Have you tried frothing your milk with the French press? Super easy; just heat up some milk in a sauce pan, pour the hot milk in your French press, start plunging away and watch the milk expand, pour it in your coffee and you have a pseudo cappuccino/cafe olé.
Great video! The first Moka pot I ever bought was even Bialetti Venus 4 cup. It's very beautiful! I love it! Next I bought the 2 cup Venus. It's perfect for one person. And a few weeks ago I bought the Bialetti New Brikka that makes crema. I love it! There are only a few videos by Italians teaching the correct traditional Italian way to make Moka pot espresso. I didn't see yours until today, so I learned from the "Annalisa J Moka pot" video. The important part for me was learning the exact moment to remove the Moka from the heat so it doesn't taste burnt or bitter. I remove it as soon as I hear it start to gurgle. I've been using illy Classico Espresso for Moka, but it's about $15 per 8 oz can, so I recently switched to your Lavazza Espresso Italiano because I found it at 🎯 for less than $4 for an 8 oz can. It's very good! I love it!
growing up in an Italian household its become the benchmark standard for good coffee. my mother always ground the beans in a small electric blade grinder. I to grind my beans, but recently have been using an industry burr grinder like your barista uses. I work in hospitality and have always wanted one. the end result is a uniform grind far easier than blade grinders. I don't have a favourite brand of coffee beans, what I look for is the roast. I prefer beans with a lighter roast but also buy another batch medium to dark roast and blend the two ( 2-1 ratio ) for a rounded flavour profile. always with the trusted bialetti. you have to make time for the pleasures in life..
I've tried different types of coffee in the Bialetti. The Lavazza qualita oro gold taste alright. But the coffee I liked the most is the Illy original (espresso). Recommended, taste better than the lavazza and the coffee is not bitter or anything.
I would echo what others say about Coffee Beans. I also was a consumer of Lavazza until I purchased my first Coffee Bean Grinder and sourced locally roasted fresh Coffee Beans. There is a considerable difference.
+Corcioch I always used the well known Saeco machines. my latest one broke and was in warranty by the store but because they did not have the same model in stock i choose an Krups instead. I was skeptical at first but i got to say the pre brew system they use gives a much better taste than the saeco and the machine is a bit cheaper too.
Totally agree. I would consider myself a coffee aficionado. Lavazza isnt bad coffe but preground coffee wont ever get anywhere close to grinding it freshly. Also i get my coffee from a local roastery and its simply the best coffee i know. For 18,90€ per kg its just incredible bang per buck. Jet i have to say; gold coffee always relies on good water just as well. And you can hardly do much about that other than trieing diffrent coffee's...
Cheers TGV. Watched this while enjoying a bacon butty and a big mug of tea. Don't drink much coffee possibly because when I do it's atrocious instant muck. Have been aware for years I needed to upscale my coffee consumption and now I know the way to go....many thanks; a Bialetti is going on my birthday wish list!
Great video. I love my Greek coffee (being a Greek man myself) but I'm gonna try this method and lavazza sounds delicious. I have my own "Starbucks" at home and it literally has saved me hundreds a year!
Really enjoy your videos and thought I would give you some coffee recommendations. Lavazza is better then a lot of other mass produced coffee that you can find, but it's still mass produced. When you buy from a big company like Lavazza it's like buying a really cheap wine, all the berries (beans) will be picked. The ripe, overripe, underripe even the really bad ones. Same with roasting procedure, They roast tons each day and hundreds of kilos each time and there you loose even more quality. The term gourmet coffee doesn't exist in the coffee world, instead it's measured from 0-100 everything above 80 is classed as specialty coffee. And since you live in New York there are some great specialty coffee shops from where you can buy your beans for less than ordering Lavazza and it will be freshly roasted ( would recommend whole beans, but pre-grounded is still an option ) I really recommend Stumptown Coffee, Counter Culture, Intelligentsia, Blue bottle, verve, Four Barrel and Coava to mention a few. And I'm sure that some of these guys have a robusta blend to give it that Italian flavour.
