Showing posts with label italian espresso pot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italian espresso pot. Show all posts

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Espresso Pot Gaskets 6-Cup 2 13/16" Wide for Aluminum Pot Set-4

Espresso Pot Gaskets 6-Cup 2 13/16' Wide for Aluminum Pot Set-4These replacement gaskets are alot thinner than the gaskets that came with my moka pot. I had to use a little less coffee (make sure the coffee is slightly below the edge of the cup). Since the gaskets are thinner I had to screw on the top about a quarter turn more than normal. The frist time I used the gaskets, coffee leaked down the side of the pot and I lost alot of the water from losing steam. After I made the adjustment(mentioned in the beginning Of the review) the gaskets seem to work fine but I plan on buying new gaskets that are closer to the original gaskets

After replacing a worn out gasket with these OEM gaskets, I was losing over half the water in the pot to steam. After I inserted new Bialetti gaskets, my caffetiera was brewing like new again.

The problem seems to be the thickness and hardness of the gaskets. These OEM gaskets are half the thickness of the original Bialetti gaskets; the material of the Bialetti gaskets also seem slightly softer, so that with the Bialetti, the top and bottom can be screwed deeper into the gasket, creating the tight seal you need for the caffetiera to work properly.

I'm all for saving a few bucks on OEM products, but, unfortunately, these gaskets left me decaffeinated.

Buy Espresso Pot Gaskets 6-Cup 2 13/16" Wide for Aluminum Pot Set-4 Now

Ordered my expresso gaskets from the Wire Wisk. Excellent packing, shipping, and quality product.

Read Best Reviews of Espresso Pot Gaskets 6-Cup 2 13/16" Wide for Aluminum Pot Set-4 Here

I love using moka pots to make espresso, the only draw back is finding gaskets when they wear out. This was a good replacement and did the trick, only had to do one wet run to settle the new gasket to produce a good cup of espresso

Want Espresso Pot Gaskets 6-Cup 2 13/16" Wide for Aluminum Pot Set-4 Discount?

Friday, July 25, 2014

Ferrero Pocket Coffee (18 Pcs - 225 G)

Ferrero Pocket CoffeeAt so many cafe, tobacco shop and grocery store check-out counters in Italy you can buy this tiny hit of espresso in a small rectangle of dark chocolate. Molto bella. Twice now I have brought home several boxes of these delicious treats for my friends to taste. Not one Pocket Coffee has ever made it out of my house. I love to cook and share what comes out of my kitchen but I cannot bring myself to share these.

A quick and tastey break from the day's work, and it fits in your pocket too! Dangerously delicious treat with a caffene jolt.

Buy Ferrero Pocket Coffee (18 Pcs - 225 G) Now

Well...... I had some reservations about ordering this product, wondering if they would melt in the heat and be ruined guess what? they didn't and they are as good as the ones I found at the Rome airport the 1st time, then hubby went to Rome and brought me some back, then family went to Rome and said they were unable to find them... so after a brief dis-appointment my smile is back, I don't have to wait on travels to Rome... yet I am mindful that there is a specific shelf time that they are available

Read Best Reviews of Ferrero Pocket Coffee (18 Pcs - 225 G) Here

I first found this product in the checkout lines at Austrian groceries. When I returned back to the US, I ordered this from Amazon to share with co-workers. They are espresso-filled chocolates and are quite good. I had to warn co-workers to put the entire thing in their mouth, because the espresso is liquid and will drip out if you bite. My colleagues snapped them up quickly and we were energized for the rest of the day! I had to hide them from my 6 year old because she liked them, too, and would climb anywhere to find them. She already has enough energy.

Want Ferrero Pocket Coffee (18 Pcs - 225 G) Discount?

What's not to like??? It's so rich, one candy satisfies my sweet craving for the day. YUM! And the little bit of crunch.... nice.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Krups 085 20-Ounce Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher

Krups 085 20-Ounce Stainless Steel Frothing PitcherThe pitcher is very good and professional looking. I especially like the fact that it has a wide opening which make it much easier for milk frothing since I always makes 2 cups at a time. Recently, when I went to a nearby mall, I discovered a very similar design 20oz froth pitcher for less money. It is probably a little expensive, but if you can find it cheaper, this is an excellent product.

