'd love to hear about your initial impressions, please keep posting!
I too am an owner of about 2 months now trying to perfect technique and would very much like to hear about your experience and I think I could possibly help you some since I've been through 2 months of the same issues.
Posted by brikka2cupnewbie on Sat, Oct 28, 2006, 10:58
Just Got My Brikka 2-Cup!:
I just got it this evening! They shipped in on Monday and I got it today. Everything seems to be in good shape. I am concerned about the instructions saying "do not use finely ground coffee for espresso machine." That's what I have always used for my regular Bialetti moka pot. What kind of grind is best?
The total cost ending up being $73.47.
ma deucePosted by a non-member on Thu, Nov 02, 2006, 21:43
Just Got My Brikka 2-Cup!: Reply to ma deuce The price is not too bad. Money well spent in my view. The two-cup version is available in Canada as well. I would use a medium ground espresso like Lavazza Qualità Oro. I think they are referring to the really fine almost powdery type espresso, or a Turkish/Greek type of grind. That stuff will plug-up your Brikka and it is almost impossible to get it out. Good luck.
Posted by cafecortadito on Fri, Nov 03, 2006, 02:57
new brikka 2-cup:
reply to cafecortadito - thanks for the input. I have two Bodum Antiqua grinders - a white one I've had for about five years that I use for my Bodum Electric Santos Vacuum pot (when I want coffee with family and friends) or French press; and one newer heavy chrome one that I use only for the moka pots or my older De Longhi pump espresso machine (which is still a fine little machine even after ten years of use).
Unfortunately, I had knee surgery Friday morning and haven't had a chance to try my Brikka. I tried a couple of Canadian sites to order the Brikka and each time they were out of stock, so I finally did Italy. And, yes, I am sure worth the money.
I am an old broad (65 going on 13) so the knee surgery will take me a bit longer that someone much younger and athletic, so I am taking advantage of the time to find out all I can from my fellow Brikka owners about their experiences.
Thanks to all of you!
Ma
ma deucePosted by a non-member on Sun, Nov 05, 2006, 01:03
Well, I Did It!!! Months Ago!:
Hi, this is Ma Deuce,
I ordered my 2-cup Brikka from Italy in October 2006 and received it the day I had knee surgery so didn't get to try it for a while. Since then, I had found the perfect grind, the correct amount of coffee, water (marked line on plastic cup), and I love my Brikka! I love the coffee either black or as a latte. My grind is between a drip and an espresso (too small seeps into the water and is too tight for the water to blow through). Just play with the grind until you get it just right. The crema is plush! I have used several brands of espresso beans and they have all worked! My favorites are Illy and Vivace. The Illy is readily available here in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the Vivace is from a good friend in Seattle.
The 2-cup Brikka is a wonderful little piece of equipment even if you have to order it from Italy!
Happy days to all you Brikka drinkers!
Ma Deuce
Posted by madeuce on Tue, Mar 27, 2007, 13:52
This site is powered by the people powered by the good caffeine of the Brikka coffee.
This site is not related to the Bialetti corporation, but we still cheer and love their products!