Bialetti LA Cafetiere MOKA Express 12 CUP

Advantages: Uncomplicated top stove espresso maker
Disadvantages: So easy to make you'll end up a nervous wreck

For as long as I can remember this coffeepot has been loitering on the cooker in my kitchen. Perhaps of the advertisers conditioning I was subjected to when I was growing up - I could sing you the tune! - , the distinctive mark - the man with the moustache pointing at the ceiling in his little suit and pointy hat- is a synonim for quality. This is one of a few topstove coffeepots available, and the coffee it makes is uncomplicatedely delicious strong ...
...a top and bottom which unscrew to reveal two removable filters: one at the bottom of the top half is held in place by a rubber gasket which gives the airtight seal between the two halfs; the other filter is shaped like a funnel with a circular cup with a mesh where the funnel shape begins. This filter sits with the narrow end in the water on the bottom half, it's filled with coffee and the top half is then screwed back on tightly. The steam created ... Read review

Advantages: easy to use, easy to clean, easy to buy
Disadvantages: remember not to let the pot sit on the heat once the coffee is through.

Simply the best: so straight forward and idiot proof. I also have a collection sitting at the back of my cooker even when I go through periods of coffee abstinence. Yes you will need to replace the rubber rings and yes, every five years or so the filter cup starts to get holes in it especially if you are a slob and leave it sitting around with old damp grounds or coffee in it. Best to clean it every time for longevity's sake - in an ideal world. ...
...reviewer except on how to make perfect froth. The best way by far that I have found is to use your old cafetiere - a glass one with a metal plunger works best. You must scald the milk and let it boil or you will not acheive the same fineness of foam Once the surface of the milk starts to get tiny bubbles draw off the heat. pour into the cafetiere and plunge vigourously through the whole of the milk. Once you get a head on it then just plunge into ... Read review