[Closed] Coffee making thingy's, stove top ones....

Boil the water first in a kettle, fill the bottom, do the rest and that's (meant to be) it

No idea what the problem is. I have one, just put water in the bottom, fill the coffee-holding thingy with coffee, tighten the top on bung it on the hob and wait, for quite a few minutes.

What coffee are you using? You're apparently not meant to use an espresso grind as it can clog up.

Once I didn't screw it together tight enough and it spewed steam out of the middle. When you say it was steaming away was it coming out of the top or middle?

It produces really good coffee if you can get it to work.

Filled it too full over the valve? Valve blocked?

Seal between the two halves broken?

Tk maxx will have a good selection of cheap new ones. And more expensive fancy ones.

When you say it was steaming away was it coming out of the top or middle?

Out of the top, the 'chimney' bit under the lid like I assume it's supposed to.
FWIW the coffee seemed maybe a bit coursely ground? Would a finer course make a difference?

Filled to just under the valve & seals seem intact.

Course should be better for flow. They should 'just work'.

You do have the lid closed whilst heating it?

I have the lid open on mine with no issue. I can't really think of any reason its not working given what you've said.

It seems that Starting with cold water makes better coffee than short cutting it by putting boiling in.

If the thing steams and doesn't send water through the coffee then you need to screw it up tighter or change the seal as you are loosing pressure and the water just boils away without forcing it through the syphon bit.

It needs more pressure to push water through the coffee so trying it empty isn't a sure fire way of testing it.

Have you got very finely ground coffee for espresso? That can cause a bit of a problem as there isn't enough pressure to force it through. Other than that is the little relief valve damaged? It can get broken if it's left on the hob to overheat.

I use one every day, I quite a like the strong burnt coffee (up yours coffee fascists). I find coarse ground stuff gives very weak coffee - the Lavazza range "for all coffee makers" is my favourite for use in the stove top. I've also found the cheap stove top things a waste of time, Bialetti FTW.

I've not used one, but if anything it sounds like too fine a grind rather than too course (too fine a grind will similarly choke an espresso machine, whereas too course results in water flowing way too quickly through the coffee grounds).

You might want to compare what you are doing with the the Hasbean brew guide [url= https://www.hasbean.co.uk/blogs/brew-guides/17771852-moka-pot-brew-guide ]here[/url], even though you are presumably using pre-ground.

I'd guess the seal is not sealing....they get hard with age and leak. Also make sure the plate that the coffee is forced through (which the seal sits on) is the right way up

Grounds spilling over onto seal? Will stop a good seal from forming.

Had a cheap one that met it's demise when in a sleep deprived state I forgot to put water in and didn't realise until the handle dropped off onto the hob.
Bialetti replacement is so much nicer to use, even if visually identical.

Does the seal look ok at the bottom of the top half and the holey filter sits right? I've got 2 sizes of stovetop and they're both fine with espresso grind btw.

I've got a one cup and a three cup. The one cup takes about two mins from cold, the three cup about five. I've used all sorts of coffees, different grinds and they all work. I think maybe yours isn't sealing properly?

Edit - and I gently press the coffee in with the back of a spoon. I probably deserve to be burnt at the stake by the barista police

Heat and sealing

you need a good heat, and you need to screw the two halves together tightly.

We have he above and can on occasion have similar issues. Normally chalk it down to the grind being a little too fine or tamping the grounds a tad to much.

I say we, i do mean Mrs Sandwicheater. It never happens to me for some reason.

It seems that Starting with cold water makes better coffee than short cutting it by putting boiling in.

I doubt that. The water doesn't get near the coffee at all until it's producing enough steam pressure to force it out of chamber. All you're changing there is where you're boiling it.

Grounds spilling over onto seal? Will stop a good seal from forming.

+1. You need to made sure that the rim of the base is clear of coffee grounds.

Also, the word you're all looking for is "coarse."

You shouldn't boil the water. Near boiling there is enough pressure to force hot water through the coffee.

But I wouldn't bother. Those things are a ballache to use well. Get an Aero press and get on with your life

not a ballache at all
tap water in the bottom bit up to the safety valve level
coffee in the holder bit, not tamped (I use Lavazza fine grind just spooned in, and one tap to the side of the holder to level it)
screw top bit on
heat
coffee appears by magic
(and just like aeropress, you get a nice puck of spent coffee to knock out in to the bin)

I'd only ever use Bialetti, but the design is so simple I can't see why a cheap 50p version would cause any issues.

They're a piece of piss to use well, unless "use well" is in the coffee snobbery terms where having the water half a degree too hot is a crime on a par with killing kittens.

