This is a classic stove coffee percolator with capacity to make 12 espresso cups, which is always double for normal milky coffee (six mugs) as I put two shots in one mug. I have smaller moka pots, but I wanted one that would allow me to fill in my work Thermos in one go without having to prepare two pots, and this is perfect for that.
The pot is as simple as it gets, no design fuss. Yet it does the job and cost me half of what I would have paid for any other brand. If you have never used one of this, you'll find step-by-step guidance on the packaging box and in the instruction leaflet (see my photos).
I thought that the handle is too small or weak to carry the weight of such a heavy pot, but I found it to be quite OK despite its appearance.
I use the pot on a small electric camping stove as my kitchen range has very large burners and I don't think the handle would withstand so much heat. Too many reviewers have mentioned that. However, on this camping stove, as per my photo, it is perfect. It takes a while to heat up, but it does the job.
Pouring is clean and easy, something I love as this is one of the most common flaws in other coffee pots I own. This pot allows perfect clean pouring with natural hand tilting.
It washes well with little effort.
DOWNSIDES
-- The inner steam spout spits coffee out if I lift the lid, and it spills out. So the outing is not really smooth and continuous.
-- Although made of traditional aluminum, it is quite light and the metal feels weak and cheap. The filter perforated base clunks a bit, as that's because the filter is not made in one piece, and, to me, that's a recipe for further disaster.
-- I haven't used this on a large cook-top burner because it would melt the handle. Too many reviews on that for me to ignore. It is also the first impression I got when I opened the box. Like, I checked the reviews afterwards and found that to be the case.
IN SHORT
A family-sized moka pot, basic in design but does the job if you have a small cook-top burner (gas or electric) at a great price. I will update this review in the future, if necessary.
Overall,this
is a good beautiful percolator that makes good coffee, but it has a
design issue and it's the messiest coffee maker I own.
THE GOOD STUFF
> Beautiful, trendy and elegant, this caffettiera looks great anywhere.
> Plenty of capacity. I don't use it for espresso but for my daily milk coffee, yet it gets me three generous cups.
> Despite the size, this percolator is quite light.
>
The handle is comfortable and has a comfy grip. Also, as the handle is
off the percolator body of the, it doesn't heat up as much as other
stove coffee makers.
> The silicone seal is quite tight and allows
perfect percolation. I've found that this is really important, as I own
other stove coffee makers, and the seal is the culprit for the bad
quality of the coffee as the water doesn't go through the coffee
properly.
> The spout pours beautifully.
> The upper body rolls on the lower body without difficulty, without getting stuck and without having to force it.
> Easy to clean, just wash it out with clean water; that's it. Despite the dripping, the white coating is not stained.
>
The ethical/charitable scope of the company is something important to
me. I've spent my money on a caffettiera that funds Grosche's Safe Water
Project. Also, the company is carbon neutral, environmentally friendly,
it's managed by women, and ticks all the ticks you want companies with a
social conscience to tick on.
NOT SO GOOD.
> Aluminum, not stainless steel, which I would expect for the price I paid for this coffee maker.
>
If you put the stove burner a bit high, the coffee will spit out
profusely. That happened to me the first time I used it and, it dripped
over the caffettiera itself, and all over my stove and bench even though
the upper container wasn't even super full. I learned the lesson, now I
put it on a medium heat and no problem.
> If the container is
full of water, like below the screwing ridge and on or over the valve,
the coffee will still spit out and drip all over the stove and kitchen
bench. No inner line mark to indicate maximum height of water allowable.
You have to learn the lesson by trial and error.
> You have to
wait for the percolator to cool down so the spitting inside has
finished; otherwise, you'll get a mess in your kitchen as the inner
spout is too big and, as it keeps spitting coffee not only inside but
also outside. This is a design problem. I don't have this problem with
other similar percolators, as I prepare the coffee and pour it
immediately without a mess. So, this one is quite annoying.
> You
can call it Milano, you can point to the made-in-Italy vale and mention
Italy many times, but except for the valve this is a made-in-China
product as per the box (see my photo).
