For those of us who aren't blessed with a fancy espresso maker, we can utilize the Italian “Moka Express” to make a decent cup of strong coffee or relatively weak espresso without spending a lot of money. These pots are quite inexpensive and can be found in most kitchen stores.
The coffee is actually quite good and the mechanism is simple: The aluminum pot utilizes pressure to force steam to build up inside the lower section, forcing the surrounding boiling water up the funnel through the coffee powder and into the upper chamber.
We have a smaller model that holds one cup of water resulting in one larger serving, or two smaller ones.
To make coffee: 1. Fill the lower chamber with just below one cup of water, or just below the limit 2. Fill the coffee basket with about 2 tablespoons of finely ground coffee, or to the top and press down lightly.
3. Assemble the pot and put on medium-high heat and leave for a few minutes. Soon you will hear a “gurgling” noise as the steam bubbles mix with the upstreaming water. 4. Remove from the heat and let all the coffee collect.
Either drink straight, or make a nice cappuccino or latte.
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