Dear Visitor,Buongiorno! Cafe latte was the breakfast beverage at the Stone House for years. I found a really big stovetop espresso maker in Little Italy, "Vesuviana," a unique design that made a giant 16 oz. Liked it a lot, used it every day, bought a second one as backup. Still have them. But the stovetop espresso maker used by everyone all over Italy, and for good reason, I learned in time, is the 6-cup Bialetti Moka Express (Photo). CLICK HERE for diagram showing parts. CLICK HERE for "many say that the bialetti should be cleaned w/ hot water only - no soap." (An email exchange.) CLICK HERE to Explore all Seven Fourpeaks Recipe Pages. How to make Cafe Latte. 1) Use the 6-cup Bialetti Moka Express. 2) Buy a dark (Italian roast) fine grind coffee (espesso grind). I reccommend Cafe Bustelo and Pilon brands, both available in the supermarket for the Hispanic trade. They are cheap, readily available, and very fresh. Italian brands, are pricey and not as flavorful. Supermarket-ground Columbian is flat and not roasted as dark, no matter what the labeling says. 3) Pour the espesso into a saucepan (about 7 oz.) and add half and half to taste (about 4 oz.). Gently reheat. Add sugar. Enjoy. The Moka Express is made by Bialetti in 1,3,6,9, and 12-cup sizes. Search "Bialetti-Express-6-Cup-Stovetop-Percolator" at www.amazon.com, $26.24 plus shipping. The 6-cup size makes about 7 oz. (6 espesso cups of about 1.5 oz. makes 7 oz., a coffee factoid). The 6-cup Bialetti Moka is fast, easy to clean, and makes the best flavor coffee. Also, replacement gaskets are easily available for the 6-cup size [Labeled #3 in sketch below.] Search "Bialetti Replacement Gaskets & Screen for 6 Cup Moka Express" at www.amazon.com, $6.04 plus shipping. In addition, every other part you can think of [Including the fragile aluminum funnel, Labeled #2 in sketch below.] is available at Bialetti's (www.bialettishop.com/PartsMainPage.htm). Keep in mind that parts for the aluminim and stainless steel pots differ slightly in size (See www.bialettishop.com/BW/BWSizeEspressoMaker.htm for chart.) . 
More about stovetop espresso makers. The working parts for the 6-cup Bialetti Moka Express are interchangeable with other Bialetti 6-cup designs, and with many, many stovetop espresso makers from other manufacturers--stainless steel, anodized aluminum, fanciful shapes, etc. If you want a spare pot, or just like to collect them as I do, bring the 6-cup moka funnel with you when you shop to be sure the parts are interchangeable. (I've tried for years but cannot find gaskets for my "Vesuviana.") More about cafe latte. Cafe latte is for breakfast at home. The way they make it in Italy. You can't get it out. I use half and half, not plain milk. It's 2:1 espesso-half and half (about one-third half and half). This really brings out the coffee flavor. Rich. It's not anything like cafe latte in the USA, which was "invented" in Seattle in the 50's (two-thirds milk) now offered all over at Starbucks and your nearby shopping mall. Ugh. Just flavored milk. Restaurants make cappucino, cinnamon-coffee-milk, for dessert. Cortado is popular in Latin America, espesso and milk 1:1. Proportions more like (my) Italian breakfast cafe latte, but served as an afternoon drink. French make cafe au lait. The roast is lighter. The grind is coarser. They make it in a drip pot or press. Nice, but not rich like homemade cafe latte. Technique. When filling the funnel with coffee, take care to keep the funnel edge free of coffee for a good seal with the gasket. Don't press the coffee. Leave it fluffy for easy water flow. OK to pyramid slightly to get more in. Screw the top with moderate force. Overtightening quickly ruins the gasket. Undertightening or a gasket with coffee particles may leak coffee at the joint. Place the pot on high heat (taking care to place pot so flames are not directly under plastic handle) just until you hear the water start to flow (a minute or so), then turn down heat. Lift the lid and check to insure the water flow is complete. Cleaning. The 6-cup Bialetti Moka Express is easy to clean. A weak dishsoap solution facilitates removal of the coffee oils which will spoil the next batch if not removed. Take care with the fragile aluminum funnel. [Labeled #2 in above sketch.] If you tap the funnel to get the old coffee out (a good method) don't strike the rim, but lower down at the base of the funnel. Rinse thoroughly. Make the gasket last longer. Take the stress off by cleaning as soon as it's cold, and store the funnel in the top of the pot, not against the gasket. Make a study of world coffee. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latte Lots of great coffes here--affogato, americano/long black, café au lait, café con leche, caffè corretto, liqueur coffee, cafe mocha, cappuccino, cortado, espresso, ristretto, flat white, frappuccino, Greek frappé, iced coffee, Indian filter coffee, Irish coffee, macchiato, and red eye. Viet coffe hasn't made it to Wikipedia yet, but I'll let you try some. Good for Thai iced cofee. But that's something else.
"many say that the bialetti should be cleaned w/ hot water only - no soap." Subject: many say that the bialetti should be cleaned w/ hot water only - no soap. Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:22:58 -0700 To: martin@4peaks.com From: David D**** sfjd00@com Hi - many say that the bialetti should be cleaned w/ hot water only - no soap. sometimes i get a bitter pot of coffee and i'm inclined to clean the pot and water chamber w/ soap. i usually just rinse w/ v. hot water as soon as the coffee is made. You say use mild soap - not an earth shattering issue but ... give the bialetti brika a try - v. nice. d. Subject: many say that the bialetti should be cleaned w/ hot water only - no soap. From: "Martin (Your Adirondack Guide)" Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:05:54 -0400 To: sfjd00@com David-- Thanks for your email about cleaning the Bialetti. Yes. You're right. Coffee oils naturally adhere to the Bialetti surfaces and can spoil the fresh coffee flavor next time around. If you wash without water you can feel the oil on the surface. Plain water doesn't take it off. You need a bit of soap to emulsify the oil. I use a piece of well-worn 3M pot cleaner with just a bit of weak sudsy water from the dishpan. Rinse thoroughly. As you know, gaskets don't last forever. When changing a gasket I take more time and get all the parts free of burnt oil, including the filter screen and the base of the coffee tower. See #3 and #4 in Parts List. http://4peaks.com/fk_recipes2.htm#dia Thanks for writing. Best wishes, Martin .  Are you in this picture? Fourpeaks hosts now welcome paying guests to a 700-acre rest and playground for vacations in the Adirondack Great Camp tradition. Couples appreciate Fourpeaks secluded settings. Outdoor loving families have fun exploring our accessible wilderness. Folks with dogs enjoy the open spaces to run their pets. A private nature rereat. For a vacation away from it all. Are you in this picture? CLICK HERE to find out! [More about this at Frequently Asked Questions.] |
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