Those are good coffees! But Bialetti said the official correct grind for the Moka is medium-fine. Most pre-ground espressos are too fine, but the pre-ground espressos sold in Italian grocery stores are ground medium-fine for the Moka: illy, Lavazza, Kimbo, Bialetti Perfetto Moka, are the most popular brands.
I really enjoyed your stylish presentation on fine coffee. The design of the Bialetti Venus is indeed something to behold. Your demitasse cups are very elegant and caught my eye.
We have had a series of aluminum mokas, but we now have a Kitty and prefer the stainless steel as it seems to taste a bit better after it is broken in. We also drink Qualita Rossa (my wife is Torinese). Mokas are a gateway drug for espresso machines. There is a learning curve, but a lever machine like a La Pavoni gives amazing crema and control. The key is getting fresh roasted coffee, which Whole Foods does well for a good price.
I used to drink the exact same Lavazzo made with a Bialetti every morning. However, number one trick to best coffee is buy fresh whole beans and grind fresh immediately before use. Within minutes of grinding, the beans begin to oxidize and loose/change flavor. Buy local whole roasted beans and grind daily. Also try and aeropress, another super affordable quick way to make coffee without the oil and grounds. Great video as always!
Thanks for this video! I had always wondered about the little Bialetti brewer. I picked one up this weekend, after viewing this video, and I absolutely adore it!
I have 3 stovetops (Caffettiera). I really adore them. The best coffee is fresh ground in my handy Hario Skerton grinder and fresh coffee beans from local Coffee Roaster.
I believed that I owned every modern version of coffee making device known :) However, once again, you have proven that I don't know everything..haha. I do not own a Bialetti but, you did jog my memory of a percolator I had packed away that belonged to my great grandmother. Let's say that it is almost old enough to have brewed a coffee on the Titanic. It was made in your current home town. To my surprise, mixed in with the fear of testing it the hard knocks way :P , it worked. So, after a cleanup, I brewed myself a Hazelnut coffee and am now enjoying it at 3am. Cheers!
If you get a chance to try Turkish coffee, I highly recommend it. Was at a customer's house, and they offered me a cup of Turkish coffee, and it was fantastic. It is typically supposed to be brewed in a small Turkish pot, because it's more about the way you brew it as opposed to the actual coffee. But I brew it in my Bialetti, and it comes out fantastic. The style that I get is called "Half and Half', which is half dark roast and half blonde roast, and you have the option of having it "spiced" or not, which means they grind up some Cardamom with the coffee. I prefer it "un-spiced". But it almost has a floral aroma. Make it in your Bialetti the same you would Espresso. It's fantastic.
You should really get a grinder and try out some fresh roasted beans (2 weeks to a couple months old at most), the taste experience really is unreal and it's not all that expensive either!
One of my greatest pleasures is a homemade espresso with a Bilatti topped off with my Mama's biscotti ...la dolca vita! I prefer Lavazza Blue. Lavazza Red can be had for $2.00 a package in Toronto CHR Ward C11 half price anyone? on sale now 50% off
Thank's for the video! just got same model. Very good flavor! The only issue is, that the coffee is not so hot- probably because of the stainless steel material properties. Found a solution- to put some hot water in the cap to worm it up before I pour in the coffee.
I have been enjoying Crema w gusto by Lavazza! I love my moka pot, saw this video a while ago and definitely have saved some money by not going to Starbucks. I’ll have to try the Amaretti cookies 👌
Hi just looking to replace my French press and a total novice with Italian method and who pops up my old friend tgv from my favourite watch channel great video lavazza rossa is my choice too in England they don't seem as popular keep up the good work cheers
Just ordered this! I use a French Press. This method seems to be even easier. Looking forward to get it. Thanks for the informative video! Btw, I drink Lavazza all the time :-)
I used to get Lavazza espresso all the time. Something changed. It doesn't taste or smell nearly as good as it used to. I don't know if they changed beans or the company changed suppliers, etc. But I don't buy Lavazza anymore. Too bad, because I used to love it.