This may seem like a silly thing to want, but the Krups pitcher is just the right size and shape to make good frothed milk for lattes, cafe au lait or capucchino. The shape is just the right height to put the nozzle under the milk and get either steamed milk or frothed milk. It fits well under the steam outlet in my DeLonghi coffee machine or under the nozzle on the espresso maker. We clip the insta-read thermometer to the side to get the right temperature milk.

If you haven't had coffee with heated milk (especially in winter) it's a real treat. It doesn't have to be espresso, just foam the milk with the steam outlet and serve with brewed coffee. If you have coffee-loving friends, this is a wonderful little gift to give.

Buy Krups 085 20-Ounce Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher Now

For all the good reasons:

Looks great

Feels sturdy, will last a lifetime

Pours very very cleanly

Handle is just right to tilt and froth

When you have a froth head on the milk, you can adjust the tilt so it releases liquid milk from the lower part, or drops foam. Sometimes you need a spoon to control which you get, but not as often as the steel cup I used before this one.

If you start with half of this cup, you can froth it to the brim and fill a 15-oz glass to the overflow point. So it's not entirely 20oz since you lose some froth on pouring, but if you have that fine solid froth you don't lose much.

Great for frothing milk for hot chocolate too

Tip: I put sugar (raw) and a touch of vanilla in the pitcher itself, and you get a sweet vanilla froth that goes very well on a nicely extracted espresso.

Cons: I have to wash it after use. If it was self-cleaning it would be perfect. Oh well, good thing it comes out of the dishwasher looking like new.

Read Best Reviews of Krups 085 20-Ounce Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher Here

for expresso lovers, having a expresso machine at home. this product produces max. foam (plz. read my review on expresso caprisso to know how to achieve max.foam)

The design is very, very scientific. I tried a similar height and volume cup; but got bad results.

The BAD part : The edges are very sharp, while cleaning with hands, be VERY, VERY careful. You might end up cutting yourself !! I take away a whole 2 stars because of this suffered twice.

Want Krups 085 20-Ounce Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher Discount?

i owned the 12 and 20 ounce pitchers!!! i needed one after our home burned down for use with my hamilton beach espresso machine i had purchased(an excellent machine-see my review). i purchased this 20 ounce pitcher which is all you will need..the 12 ounce is too small if you like alot of milk..use this one!!

this came in its krups box and is great quality and will last you a lifetime...you can't beat this price 9.99!!! it's crazy!!!i paid over 20.00 for mine from macy's years ago

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Nespresso C90 Essenza Manual Espresso and Coffeemaker, Slate

Nespresso C90 Essenza Manual Espresso and Coffeemaker, SlateI loved my Slate Essenza C90 manual machine for the 1st month. It was so easy and the espresso was delicious. Then one morning as I pulled my espresso, water started leaking out all over! The whole bottom tray completely filled with water and a lot overflowed. It had some kind of stoppage that forced the water to leak out.

It was literally on the 31st day of ownership b/c I checked my receipt and almost returned it to amazon. But the book it came with said to call Nespresso, that they would pick them machine up and even give a loaner until they could replace it with a new one, so I called them instead. The customer service rep told me they would email me a shipping label, so I could send it back and that they would send a new machine within 2 3 days. No pickup like the book said, but ok fine. Then they never send the shipping label. So I had to call back a couple days later. Now they finally send it.

So I send back the machine and two WEEKS later I finally get my machine but it is an ugly weird green color and REFURBISHED. It definitely does not work as well as the machine I bought did for the first 30 days the water drips out strangely and it is kind of leaky. I know it is refurbished because it said so right on the label but even if it didn't it just is obviously not a new machine in appearance and function.

Needless to say I am very unhappy with this experience. "Nespresso Lifestyle" my foot.

