whats the crack with these metal stove pots type things you see on the continent and in posh cafes? has anyone got one they recommend, also how do they work and what sort of coffee do you need to buy, etc?
i have a Nespresso machine which is fine for shots but would prefer to make a nice pot of the stuff i can put on the breakfast table. i have dabbled with the plunging cafetiere’s but their output never stays hot enough and always tastes chalky towards the bottom of the cup because of escapee granules.

These do espresso only.

You might be better off with a percolator to do a pot of normal fresh coffee:

http://m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnlewis.com/dualit-84036-percolator/p230872022?kpid=230872022&s_kenid=3e759b84-bb58-6c68-1280-00005a31a436&s_kwcid=128×59104&tmad=c&tmcampid=73#page_loaded

I have had one and I was probably not very good at using it. I could rarely get it to make a really good shot often it tasted over done or burnt or something not right… I think this was user error and I still preferred it over a cafetiere.

I find that the the stove top espresso doobrits burn the beans and the coffee tastes bitter.

You can make ‘Americano’ from any espresso shot by adding boiling water. In fact, that is the ‘scientifically’ best way to make a ‘normal’ coffee.

Putting too much water through coffee beans gets the good aromatics out of the bean as well as the not so good aromatics that taste a little like a used ash tray.

Why not just do a double Nespresso in a mug and add boiling?

maybe I’m wrong and going to coffee hell, but here’s how I like it!

Espresso machine, run through until coffee coming out is just beige water. Big cup = about 3/4 espresso, topped up with hot water. at the same temp/time as the coffee. Tastes perfect and has just enough froth/scum on top to look good too!

Percolator looks too complicated to use.

looks the business tho, im sure i could figure it out…

I have a 3,6 and 12 cup Bialetti moka and I love them, easy to use and clean. If you break/lose anything parts are easy to get.
The 12 cup however uses a stupendous amount of coffee.

eta. I’m a heathen and use Taylor’s Hot Lava Java as I’m yet to experiment with my own grinds.

Stovetop only burns it if you use too much heat. Really low heat, remove it when it starts to hiss and you will be fine. Takes ages though.

Cafetieres aren’t made to keep coffee in for top ups. Press and serve. If you want another cup make more.

Agreed, stovetop is fine if you use less heat – I use medium heat until the coffee starts to come through, then turn it right down.

You can buy little jackets for cafetieres that help to keep the contents warmer longer.

Yeah or you can get thermal ones.

Helps if you warm the cafetiere first with boiling water. Mine is rocking a tartan jacket. 😀 Also put the tea cosy on!

Filter coffee with the little warming plate? any fool could use one of those, just don’t leave the coffee for more than 30 minutes.

Stove top are fine, you don’t need to use particularly low heat – the really critical thing is to make sure you get the coffee off the heat before it starts to boil.

Bigger pots are easier to use, they take longer to boil and they’re noisier so you’re less likely to forget you’ve put it on.

Percolator-
1 Put water in bottom
2 Put coffee in top
3 Go for a shit/shower/shave or get dressed
4 Drink coffee

Don’t need to stand over it waiting to plunge.

Easy to clean as well as coffee is not sloppy like in cafetier.

Stovetop does not make espresso. Its makes strong coffee.

Its absolutely fine for a decent cup of coffee. You want a grind which is between espresso, which is like sand, and cafetiere which is what you get in ready ground bags.

Unless you have your own grinder, its worth going to somewhere like http://www.thebeanshop.com and get some ground for you.

A 3 cup pot will make 1 mug of coffee. If you water it down, it’ll make 3 cups of americano. But I prefer to drink it straight, as it’s pretty weak otherwise.

If you go down the espresso machine route, you can make a shot of espresso and water that down to make americano. It will only make a single cup again though, as any more than 15 seconds with an espresso machine will start to taste bad.

If you do buy an espresso machine, you really need to buy espresso ground, in the supermarket you’re Limited to one or two packets that will be ground to espresso size, otherwise you’ll end up with ditch water. So again, best off buying direct from a bean shop.

Personally, I’d start with stove top. And then go onto an espresso machine later. A Bialetti is cheap, an espresso machine needs to be an investment. Once you learn to love coffee, then is the right time to spend the money, and then buy a burr grinder to grind your own. You’re looking at £300 though really to get there. £15 will get you a bialetti, £5 will get you a packet of ready ground for bialetti.

Cafetiers can make decent coffee too, and the bags in supermarkets are ground for them, so lots of selection. Nothing beats just roasted, just ground, just brewed in a decent machine, with a decent portafilter basket.