We've got an Italian cafe at home ...

Yeng had developed a hankering for coffee and a habit of ordering a cappuccino every time we went out. And I kept on taking sips. This kept on for months.

But how to make cappuccino at home? How could we duplicate an espresso-based drink without an espresso maker (huge industrial thingys that are waaay too expensive)? How do we duplicate that yummy, delicate milk foam? We do have a coffeemaker at home, the drip type, but it usually comes out when there is company around. And it came out again when we recently got a gift of kapeng barako from Batangas.

With Yeng’s newest obsession, we finally, finally succumbed to the allure of the oven top coffeemaker, which avers to deliver coffee just like the Italians make it. I took notice of this nifty little gadget last year and found it fascinating. Imagine being able to make coffee like some Italian café does! Not that I’ve been anywhere near Italy, but a cup of coffee can truly transport.

We got a Bialetti Moka Express, which is generically a Moka Pot (or Stovetop Espresso). It has been dubbed as an Italian icon and at least 90% of all Italian households have a moka pot … adding up to about 300 million moka pots sold since the 1950s!*

And some trivia: did you know that the moka pot was designed based on the 1920s laundry method where "the wash was boiled in tubs with a central pipe in the middle. This pipe would draw the soapy water up and redistribute it over the laundry." Who would've thought coffee and laundry had a connection?

[The Bialetti icon of a man with a moustache is cute. The Moka pot also looks pretty darn good in the kitchen].

It’s really quite simple to use. You unscrew the bottom half, put in water. In another compartment you put in your ground coffee. Then onto the oventop it goes. After boiling (about 5 minutes) and a sputtering of 30 seconds, voila you can smell that unmistakable aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

It works by brewing the coffee under high pressure. Not only is it quick, but more importantly, the coffee flavor is intense! A cup of coffee made this way also contains less caffeine than a cup of instant coffee, which really explains why Italians can drink up to 10 cups of coffee a day with nary a palpitation!

[I must admit that I have a morbid fear of the thing exploding, kind of like a pressure cooker. But there is a safety feature on the moka pot, so I try not to worry.]

I’m still not much of a coffee drinker, but I still like the occasional cappuccino. And I have always loved the smell of freshly brewing coffee. Seems there is more brewing going on at home nowadays.

“In casa un espresso come al bar” or “An espresso in the home just like one in the bar." Who can pass up that promise?

To make a cappuccino:
Make your espresso and pour into your cup. Heat milk and whisk till foamy. Pour milk into espresso. Enjoy!

Sources, and check out these interesting links:
http://www.ineedcoffee.com
http://www.bialetti.com/