Gas hob kettle and stovetop coffee

[California_Ocean]

 

[steve_b]

Bialetti from a charity shop, £3 lives in the van 24\7. I take the art deco one from home that makes 8-10 shots (2 morning cups...) if I have enough time to plan anything.

Edit. It's this but didn't get it from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0029VY4LY/?tag=vwcalifornia-21

 

[Cali Phillip]

View attachment 99037

Nice kettle van colour coordination

 

[Rob m]

10 cup Bialetti Venus and the 1.1litre Ridgemonkey Square kettle.

 

[TheDoc]

If only they'd managed to find a way to get rid of the hideous cheap plastic "chimney" on the back..."A monstrous carbuncle etc etc".

And to say "coffee made by anything else is pig swill" is ridiculous (or irony)

It was a little tonge in cheek but if you are after a small gas powered espresso maker the alternatives are somewhat limited. Appreciate some prefer French press etc.

 

[GrahamB]

Outwell collapsible and a regular glass plunger type cafetiere. Why overcomplicate matters?

 

[AdeT]

I use a Le Creuset kettle and Moka pot. The kettle stays on the silicone mat and does not move no matter how bad my driving gets! Used to use my Aeropress but had a couple of hot coffee related accidents with so the Moka pot stays in the van permanently.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Outwell collapsible and a regular glass plunger type cafetiere. Why overcomplicate matters?

Cafetiere works well at home, but in our van we need things that bounce when dropped.

 

[Californication69]

Outwell collapsible and a regular glass plunger type cafetiere. Why overcomplicate matters?

I do have a glass plunger type, and have to grind me beans, then add a few big spoons of ground coffee. But usually find I make it too strong or too week.

I have yet to find good instant coffee that I can ditch all my coffee making paraphernalia.
Might try some Milano instant, I heard it’s pretty good ?

 

[Mehdime]

Pardon my ignorance here but what’s the point of a stovetop kettle compared to a sauce pan with lid (which I imagine we all already carry in our van)?

 

[Californication69]

Pardon my ignorance here but what’s the point of a stovetop kettle compared to a sauce pan with lid (which I imagine we all already carry in our van)?

Pourable spout ?

 

[SamSara]

Outwell collapsible kettle, aeropress & decent ground coffee.

(…Instant coffee is the devils work)

 

[Herman]

what’s

The taste of the coffee

 

[yossarian]

Pardon my ignorance here but what’s the point of a stovetop kettle compared to a sauce pan with lid (which I imagine we all already carry in our van)?

The whistle can be handy.

 

[Californication69]

I use a Le Creuset kettle and Moka pot. The kettle stays on the silicone mat and does not move no matter how bad my driving gets! Used to use my Aeropress but had a couple of hot coffee related accidents with so the Moka pot stays in the van permanently.

View attachment 99211

That kettle looks the dogs. Love it !

 

[Stu@rt]

That kettle looks the dogs. Love it !

Le Creuset are not exactly weight saving items - This could push certain forumites (You know who you are!!) over their Cali's payload limit

 

[Californication69]

Le Creuset are not exactly weight saving items - This could push certain forumites (You know who you are!!) over their Cali's payload limit

Aha, very true, I’ll stick with my £12 folding handle kettle !

 

[BikerGran]

Ridgemonkey Square kettle fits in the washing up bowl in the sink, I stow it full of water so it's ready to pop straight on the hob, and Aeropress coffee maker.

 

[VanHelsing]

We managed to pick up a Hario gooseneck kettle in a sale, but would have been worth it at full price - guaranteed spill-free pouring.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Californication69]

The bialetti brikka is an absolute nightmare to use. Tried using it on my roar stove in the kitchen and it just fills the top pot full of hot coffee, then starts spitting and overflowed like mad.
I’d only put in 120ml of water and half the coffee.
The instructions don’t tell you how much coffee to put in. I’m using pret espresso #5 and doing a rough grind.
What a ball ache.
Not a fan.
Need to research a different coffee maker.
With no stress n mess.

 

[Hawthorn37]

The bialetti brikka is an absolute nightmare to use. Tried using it on my roar stove in the kitchen and it just fills the top pot full of hot coffee, then starts spitting and overflowed like mad.
I’d only put in 120ml of water and half the coffee.
The instructions don’t tell you how much coffee to put in. I’m using pret espresso #5 and doing a rough grind.
What a ball ache.
Not a fan.
Need to research a different coffee maker.
With no stress n mess.

Should be a max fill line inside the bottom water chamber. The amount of grounds you put in doesn’t impact the coffee fill at the top. Rough grind normally best for flavour transfer and perculation. On a 4 cup Bialetti I use between 1 and 2 tablespoons. Half for a 2-cup.

 

[Californication69]

Should be a max fill line inside the bottom water chamber. The amount of grounds you put in doesn’t impact the coffee fill at the top. Rough grind normally best for flavour transfer and perculation. On a 4 cup Bialetti I use between 1 and 2 tablespoons. Half for a 2-cup.

Yep 120 ml is for 2 cups
Maybe I’m putting too much coffee in

 

[chockswahay]

Hey team I am a little late to the party but just want to offer up a few thoughts for any one who is interested.

For a Moka pot to work properly the coffee holder must be filled to the top, level and not tamped down (although it is worth tapping the holder to remove voids). The grind should be just a little coarser than espresso grind and medium to dark roasts suit the method better.

The really import thing with Moka pots is NOT to over heat the grinds or over extract. I find the best way to do this is fill the bottom chamber to just below the pressure valve with boiling water, this will reduce total time on the hob and minimise the risk of cooking the coffee. Use the minimum heat possible to get the coffee gently flowing….. keep the lid open…… when the coffee starts to spurt/gurgle remove from the heat immediately (at home I would then run the base under a cold tap to cool it slightly and stop the process but not really practical in the van).

If you like a cappuccino or latte style coffee then use a cafetière to foam the milk….. heat the milk in a pan to about 65c, pour into the cafetière and plunge 4 or five times to the surface then pump for rapidly for about 30 seconds (keep the filter submerged) until volume has virtually doubled. Swirl around before adding to the coffee………. then sit back and enjoy!

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Yep 120 ml is for 2 cups
Maybe I’m putting too much coffee in

A while ago I watched a YouTube video on Bialetti with the following advice, which has improved my coffee making.

A Bialetti works best, and the coffee tastes best, at the lowest practicable temperature. For example 3 on 0 - 10 stove. Obviously the process is then slower, but you can start with boiling water into the lower chamber if you have it.

If it is spitting, it is too hot.

 

[yossarian]

Agree with the last two posts. Another alternative for milk is this thing: Aerolatte. Two double AAs last for ages.