A Bialetti Brikka Brewing

[joemplascencia]

Hot damn! Thats nice

[pngtasol]

YUM!!!!!!!

[Bektvel]

Great video. Just what I wanted to see about the Brikka.

[jrseney]

Great demo, convinced me to get a Brikka to replace my old Moka Express pot which has been contributing to some funky tastes lately...

Thanks!

[Hewson60]

I´m wondering which one to buy (Brikka or Moka Express). What´s the difference? I guess, Brikka makes stronger coffee (more like espresso, instead of mocha), right?

[nhsnielsen]

The Brikka makes stronger coffee. The funnel holds beans equivalet of a Moka 3 cup but only produces a double cup. The taste is quite different. Moka has a slight burnt smell/taste and less texture.

[Hewson60]

I ordered both. :-)

It´s sad that the official 4 cups Brikka makes only 3 cups (150 ml) while the 4 cups Moka Express makes really 4 cups (200 ml), but it´s enough.

[doutormaluko]

@nhsnielsen @nhsnielsen May I use a brikka to make a capuccino, using a Bodum Milk Frother? Or the Milk Frother is used only with Moka Express? I think using milk frother along with brikka should be good, don`t u?

[beckbeckdanno]

Wow, very nice! Check out my channel and view my latest Bialetti Moka Pot video called "Preparing A Bloody Espresso". It's quite bizarre really, but lots of fun too!

[NoOneWorldGovernment]

Perfetto!

[vegetta420]

i was gonna get a Bialetti Mokka express

but now that i seen this should i get the Brikka instead ?

i want to make cappuccino, but i also want to make and try out different drinks as well

can someone help me decide or explain the differences betweeen the two ?

[nhsnielsen]

The Brikka makes Crema, the brown foam you see on espresso made on much more expensive machines. The Mokka Express make a strong coffee with out (persistent) creama. The taste of coffee made on the brikka is closer to espresso than that of the Moka Express, thus i think I'll recommend the 2 cup Brikka version.

[gbovino]

To get good crema, use fresh beans roasted a couple days prior. Definitely helps.

[aurumvore]

How come I can never get my espresso as foamy and thick as you do? There has to be something wrong with how I do it. I usually fill the coffee grind to the top, fill my water up to the "point." I put it on stove and turn it to high heat. But the coffee produced are just dark, strong coffee, not the thick and foamy espresso.

[nhsnielsen]

Assuming you are using a Brikka -not a Moka pot, I see no reason why you should not get creama -but it may take a little practice. Not all coffee is equally good at making creama. Try to find some pre-ground Lavazza Qualita Rossa. It may or may not suit your taste but it is ideal for perfecting you technique. Dont press the coffee, use correct amout of water, and experiment with the heat. You should probably start at a medium setting. When you get the hang of it you can switch to a good coffee.

[aurumvore]

Thanks for the advice.

[villasukat]

@aurumvore Crema is created by the gasses inside coffee beans. Thus, if your coffee is old or has been ground too long before the brewing, you will not get any crema.

[blunkablaj]

How do you get that foam???

I don't get that kind of foam when I'm making coffee on my Moka pot.

[nhsnielsen]

Please keep in mind that the regular Moka pot and the Brikka are (despite visual similarities) two very different beasts. The Brikka pre-soaks the coffee for perhaps 2 min. while building up preasure of 2 bar, and releases the coffee in just a few seconds.

[pallino67]

a me viene male ho provato tanti tipi di caffe aiutooooooooo!!!!!

[vanseant]

I have found all of your tips to be very useful, thankyou again.

Indeed the running commentary here is much more concise and informative than elsewhere.

At this point I am finding sazzenhaus grinders to be out of stock in every single shop I've visited or searched through online. I believe zassenhaus have slowed or even stopped producing their beautiful hand mills =(

[snoopyflick]

zassenhaus has started production again. Check many online stores and you'll see.

[nhsnielsen]

A few additional comments on my experiences with brewing on the brikka:

1. Don't use more water than suggested with the enclosed measuring cup.

2. Don't press the coffee beans. Tap the funnel to set the coffee.

3. Don't be affraid to use good coffe with a little Robusta - you may be positively surprised.

4. Search Google Groups for the following sentence: "Call for Information Bialetti Brikka System"

[vanseant]

watching your clip convinced me to get a brikka in the first place so i thank you!

i have a new 2 cup, made about 20 coffees now

i am using high heat using an electric stove and it takes about 3 minutes

it seems the result is somewhat bitter - possibly burnt - and it still has an odd mettalic tang to it

i have read one person on brikkalovers insist that using a gas stove gives better results - have you done much experimentation yourself?

[nhsnielsen]

I had to fine tune my brewing technique over a longer period of time. The video is not completely representative of my current way of brewing.

The temperature should be ajusted so that the release of coffee is fast and steady but not explosive. Also -

I remove the Brikka from the heat while the coffee is still releasing and pour just before stops releasing and the steam starts.

[nhsnielsen]

This gives a slightly firmer and more persistent creama and you avoid the burnt tones associated with boiled coffee.

The mettalic tang should disappear quickly if you just rinse and wipe it after use - Soap is a no no, but in order for this to work you have to use it frequently - almost daily - otherwise the thin layer of residue will go stale and taste bad. I have to brew 3-4 times after a week of vacation before the coffee is drinkable.

[vanseant]

Spot on! I have indeed been using soap which will stop now. I was afraid that this was a characteristic of getting the aluminium based bialetti instead of stainless steel.

Its such a fun and interesting device, and a considerably cheaper and faster solution for good coffee.

Thanks again for taking the time to give your excellent and detailed advice.

Just one more query, how fine is your coffee grind?

[nhsnielsen]

I have modelled my grind after that of a pre ground Lavazza Qualita Rossa. That is the most popular domestic coffee in Italy, and I am sure the Bialetti designers made sure that this grind would work well with the Brikka. The grind is finer than drip coffee, but not as fine as espresso grind. (I use a Zassenhaus hand grinder which works fine) -- and yes it is a wonderful pragmatic device.

[vanseant]

how many minutes did it sit on the stove for?

[nhsnielsen]

It sits on the stove for about 3.5-4 minutes. I put it on a cold stove and set it to mark 4 (on a scale form 1-6) after 1.5-2 min. you can hear the water raising up the funnel and eventually releasing a few drops into the upper chambre. Then the pressure builds for another 1.5-2 minutes before the coffee is released.

[bestiaccia]

Very nice foam!

[cubix2006]

Is this the 2-cup Brikka or the 4-cup?

[nhsnielsen]

It is the 2 cup version. Bialetti based the 2 cup version on the 3 cup Moka express dimensions. The 4 cup brikka has the size of the 6 cup Moka express.

[cslasher]

delicious!