Grosche Milano Moka Pot review: An affordable and compact alternative to fancy espresso machines

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Not everyone is ready to dedicate a large portion of counter space and budget to one of the best espresso machines. If you want a lower investment without sacrificing the rich espresso taste, the best stovetop espresso makers are perfect alternatives.

A Moka pot, also known as a caffettiera or machinetta, was the first attempt at bringing espresso into the common home, and it's still what you'll find in most kitchens across Italy. It takes up almost no space, and with a good burr grinder, approaches something very close to espresso.

While all Moka pots function the same way, the Grosche Milano Moka Pot earned our top spot because of its durable construction and flawless performance.

How it works

After testing more than a dozen Moka-pot models, I can say that the differences lie in the materials and fittings, but the actual coffee brewing process is almost identical across the board. Like espresso machines, Moka pots rely on pressure. Where espresso machines generally run around eight or nine bars of pressure, Moka pots brew at about one to one-and-a-half bars. 

In a Moka pot like the Grosche Milano, you need to choose the correct grind size. For medium roast beans, a grind between espresso and drip coffee (about 500 microns) ought to do the trick. UK Brewer's Cup Champion of 2020 Matteo D'Ottavio told Insider that you can dial up in size for dark roast or down in size for light roast.

Brewing with a Moka pot

Fill the basin (bottom) of the Milano to just below the purge valve with cool water. Then, fill the basket with grounds, leveling it by gently tapping it against your palm or on the countertop so the grounds settle — don't tamp it like regular espresso, as that will create too much pressure.

Set it on the smallest burner on your stovetop at medium-low heat with the lid open. Place a meat thermometer in the hole of the spout and wait for it to begin producing coffee or reach 158-167 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, turn off the heat and let it brew until it stops.

Construction

Where Grosche's Milano stands apart is its construction. Other brands use cheap rubber gaskets that are prone to quick wear and low memory (meaning it develops a crease and loses functionality). Grosche uses a silicone gasket and avoids both of those issues, prolonging the life of the pot. 

Plus, the Milano has an outsized silicone handle, which arches out away from the heat and withstands a brush or two with a flame without making a molten puddle of plastic on your stovetop. It's just more equipped to handle the heat even if it sits on the stove a minute too long, which is bound to happen at some point or another.

The body of the Milano is made from mid-grade aluminum, which is about all we see in Moka pots and works with all but induction stovetops (which call for stainless steel like Luxhaus's mode). Moka pots use aluminum because it conducts heat quickly, but doesn't retain it.

Grosche Milano vs. Bialetti Moka pot

As history has it, Bialetti brought the first Moka pot into production in the 1930s after it was invented by machinist Luigi di Ponti in 1933. The brand's design is original and timeless, and yes, the modern iteration brews coffee every bit as well as the Grosche Milano. Unfortunately, as time has passed and cheaper materials and construction have been sourced overseas, the quality of Bialetti's Moka pots has deteriorated.

Where Grosche uses highly heat-resistant silicone for its fittings — and where Bialetti once used aluminum or steel — Bialetti now uses abysmally low-grade plastic that melts all too readily if left on the stove for a minute or two too long. 

Granted, we should all hover over our stoves when they're lit, but during what should be a long and happy life of your Moka pot, you're likely going to slip away for that extra minute. It's hard to say what's worse: scraping melted plastic from your stove top and burners, or having to source new parts.

Alternatives

If you're not convinced about Moka pots, here are some other options for great coffee with a low countertop footprint. Check out our full guide to the best coffee makers for more of our top recommendations.

• Best single-serve coffee maker: AeroPress — See at Amazon
  The AeroPress is a small, simple, portable, and easy-to-use way to brew a highly competitive, frothy cup of coffee somewhere between a French press and an espresso.
• Best pour-over coffee maker: Kalita Wave — See at Amazon
  This Kalita is designed with a flat bottom and three small holes, making it the easiest pour-over dripper for brewing consistently solid cups of coffee. 

The bottom line

Moka pots are the old-school, utilitarian at-home coffee solution for people who don't have the budget, counter space, and patience to invest in an espresso machine. They require as little time as most any brewing method, take up practically no space (mine lives on a little shelf above the stove), and make a brew that's close to true espresso.

Grosche isn't the best-known brand, but the Milano Moka Pot won us over. The brand's components are sturdy, it's the most melt-proof aluminum model we've found, and it makes a solid cup of coffee with the best of them.