Not only that, but the customer service rep told me to send back the nice book my machine originally came with. The refurbished machine did not come with a book. All it came with was a paper pamphlet for the C100 not even the same model. So now I'm out that too.

UPDATE 4/27/09: I'm happy to report that I got a telephone call from a Nespresso Customer Service rep on Sat. 4/18. She said it was just a courtesy call and asked how I liked the machine so I told her the story as described above. She said that I should have gotten a new machine and that she would look into it. Sure enough, by Fri. 4/24 a brand new machinein the right slate color, with a new book and even new pods had arrived on my doorstep! I enjoyed coffee from it all weekend. They also let me keep the refurbished machine until the new one arrived this time, so I did not have to go without coffee. I sent it back in the mail today.

So, I'm a lot happier now with customer service, and would move it up to 3 stars. I will update this review again after 30 days hopefully the new machine will still be working!

Update 7/18/09: Well it is a few months later and I continue to be very pleased with my Nespresso machine. It is still working great and I absolutely love it. Just made my third coffee order, and worked out the cost. On average I am spending about $17 a month to drink my espresso every morning. That is about $50 less per month than the $2.25 I was previously spending at the coffee shop every day! It is also so easy to order them online, and they arrive within a few days. Overall, I am very happy with this purchase.

I experienced the perfect espresso produced by these machines because they were in every hotel room I inhabited in Europe. It was so easy and delicious, I ordered one the day after I arrived back in the states. I chose this machine rather than the C100 because I wanted control over how much espresso was pulled. This was a good choice, but you might want to purchase a couple of cups that will give you a good idea of just how many ounces you have while you are making it.

The machine heats up quickly, in under a minute. The first time you use it, make sure you fully charge the water pump which is super easy (instructions for this are with the manual).

I went to the Nespresso club online and ordered the welcome kit which offers 200 capsules at a fair price and includes a free wooden box. It was worth it...and they include the 3 brand new lines of espresso they have developed recently.

I strongly recommend this product to anyone who is disappointed at the occasional lack of quality in espresso products they receive outside the home, the tedious ritual of making espresso from coffee grounds, or people like me who are disappointed in the quality of my brewed coffee at home in the morning.

Buy Nespresso C90 Essenza Manual Espresso and Coffeemaker, Slate Now

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Perfect Pod Maker

Perfect Pod MakerI started into this world of pods and k-cups when my expensive espresso machine died and they wanted $600 to fix it. I bought a Breville K-cup brewer (uses Keurig cups). I started spending lots of money on k-cups and feeling S.O.L. if I didn't order on time and I ran out of luck. So I bought a Pod Holster to fit into the machine so that I could use any pod I wanted. I noticed that they were sold as a set so based on the reviews I set out to see if the Perfect Pod maker could really hold its own. I love seeing a product in action so I decided to give you what I look for-a video review.

I love my Senseo and have purchased several for gifts (as well as upgrading to the newer models). I have purchased pods from several online vendors and have been fairly happy with most but felt most were overpriced and some staled rapidly, even when individually packaged. I also have tried the various "refillable" pods and have been dissatisfied with all of them.

The main complaint I have had is the lack of variety in the dark roast coffees in readily available pods at a reasonable cost.

Perfect Pod has more than fulfilled my wishes. It is easy to use and I can fill the pods with freshly-ground beans, roast my own or even use a commercial espresso grind which I found produced an excellent cup.

I am ordering another as a gift for a friend, to whom I have given a Senseo and who, like me, would like more variety in roast types and flavors.

Buy Perfect Pod Maker Now

I love my Senseo coffee maker, but I really don't like their coffee. We got this pod maker so we could choose whatever coffee we want. I must say, this little thing is the greatest! You put in a filter, fill it up with your favorite coffee (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) and close the top for 3 seconds... DONE! Now we truly enjoy the benefits of a single serve coffee maker. It is so easy and the machine is so small... it's perfect! I cannot recommend it enough! I make several at a time and the pods are ready to go whenever I want them. And the best thing, they are disposable, so you just toss it when you are done.

