When it comes to espresso, needless to say that Italy is the place for espresso lovers. The love Italians have for coffee is similar to the culture French have for wine. Probably because they import the best coffees, the best mixtures and most of all, it’s the country where most coffee makers and espresso machine have been invented.

I love coffee, but it needs to be strong, hot and powerful…and living in the US, you just cannot have it from outside cafes, you have to make it at home with the right machine and right coffee mixture. The problem with coffees in the US, is that they’re inconsistent, it seems that every “barista” is doing its own thing. Barista is a serious profession in Italy and they take pride in mastering the art of espresso making.

The thing is that I recently understood that I will never be able to reproduce at home with a home espresso machine the same espresso that I get in Italy in a bar. It is just impossible, most domestic espresso machines have low water pressure, so the coffee is not as hot, and not as flavorful. I don’t know know but I don’t like it.

So I decided to stick to my traditional Moka machine until Brikka from Bialetti arrived on the market. Renato Bialetti invented the first moka machine in 1933 and he revolutionized the consumption of domestic coffee and became a symbol of Italian history. Still nowadays, 73% of Italian households use moka vs. 27% use espresso makers.

(moka is the name of the traditional coffee maker that most of Italian households use to drink their coffee, and not the mixture of coffee/chocolate drink we have in the US).

The features of Brikka is that it has a pressure-controlled valve (it’s that piece you see on the picture), it looks like a traditional moka  but it operates differently makes the best espresso ever. It’s hot, strong, powerful and you can watch the foam coming out. The coffee comes out very quickly due to its high pressure valve.

Yes, you get the foam on your espresso, you get it hot, strong and The coffee comes out at more than 100C. So far, I have never found a good domestic espresso machine less than $1,000 that makes good espresso. Call me crazy, maybe……and the good news is that it’s available in the US now!!! I found it online at various stores or at the Bialetti store itself.

Then obviously it’s all a question of tastes, you like it ristretto, lungo, in a cup or in a glass, with or without sugar…just enjoy it the way you like it.

But don’t forget to use good quality coffee such as Illy, Lavazza, Segafredo or any mixture made for espresso and if you have time, grind the beans.., it makes a difference.