Hi TGV, great video with quality content as usual! We really got a very similiar taste! Veuve, Bialetti and Lavazza! Top choices indeed. I don't own the "Venus" but the classic "Moka Express" which I truely love and enjoy. My coffee of choice is also the Lavazza Qualita Oro. However, Iam pretty shocked by the prices you mentioned for the 250g box! I pay around 5€ here in Germany for the same amount. I must admit that I don't use my Bialetti every day, as I also own a Nespresso machine from DeLonghi which is so much faster in the mornings and makes a pretty decent espresso as well. Additionally I can have a greater variaty of flavors at hand. However, if Iam not in a rush I really enjoy to use the Bialetti. Enjoy your new "Venus"! Cheers!
I must say, i have one of these "percolating" espresso brewers. Might have to try out the Bialetti, because the one i have does not always work well at all. always takes a long long time to brew and like a lot of other people have mentioned, sometimes it won't even brew all the water. I prefer a drip machine because it is more consistent every morning. Not going to lie when i have more time i enjoy pulling out the french press and percolating espresso brewers.
Ciao TGV, cool video, I also love Bialetti, the new models are nice but for me you can't beat the original 1933 iconic design still a best seller today. Setting up the moka is the first thing I do in the morning, nothing like waking up with the smell of coffee :) As for blends I also normally use the Lavazza Qualità Rossa, but I also like the Gusto Dolce (Crema e Gusto line) you should try it. Regards, Luis
Luis Borges Yes! Can not be beaten! My mum has just about every size all lined up on the dresser. Love the Creme e Gusto too! Great comment, that morning Lavazza smell is worth getting up for alone. Best regards as always, TGV
Great Video, I love my Bialetti 6 cup espresso maker. I agree why pay tons of money for over priced coffee! I use Lavazza cafe espresso, Illy or Bustello. But , I will try the one you recommended in the video for $15 in the video for a pack of 4. Great price. I have the classic 6 cup maker which is octagon in shape. But I might have to also get the Venus. So stylish! Ciao
Nope, Lavazza all the way - been drinking it every day since around 1994, and although I’ve tried others (Illy mainly, and also Lidl’s own espresso, which is very good), I still come back to Lavazza Rosso, brewed in a stove top. French press is ok, and I’ve owned an espresso machine, but stove top (admittedly not a Bialetti,, but a similar type) makes a fantastic cup of espresso.
People very much underestimate the stovetop coffee. However, how are you finding the Lavazza? I can never get a good coffee out of the bean. And there's absolutely no complex flavours, just flat and unexciting. This especially shows in an espresso, the extraction is just pathetic no matter how I grind it! Haha first world problems. I have just stumbled upon your channel and I'm very excited to check out your other videos.
I was wondering if I could use these stove top coffee makers on an electric oven with a glass top so I might have to try one. Lavazza is also my favourite coffee these last 3 or 4 years after a recommendation from a friend, but I've been making in a french press. before then I'd only ever had instant. A tip for you perhaps, after putting the Qualita Rossa in a container I use a tablespoon to press it down and get the air out of it again to try and keep it fresh as I use it. Before I did this I used to notice as I got down to the bottom third of the container the coffee strength and flavours got weaker.
I have to get this, I have something similar that was a hand me down from my parents. It's identical brewing technique but I just checked and it doesn't have any branding on it, I'm assuming it's a knock off. I guess I have to buy maybe two to redeem my parents lol. As you can probably ascertain for my username I'm Ethiopian and we are kind of big on coffee and there's a custom where we let guests smell the coffee beans after they are roasted before they are ground and brewed. Some Ethiopian restaurants do this from time to time. I think you'd enjoy it. :)
Ethiopianraver Hello! Thank you for sharing this comment and watching the video. I am sure you will not be disappointed if you get one of these Bialetti. I have actually eaten in an Ethiopian restaurant a long long time ago and I do in fact remember having a similar coffee to what you describe. Just out of interest where are you watching my channel from? Best regards, TGV
The Urban Gentry Hey TGV I currently reside in Texas. I left Ethiopia in my early teens, I go back every couple of years. As a fellow "immigrant" wanted to wish you a happy and safe 4th weekend!