One thing... just make sure you don't grind the coffee too fine or it doesnt work in the Senseo.

Read Best Reviews of Perfect Pod Maker Here

Yet another product made in China. Seems every time I buy a product, I find out it's from China ... only after I buy it. There is no escape. So how do I like it? Actually, I think it's a nifty device. It looks like it is built pretty well. I was surprised that it was bigger than I thought it would be (not that it is all that large, it isn't). And the blinking light telling you it's ready (stops blinking when ready) is on the lid. No big deal (since that is where the heating element is), just thought it odd since the on/off switch in the front lights up and felt it would be more appropriate there.

For those who have a Senseo coffee maker (or other pod maker) you should enjoy this product. I don't care that much for Senseo coffee. Oh, a couple grinds are pretty decent, but I tire of them quickly. Enter the Pod Maker. I now can buy any type or brand of coffee I want, from inexpensive 3 pound cans to expensive brands. It's given a new lease on life for my Senseo coffee maker. As far as how it works, see Mark Husson's video review below (nicely done, Mark). And yes, it's as simple as it looks. Obviously, one will waste a few pods trying to gage the correct amount of coffee to use (depends upon the brand, grind and personal taste), but that's a small price to pay to get a better tasting mug of coffee.

So how do I rate it? Between 1 and 10, I give this device a solid 7 (or a marginal 4-star rating). It works as advertised (it seals the pods quickly and effectively, and is cool to the touch). However, the filters are expensive and not available at the grocery store where I shop (there is always a catch). To lessen the cost, it's better to buy in bulk (obviously), but even then, $15 plus shipping for 120 filters is about 5 to 10 times more expensive than standard filters. While Senseo coffee is very expensive (for what you get), one isn't saving all that much money going this route, but at least you can now purchase a variety of coffee and experiment, instead of being at the mercy of Senseo.

Edit: After using the Pod Maker for over a month now, I think I might have short changed its value. I have found several coffees I really enjoy, and this wouldn't have happened without the Pod Maker. As I stated before, it's given a new lease on life to my Senseo coffee maker. Unfortunately, my Senseo just bit the dust and I was in a quandary of which coffee maker to buy. I really wanted the Breville, and also considered the Keurig B60 or B70 (I could still use the Pod Maker for these K-cup machines, so that told me right then and there how important this little device has become to me in a relatively short time). Well, I ended up purchasing another Senseo and saved myself a couple hundred bucks). Without the Pod Maker, I wouldn't have even considered another Senseo. Because of this fact, I will now up my rating from a solid 7 to a 9 (or a 5-star rating -unfortunately one cannot change the actual star rating). It took a blown coffee maker for me to realize just how indispensable the Pod Maker is.

EDIT 2: Actually, it's not indispensable at all. My second unit died the same way as my first unit died, that is, its heating element went south and stopped heating. The first one bit the dust in just under a year. I thought, no big deal, things happen. When the second one died at about the same time frame, it made me realize that these may have a serious problem. I mean a heating element is pretty basic and they have been around for decades in one form or another (how many irons fail?). No, these are obviously made on the cheap, but I did email the manufacturer. They didn't bother to respond.

So, will I buy a third unit? Uh, no way. But then again, I found out I don't need this piece of equipment. I have a Senseo coffee maker and all I do is load the Pod's filters directly into the coffee maker, add coffee, flip over the top paper and I'm set to go. And no, I don't have a problem with coffee grounds. It works just fine.

Want Perfect Pod Maker Discount?

I really love this thing. I bought my senseo machine because it was fast and easy to use. Unfortunately the cost of the senseo pods really added up quickly and I was beginning to regret my purchase until I found this pod maker. I bought a huge $7 can of coffee about a month and a half ago and it's still nowhere near empty. It sure beats paying $5 or $6 every week to feed my caffeine addiction. I just make a new batch of pods every Sunday and I'm set for the week. It's really easy and is quick as well just like the senseo coffee machine.

Save 8% Off