..to use it to make actual decent mug-sized drinks instead of half a thimbleful of coffee?
I was inducted into the art of using one whilst on holiday last month (apartment came with one) & bought myself a small 3 cup version in a local shop to bring home with me.
It makes lovely coffee, but only half a mug at a time so ive just ordered a 12 cup version so I can have a proper mug of coffee.

Be prepared to have your doors of perception opened by caffeine overdose.

Yeah you do realise you’re supposed to add a little boiled water/milk to it??!!

What he said ^

I’m not (currently) using an espresso coffee in the machine, just some ground coffee I picked up in Spain, suppose that makes a difference.
Mind you, I normally drink a litre of cafetiere coffee every morning.

It’s meant to be espresso. So you’d be drinkiing a whole mugful of espresso. If that’s what you want to do to yourself, go ahead 🙂

I have a 6 cup that I use every morning before work. It doesn’t quite fill a normal mug so that gets topped up with some cold water (because I don’t like waiting for coffee)

The small one I have makes two big mugs of coffee when you dilute it with water / milk. It’s probably comparable to that litre cafetiere.

I’ve got a 4 cup that i use to make one mug – albeit usually a large STW ‘Not jumpy, not grumpy’ mug.

I cut it with warmed milk to fill it, but I guess that’s not the key point, the key point is that 4 espresso strength portions is my usual morning fix.

I do however want a Bialetti Brikka to add to my stable of 5 coffee making apparatii; it has a pressure valve in the spout so that the pressure in the boiling chamber has to reach Espresso pressure before it’ll blow through. Makes better crema, according to the stuff I’ve read.

http://www.bialetti.com/coffee/stovetop/brikka-c-1_7_24.html

In answer to the original question: No. It’s goooood. Add hot milk and get a nice, strong day-starting half-mug of coffee in you.

muddydwarf – Member
It makes lovely coffee, but only half a mug at a time so ive just ordered a 12 cup version so I can have a proper mug of coffee.

Of course you can, of course you can because that’s how I would drink mine. Besides you are using Arabica beans so the caffeine level is not that strong by comparison to Robusta …

This makes a full mug. I use 75% the filter.

The idea of diluting it is anathama.

I get 2 mugs from our 9 cup bialetti, doesn’t seem to be any different strength wise to the cafetiere.

I’ve used a 12 cup for years just to do one big mug. I gave up caffeine a few months ago but the other day fancied a coffee. Jesus wept it felt like the 90’s again, I was flying!

I use a 4 serve one for 2 decent cups of coffee, reasonably diluted with milk and (snobs look away now) sometimes a dash of a syrup.

Mine is a 3 cup one. I recently bought a 6 for when my OH wants coffee too but I suspect there will be days when I use it just for me.

I’ve used a 12 cup for years just to do one big mug. I gave up caffeine a few months ago but the other day fancied a coffee. Jesus wept it felt like the 90’s again, I was flying!

Part of me fancies giving up caffeine just for that feeling.

But then I’d have to give up caffeine and I’m fairly sure I’d lose my job if people ever saw me pre-caffeine.

I’ve got exactly the same on as gofasterstripes. Though, I thought you needed a heat spreader for a gas ring?

It’s not my pic, soz.

Good one though, eh?

I gave up on my stove top, too much hassle. As a total philistine I mimic the effect by just putting lots (and lots) of coffee in the cafeteire. Caffeine? Yes. Awake? Oh Yes! So I’m no help to the OP, but sort of relevant.

I love my stove top, used it for years now. I like the routine of it – none of this pop a capsule, press a button nonsense.

Evening! Whoa you guys add water?! I put hot water in the cup to prewarm, throw out and pour the ready espresso in.

Stovetop is not espresso coffee, you need 9bar of pressure for that.

If it’s not espresso, then just how strong is it? I’m tempted by the full mug approach but the thought of 6 shots of espresso makes me wince a bit. BUT IT TASTES SO GOOD!

Bialetti Brikka

They’re nothing special and its more froth than crema – also noticeably bitter without being diluted

Part of me fancies giving up caffeine just for that feeling.

It was gooooooooood 😉 a few hours later it was bad, very very bad!

I’ve got exactly the same on as gofasterstripes. Though, I thought you needed a heat spreader for a gas ring?

I’ve not heard that I’ve before, what’s the reasoning?

These days I just put recently boiled water and grounds in a mug, poke it a bit and add milk.

The hear spreader is probably to prevent melting or oxidation of the aluminium.

Try as i might i cant get good cofffee from my bialetti,

Singlespeeddan of this parish made me some with his moka pot – it was stonkingly good not sure if its operator error or the fact i was in hour 22 of a 24 hour race……

Im currently using a gsi 1 cup fo my morning cup and its making good coffee 🙂

Stovetop is not espresso coffee, you need 9bar of pressure for that.

True, but it doesn’t mean it’s weaker or got less caffeine in it.

Pre-wet the grounds, then put it on a super low heat so the water oozes slowly through.. it’s very strong indeed. Different to espresso.. very flavoursome but more mellow tasting.

Stovetop is not espresso coffee, you need 9bar of pressure for that.

I feel cheated as our local coffee shop was tested and found to be running at a pressure of 8,8 bar and still advertising as espresso. A few of us are meeting this evening to consider our options.

OP, that’s a lot of coffee per hit, I used to have 2x 6 cup pots in the morning. 😯 I’ve now cut that down to 2x 1 cup pot and life is good.

Using the stove top is it considered bad form to put boiling water from the kettle in? Or should you put cold water in and wait?

I’ve not heard that I’ve before, what’s the reasoning?

I’ve absolutely no idea. But my pot was a gift and the gifter also bought a heat spreader, a sort of formed aluminium(?) disc with holes in, as she (mistakenly) thought I had a gas hob. The blurb on the packaging said it was necessary for gas but not electric, but I don’t remember what if any explanation was provided.

I’d put warm water in, not boiling.

But then you might have trouble, because it’s the expansion of the cold air as it warms up that gets it going nice and slowly.. hmm..

Using the stove top is it considered bad form to put boiling water from the kettle in? Or should you put cold water in and wait?

It’s what I do, saves a lot of time. It’s probably angered the Java gods or something, but I can’t tell any discernible difference in taste either way.

I’m a bit late to the thread…

I cut it with warmed milk

I’m sorry, what? We are still talking about coffee aren’t we?

I’ve just got an Aerobie Aeropress since my stovetop went through the dishwasher and the aluminium didn’t react too well to the tablets… It’s ace and I thoroughly recommend it for home, work and camping use!

Slight highjack – but how many aeropress scoops are people putting if you’re filling it entirely with water?

I basically follow this with an aeropress. https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/brew-guides/aeropress

If it’s not espresso, then just how strong is it?

Espresso isn’t especially strong, as the water’s not in the coffee for long. Strong coffee – you want filter/drip.

I think you need the right sort of coffee for a moka pot, not all stuff seems to agree with it.

Slight highjack – but how many aeropress scoops are people putting if you’re filling it entirely with water?

Depends how you like your coffee! The great thing about an aeropress is how repeatable it is, so you can tweak to your liking every variable then repeat it.

Anyhow, I grind pretty fine, then 2 scoops of beans and water to the number 3. That’s the sweet spot for my tastes, but I will admit gives you a neither here-nor-there volume of coffee.