Chancing my arm a bit posting this one. It's not old but in my (and its) defence, it's stove-top, functions well, builds up pressure and releases it dramatically (a core value for a collector of pressure stoves) and if anyone's desperate for a cappucino at base-camp it might just be your answer. Something of a looker too in polished aluminium. I've been using one of these gadgets for a couple of years now but if the aluminium-finish one is Cinderella, I guess this 'cow print' tester version would be an Ugly Sister. Works great though but the humour of the look of it ceased to be a conversation point ages ago - a bit like those personalised number plate 'puns' that makes the same stale joke to the same long-suffering commuters on the same route day-in, day-out Component parts. Clever design. A small amount of water boils in this pressure vessel (pressurised when the top jug is screwed down on it). It's equipped with a safety valve. The water/steam under pressure are driven up the hollow tube of the coffee strainer basket, taking in the coffee infusion en route ... ... then up the hollow stem of the jug component, that hole at the end of it being blocked ... ... by that sprung-loaded silicon plug, which when the pressure's built up sufficiently is pushed up ... ... and the coffee and steam come jetting out of that nozzle at a fair pace. The nozzle's under the surface of the milk that's been poured into the jug before setting the perc on the stove Valve set-up Great cappucino from a portable stove-top device John
wow congratulations that's a real beauty functional and a bit of fun relay nice. are they currently made? can i get one? regards Blaze
I'd best confirm I'm not taking commission from Bialetti (!!!) but reporting on a gadget that works well on a stove and yes, Blaze, they're available in the shops - high street or online. Bialetti website I got the 'cow print' example at a high-street retailer and bought the aluminium finish one, unused, just recently from a private seller on ebay. John
Hi John, That really is a nice pot. Thanks for the post. I don't have this cappucino model but I have the moka express espresso pot and just seeing that cartoon character on the side giving me the one finger greeting always makes me smile. Ray
Arabians discovered cofee, Italians made it an art masterpiece. Please forgive me for patriotic boldness, my counrty in this days is sinking in the hands of a Joker, a teen girls seeker and many "ex" comunists. Orsoorso
Hi John. i like so much coffe! and i have one standard style bialetti maker. wow~ cafuchino maker very good style and working. thanks sharing for us !! Gunsoo
Hi John. I have the moka one, the 1-2 cup Biletti from the 70s I believe. I like the one you have, how many cups will this one make? On a side note I made some coffee one day for a very good friend of mine while we were camping a few years ago. He told me he had one and left it on the stove (yes it was still on) one day. He said when he got back it was just a puddle of alumnium, melted all over the stove.
Hi Rick. Capacity of the device is given as 2 cups, but they'd not provide a generous helping. That's why I was on the lookout for another one. When there's two of us in a mood for a cappucino it's a proper-sized mug we'd want to brim. Twice the pleasure of using two stoves (or one dual-burner) to brew up using both of the coffee makers. Car camping or motorised/walk outing, it's a justifiable indulgence. Thanks for the feedback all. I'm sure Bialetti would be delighted, particularly if it results in a sale. For anyone who does buy one, a couple of tips. One is to make sure that the top jug is screwed very firmly down onto the bottom pressure vessel. Unlike the regular Bialetti espresso maker there's a greater build up of pressure and then a sudden release when it trips the valve. If the top jug isn't screwed down hard enough there's a tendency for the pressure to get a fizz of coffee dribbling past the joint. It's a quirk to contend with but once you've got the knack of just how tight to make it it's not a problem. Bear in mind too that a residual pressure remains in the pressure vessel even after the valve has tripped and the jug will be nigh impossible to unscrew from the base container until the valve is removed from the stem inside the jug. Oh, one final point and it's Rick that's offered a word of caution with his 'melted aluminium' anecdote (which goes for any aluminium pot for that matter). It's not to leave the device to boil dry. An amount of liquid remains in the pressure vessel after tripping of the valve, so it's not all that urgent to remove it from the heat, but that's obviously within reason and the residue of liquid would boil dry in anything more than a few minutes. John
have one of these (the 'cow' model); i like it a lot, but for me, it's a once-in-a-while treat... i was kinda shocked when i saw how much they're going for nowadays, as i got mine for less than a US$'Grant'! also found yet another variant of this maker: willie on the smooth and creamy Gulf of Mexico
Glass jug version eh Willie? That'd add to the spectacle when the valve trips. All that'd be needed then would be to set it on a pressure stove with tank and burner made of borosilicate glass. It was the 'book' price I paid first time around that made me take a while to track down a second one at a substantial discount on ebay. Giovanni Cappucino
