Interesting experiment
My neighbour always commented how good my little two cup Brikka made espresso. So we decided to try an empirical experiment, using grounds from the same source.
First impressions: the machine produced a wonderful rich crema with tiny fluffy bubbles. The Brikka had much larger bubbles and not as frothy. Overall, I would say it was about a third less crema and it did not float as long. Now for the most important part . . . taste: The Brikka kicked the machines butt, and the difference was very noticeable. The Brikka had a much more smooth, rich, and nuttier flavour than the machine. The machine was much more bitter and a honestly a bit 'flat' tasting. We both overwhelmingly preferred the Brikka. Of course, we will try this again with some different beans and the results may vary. If you equate the overall dollar per unit and enjoyment value the choice is clear. Of course the Brikka does not stream frothy milk for cappuccino and other delights and at times the Brikka can be temperamental. Enjoy.
Posted by cafecortadito on Sun, Nov 25, 2007, 00:57 Permalink
Article category: Random thoughts
Web pages that link to this article
Comments on this post:
getting crema: I just bought the Brikka and its fantastic. However, getting the crema is a bit of an art. I think i've finally mastered it. Here are a few tips:
1. Some espresso grinds work better than others. I started with Mauro and had poor crema results. The best i've found is Illy. It's expensive, but worth it.
2. You must add exactly the right amount of water- as indicated- 5 milliliters below the line in the plastic cup. Too much or too little water will kill crema!
3. Don't put in too much espresso grind. Too much will clog it up, and it won't work. Besides, why would you want to use more than you have to of that expensive Illy coffee grind?
4. It will initially produce a little espresso, before it froths up. Mix that with the sugar in the cup, so that later when you pour the crema, it won't dissipate as you stir it up.
5. Once it produces that frothy goodness, you must pour properly. Put the cup at the edge of your sink, and pour as close as possible to the cup. That will preserve the delicious crema.
6. Viola! You are ready to enjoy a cup of espresso that rivals some of those made in the best French or Italian cafes!
Glen
Posted by a non-member on Thu, Nov 29, 2007, 04:36
getting crema: I would agree with all of these points/tips and I hope folks find them useful. Thank you for sharing the knowledge. Enjoy.
Posted by cafecortadito on Thu, Nov 29, 2007, 18:20
Temperamental Machines: I don't find the Brikka all the temperamental ... yes, occasionally I am careless and either fill too much grind or some coffee gets on the lip of the boiler and breaks the seal.
But espresso machines can also be quite temperamental, in my limited experience. The Brikka is dead easy to clean, unlike a lot of machines.
I do agree it's inconvenience to froth milk by hand, though.
Posted by WeeDram on Wed, Jan 09, 2008, 22:59
Frothing: You can get a stovetop steamer for milk-frothing, I understand they do a great job of steaming and frothing milk. Try 1st line equipment or fantes online to find these.
espresso girl
Posted by a non-member on Thu, Jan 10, 2008, 14:41
Re: Interesting Experiment: I'm not surprised on bit. I've been to several coffee houses where they've bragged about their $1,300 custom machine with their custom blend of coffee that really were not any better than my $70 Brikka.
I also agree with a poster that Illy is AWESOME coming out of a Brikka!!!!!
Posted by goodstuff1313 on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, 15:54
Frothing:
I just ordered my 2 cup late last night / early this morning and have already received notice that its shipped fed ex. Im excited. So I was thinking of frothing milk and remembered a french press I have in the cubbord.
I heated some milk in the microwave till warm, inserted the plunger and pumped it up and down about a dozen times. Voila...perfect froth and better than the froth I got with my Krups "espresso" maker.
Give it a shot.
Posted by pierce652 on Fri, Feb 20, 2009, 13:56
Following the directions:
I am new here, so hello everybody. Having read of the disasters posted here, my advice is "When all else fails try following the instructions."
;-))
The Brikka coffee pots are sized to prepare a specific amount of coffee. They do not work properly if they are over or under filled. So use the correct amount of water. (easy to do because a measure is provided.) Use the correct amount of coffee. The filter is its own measure. Fill the filter completely. I tap the filter very gently to get rid of empty pockets and then level the coffee off across the top edge of the funnel. The coffee should NOT be tamped down. The grind must be very fine espresso grind. N. B. If the grind it too small coffee grounds will clog the filter or even pass through. If the grind clogs the filter you will not produce much coffee and if you observe carefully you will see steam exiting the saftey valve. If the grounds are small enough to pass through the filter, you will have some in the coffee and taste gritt on your tongue. So the idea is to grind the coffee as fine as possible without the coffee grounds passing through or clogging the filter. If the grounds are coarser than necessary, the water will pass through the coffee quickly without extracting all the flavor. I use a Solis Maestro Plus conical burr coffee grinder set at the mark for espresso grind. This works for me. At the time I purchased my Brikka, the Bialetti folks recommended Chefini Gran Crema Intenso coffee and that is what I tried first. It makes a fine cup of espresso with consistant crema. Actually, you can use any coffee and any type of roast in the Brikka, but if you are trying to duplicate a particular flavor, try and obtain that particular coffee and roast. Illy Espresso is so widely used that it has become a benchmark flavor like Coca-cola. Also Illy special grinds their coffee for use in moka (Brikka) pots. So if grind is a mystery to you, you might want to consider purchasing one can of the special grind. The biggest problem after the water and coffee measurements is the characteristics of the stove top. I am fortunate to have a european designed gas cook top which has two small burners that are ideally sized for the Brikka 2 cup pot. I sympathize with those of you who do not have that convenience. With my cook top it takes 4.5 - 5 mins. to make a pot. I usually wait 15 seconds after the gurggling noises stop before removing the pot from the heat and pouring the coffee. Lastly, good coffee flavor and the occurance of persistant crema do not always go hand in hand. So, judge the coffee by your taste buds and if there is good crema as well so be it. I hope these comments will help those of you that are having problems. I use my Brikka all the time and get espresso that is as good or better than that served in most good Itallian restaurants. I really prefer cappuccino so my next coffee adventure will be with the Bialetti Mukka Cappuccino express.
Aaron
Posted by nghy on Fri, Mar 27, 2009, 05:02
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!