It is also essential to remove the moka pot from the heat as soon as your brew is completed. You can even run some cold tap water over the body of the device to cool it down faster. This will ensure that the brew stops when you want it to. We will note that there is more sediment in the output of the Alessi Pulcina than if we used a paper filter with a traditional mokapot, but the coffee is much less bitter than that produced by other traditional mokapots that we’ve used. Today we will be reviewing the Alessi Pulcina Espresso Coffee Maker. This is a stovetop mokapot style espresso coffee maker produced by the Italian design factory Alessi in collaboration with illy Research & Development Lab, and designed by architect Michele De Lucchi.

Remember cleaning: Many moka pots end up becoming disgusting because people don’t wash and dry them properly. In almost a century of history, the company has gradually evolved to become one of the leading “Factories of Italian design”, capable of applying its expertise and excellence in design management to many different product types. There is also an induction version with a magnetic steel bottom for induction-based stovetop ranges.We use our Vertical Espresso Blend and grind our beans fresh right before making our coffee. To fill the funnel/coffee grinds receptacle, we find it requires approximately 18 grams of coffee for the 3 cup model. The biggest difference between the Alessi Pulcina and most other stovetop Mokapots (Aluminum or Stainless Steel) is that the Pulcina is designed to stop the flow of the coffee into the serving chamber prior to the “point of no return” when over extracted coffee makes its way from the brew chamber to the top pouring chamber resulting in a bitter, and sediment filled coffee.

Although the Alessi Pulcina costs more than most other stovetop mokapots, we think the consistent coffee produced by the Pulcina is well worth the cost. The fact that this is an absolutely gorgeous coffee maker is a bonus! His work has been exhibited in Europe, the United States and Japan. He was appointed Officer of the Italian Republic for services to design and architecture and has been nominated Professor at the Design Faculty of the Politecnico of Milan and Member of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome. The Alessi Pulcina really does make for a less bitter drink of espresso-like coffee compared to most other mokapot makers that we’ve tried. While the pressure generated by a stovetop mokapot does not approach the 9 bars of pressure that is required for true espresso, we think the Alessi Pulcina produces as close to coffee shop espresso as you can get at home without a true espresso machine. As you may find, some people like to use a paper filter in addition to the metal filter that comes with most mokapots. While the paper filter will make for a cleaner and less bitter cup, it can add to more pressure building up in the mokapot which can cause a coffee burst to happen and cause burns. Characteristics : 1 to 6 cups: 30 cl - Suitable for induction hobs - American coffee filter includedWe grind to a medium grind size (20 on the Baratza Encore) which is coarser than what most people recommend for a Mokapot, but we find that it cuts down on sediment and makes for the perfect balance between full flavor and extraction while cuttting down on bitterness and over extraction.