Stove Top vs Fully Automatic: Really, Who Are You Kidding?
If you had the choice and one of these items was given to you, which one would you pick? Well, there are several reasons why you might prefer a fully automatic espresso machine.
- Crema: only a pump-driven machine can generate the required pressure to create crema, the foamy layer wich is the signature of a well-prepared espresso.
- Easy maintenance: the fully automatic espresso machine cleans itself at the touch of a button, removing oily residue that might alter the taste of future shots. The stove top models have to be cleaned by hand.
- Cleanliness: a high-end super automatic model will discard the used coffee grounds in an internal bin needing to be emptied only once in a while, whereas you will have to remove stove top grounds yourself, and this does tend to get messy.
- Taste: for true home espresso amateurs, nothing will beat the consistent close-to-perfect taste a fully automated machine will provide, and the stove top maker just can’t get close to that bitterless espresso shot.
Obviously, there’s the possibility that you don’t even like coffee, in which case you would still pick the super automatic model. Why? Because it’s more expensive and you can probably sell it on eBay and buy that indoor fountain you really wanted.
But it’s not every day you get a free espresso maker. The reality is most of us have to shop around and wisely spend those hard-earned dollars. An article published on March 10 by BusinessWeek.com proposed an “Is It Worth It” comparison between a Bialetti Moka Express and a Krups fully automatic espresso machine comparable to the Gaggia 90500 – Titanium.
The Bialetti retails for around $25, whereas the Krups and Gaggia are in the $1200-$1300 range. When price comes into consideration, lots of people start finding the Moka Express quite attractive. And there’s nothing wrong with that!
But for Nicole Dyer, senior editor at Popular Science and author of the afore-mentionned article, the fully-automatic machine was “fully-worth” the extra money. Although this might be true, a stove top model can still make a much better-tasting cup of coffee than regular coffee makers.
It really boils down to this: what are you after? The supreme espresso experience, the kick of caffeine, or the amazing portability of an espresso maker? Because all in all, it doesn’t always matter how good your espresso is. You can’t bring your super automatic machine around a campfire, but you can bring you stove top moka pot. Sometimes, the people you drink your espresso with and the exotic place where you prepare it would make any espresso feel like paradise.
