My neighbor's $10 steamer trick made me ditch my espresso machine

I used to think you needed a $500 machine to make good espresso at home. Then my neighbor Carlos showed up with his $20 stovetop moka pot and a handheld milk frother he got at a garage sale for 3 bucks. He pulled a shot that had more crema than my Breville ever did, right on his gas stove. I asked him how he did it and he said it's all about the grind size and preheating the water, not the machine. Now I'm thinking of selling my setup, has anyone else gone back to basics like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby_lane5d ago

My buddy Dave tried this exact thing last year with a $15 moka pot he found at a thrift store. He was bragging about the crema it made and I laughed until he brought it over and pulled a shot that honestly beat my fancy machine. He preheated the water in a kettle first and used a cheap hand grinder for the beans. Makes you wonder how much of that expensive stuff is just marketing fluff, right?

wade7675d ago

Wait, so your friend's $15 thrift store find actually made better coffee than your expensive machine? I mean that's wild but also honestly not that surprising when you think about it. I've been using a $20 stovetop maker for like three years now and it's never let me down, just gotta be patient with the heat. Idk, a lot of that high end gear really does seem like it's more about looking good on a counter than making better coffee. Maybe it's just me but I've noticed the biggest difference always comes from the beans and the water temp anyway.