I'd only ever use Bialetti, but the design is so simple I can't see why a cheap 50p version would cause any issues.

You can often find a Bialetti in TK Maxx for not much more than that.

stuck it on a steady heat & waited

Put it on high and as said make sure the seal is working as it should.

The more I think about EGF's issue, the more I'm confused as to how it's physically possible to have steam coming out of the 'chimney' and not coffee, without steam also escaping from elsewhere. Even if the coffee was so fine and tightly tamped that it was blocking the chamber, it should blow the pressure valve.

First principles then:

[list]
[*]Fill lower chamber with water, to just below the pressure valve (I boil it in the kettle first simply because it's quicker).[/*]
[*]Put the coffee hopper in the chamber.[/*]
[*]Add coffee. This should be a fairly coarse grind. Fill it almost level to the top, don't tamp it down at all, and ensure there are no grinds on the rim which might cause a poor seal. [/*]
[*]Screw on the top chamber, tightly (I use an oven glove to hold the bottom as it's hot!)[/*]
[*]Put it on the hob and turn the ring on. I use the smallest ring on the highest setting. If it's a gas hob you may need a [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Shops/KitchenCraft-Galvanised-Iron-Gas-Ring-Reducer-4-5/B0001IX10M ]reducer[/url] ring.[/*]
[*]It should start bubbling away quite quickly.[/*]
[*]As soon as the water looks to be turning to steam, remove it from the heat or you'll end up with bitter coffee.[/*]
[/list]

A word on the upper chamber, there's three parts to it (four if you're counting the lid). If you carefully remove the rubber seal, it'll release the filter. I'd check both of these are clean and clear before you start. When I got mine it took me a while to stumble across this.

EDIT - like this:

[img] [/img]

I found this, which contradicts a couple of things I've just said (particularly around heat). Probably better advice than mine, I was just explaining what worked for me.

http://joelson.co.uk/use-an-italian-stove-top-coffee-pot/

I would have thought the only way steam could come through the chimney without coffee is if the seal was completely gone, and the steam came around the basket and up

Quite.

My OH once used ours without the seal and filter (I'd stripped it to clean it and she hadn't noticed). Net result was it pissing boiling water out of the sides.

Apropos of nothing, I've just noticed that my kettle has a symbol on the underside warning you not to use it in the shower.

😀

*SORTED*

Did exactly the same as before but screwed the top & bottom together to 32ft/lbs with a torque wrench.*

*not really, just probably tighter than last time.

The seal looks absolutely fine & the valve seems ok too. At least it's working! Thanks for the replies. 😀

Enjoy your coffee.

Enjoy your coffee

I did thanks!

They're a piece of piss to use well, unless "use well" is in the coffee snobbery terms where having the water half a degree too hot is a crime on a par with killing kittens.

Not half a degree too hot no, but the coffee will burn if you just whack it on full. You might like burnt coffee, I don't. Put it on low and you get a nice cup but it takes ages. Aeropress is still much easier and quicker.

Its tempting to tap the funnel upside down on a hard surface, say the bottom of the sink, to clear it of spent grounds. This will gradually distort the shape of the top of the funnel, causing loss of seal and weak coffee.

Long ago a Radio 4 programme was discussing fancy coffee machines. The expert said that the stovetop type could be just as good at a fraction of the price but that the secret was to ensure that the coffee was well tamped down.

That certainly improved my results and basically it's what the pros do in the shops if you look. Stovetop or cafe special it's just pushing steam through the coffee.

Bialetti and Lavazza here too in my stove top. Mine came without a seal so although I do get a bit of drizzling in the middle where it screws together, it still makes a lovely cup of coffee. You *do* have the round strainer on top of the coffee yes?

Last thing - never put it in the dishwasher - totally knackers them 🙁

😯 You can get spare parts you know. A replacement gasket is like [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000KG8FT2 ]£4 on Amazon[/url].

Sizing here:
http://www.bialetti.com/coffee/replacement-parts-c-1_73.html

Heat it on high, lid down, but turn the heat right down as it boils. Use a fine espresso grind. Espresso is best at slightly below boiling, 97°C, and you'll get better extraction from a slower process.

I heap the coffee in the lower part and don't tamp as I don't think tamping it down helps with this type of machine, but try it yourself.

OP,

Now that you have sorted out the problem you need to upgrade to this ... Bialetti Venus (stainless steel) coz that aluminum one can flake sometimes. This will make your taste even better.

[img] https://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/000382728?$prod_main$ [/img]