|
I love good coffee so when I read about the Krups Moka Brew, I bought it. Coffee's OK but not great. And there is a problem getting the filters. You can either pay through the nose for the Krups filters or buy the cone filters, a cheap protractor, a pair of scissors and make your own.
I was so impressed with the brew this produced, that I ordered a special 20oz insulated mug to begin taking coffee to work with versus buying Caribou which is in the office building I work in. I knew I was going to enjoy the coffee, but some of the concerns others expressed around clean-up, length of brew cycle, and "accidents" had me holding back.WOW, am I glad I finally pulled the trigger; clean up is as or easier than my Capresso, the brew cycle is marginally longer than the Capresso, and no accidents so far nor do I ever anticipate I'll have one.The coffee isn't a "radically" different flavor at another plateau compared to my drip Capresso. I waited on purchasing this item for some time. Trust me, that transformation says more about how good this coffee tastes than any other wording I could use; I absolutely adore(d) Caribou Coffee.If you are on the fence, jump off and buy it. It is a nice, more complex, more rewarding coffee though; demanding you drink and enjoy it everyday. I live in MN and am a Caribou coffee drinker daily. There are few things which will bring you pleasure and happiness on a daily basis. This is one of them.
I have owned the Moka Brew for over three years. The carafe is fragile, I think I've replaced it twice now. It would be just my luck that the screw would end up in the garbage disposal. I am even thinking of buying a second unit so I can have one at home and the other at work. All in all, it is simple to use, makes a great tasting cup of coffee, and is easy to clean up. I find the Moka Brew easy to use and clean. I love it. The directions say to take the lid apart by unscrewing the small brass screw for proper cleaning.
The taste of the coffee is superior to any other home brewed coffee I've ever tasted. I usually use French Roast coffee beans and set the grinder between espresso and fine. The few times that I have checked, there has been nothing to clean out. What more could a coffee snob want.
We love this, even though it took a couple of years to get one. It makes a great stong cup of coffee and is great for those times when you want a smaller pot. We do not use it on a daily basis - more like weekly but enjoy it very much - the filters are a little hard to get.
FURTHER problem - after owning for a month - the Moka Brew got plugged with something - maybe lime scale - and simply stopped kicking out steam. Good coffee is essential to life. In short - my buds did not care for the output of this complex and messy device as other reviewers did. It seems rational to expect steam to produce the right temp for coffee, but I think it is too hot. Poor design. I varied the grind, I varied the amount of coffee, the number and location of filters, etc., and as with my Rancilio espresso maker, I varied the tamping of the grounds.
Sure, it was stupid of me, but the unit was not functioning and I thought no steam was being produced. Good, as I have come to learn is truly in the tastebud of the beholder, and is relative. I actually scalded myself by opening the thing up releasing the backed up steam pressure. Little variation in flavor. I am very disappointed since the reviews elevated my expectations. It led me to make a painful mistake.
Not only should the product go back to the drawing board, the concept is just not able to produce coffee that meets my standards.
|