What is your opinion on instant coffee? Currently, I'm into Café Bustelo and to me I find it more appealing than the so called coffee brands here in the USA. I have a Keurig that has three different oz., sizes, but I do not buy any Keurig cups, I use it for the hot water to make coffee and tea. I do like both instant and ground coffee, but when your the only one drinking coffee in the household 6 - 8 oz. cup of coffee is all I need.
TacticalPanda TP, you will not regret it. I advise you also buy some cheap coffee too, the worst possible, have before it you try the Lavazza, that way you can reference more clearly just how good Lavazza is. Enjoy! Best regards, TGV
I unfortunately have an electric stove so it's the French press for me. My good friend married an Italian girl, on my last trip he asked me to buy his future mother in law some replacement rubber rings for her Bialetti... Not easy but I found some in Milan ... It's good to know in this throwaway society this can be done.
Moka pots work on any heat Source. You always want to remember to try and keep your handle from being directly over the heat source! I've moved around and I've never had anything but a very cheap electric stove in my apartment and it's always worked fine :-)
Hi, The temp of my coffee brewed with cold water is max 60C and with boiled water max 85C. Pouring to a cup, I lose another 10C, so coffee is undrinkable. Any idea what can be wrong? Note that I'm grinding the coffee with timemore c2 using 13 clicks.
+The Urban Gentry hehe I mean that lavazza quality Rossa coffee. I bought one pack of that here in sweden and brewed it in a regular coffee machine. And comparing it to swedish coffee ''Zoegas'' the lavazza doesnt taste too good. But maybe it taste better in the venus espresso coffee maker?
Do you ever have excess water in the water chamber of your Venus Bialetti? There seems to be nearly half or 1/3 left vs. none in the Moka version. Thanks for your nice review btw.
+vicany Hi, sorry for the late reply, I must say I do always find a little left over, I presume its normal. The Moka design is just so hard to beat, its efficient timeless design, I guess its just a downfall with this sleeker modern version, Regardless I still use it everyday. Enjoy! Thanks for watching, Best regards, TGV
If I remember correctly, the instructions that came with mine stated that it's designed to leave excess water to prevent the metal in the base burning.
I would highly reccomend trying Peet's Coffee, you can buy whole bean fresh roasted coffee online, the higher end blends they offer only roast on certain days so you know you are getting it when its freshest. I make it in a Bodum french press and I love it, I love espresso too but I have never given stovetop espresso a shot (from what ive read its different from machine made espresso as the stovetop percolator can't get up to the same pressures as a machine, making it stronger than normal coffee but not as strong as machine made). But being that I don't own an espresso machine myself and dont plan on buying one soon ill have to pick up a stove top maker (these bialetti ones really do look nice) and give this a shot
What caught my attention in this Bialetti Venus Italian coffee machine made in China is that there is an unidentified inner, tefal-like film in its water tank. This displeased me enough because I do not know if this material, totally unnecessary, is toxic at high temperatures. Either way, either tefal or paint are not completely innocuous materials. Bialetti does not seem to care much about consumers' health because it continues to manufacture traditional aluminum mokas, which are proven to be toxic at elevated temperatures.
Haroldo Malta that is actually not true, that is a myth from the accidents happen with the dialysis machines that had aluminum, and put that thing into your bloodstream, obviously is too dangerous, that cause the mental issues.
This is stainless steel but this has the metal coating in the bottom, Instructions for first use say to make three batches, but don't drink it just throw it out. I just use distilled water only, no tap or filtered water just distilled water 0ppm will not leave any deposits build up inside. With a ppm tester the first batch was 15ppm. Even if no coating, you still have the silicone seal leaching stuff.