Bodum KONA 8-Cups Coffee Maker
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Similar in Espresso Machines & Coffee Makers
- Type: Coffee Maker
- Capacity: 8 Cups
Similar in Espresso Machines & Coffee Makers
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Bialetti Kona ; An Old Friend with a New Face
Pros
Stylish; affordable; solid construction; 18/10 Stainless Steel; simple to master perfect espresso
Cons
Largest size available is the six cup model
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A highly affordable stovetop espresso machine that anyone can master. The perfect gift for he or she who thinks they have everything.
Years of living in Miami helped me develop a taste for Cuban Coffee, Cafe con Leche and other semi-lethal forms of caffeine. Espresso seemed foreign to those of us accustomed to making a pit stop during our daily travels for something to stimulate the brain and the taste buds. Just the word conjured up the Italian Riviera ? not Southwest Eighth Street also known as Calle Ocho. Tiny open windows along main thoroughfares beckoned the weary with promises of steaming hot coffee strong enough to stain one?s teeth with one sip. Guava pastries and empanadas waited under glass for a hungry passerby.
For a buck and a half, six shots of thick, rich elixir were measured into a medium Styrofoam cup handed over with the accompanying half dozen tiny paper cups. I managed to make the rounds of the better windows in town while working my way from one end of Dade County to the other. My average outlay for various coffees and other goodies hit at the ten-dollar mark on an all too regular basis. The day finally arrived when my pal, Zobie, decided I needed to know how to make my own shot of liquid speed. For my birthday, she brought a basket filled with Cafe Bustelo dark espresso grind, a can of evaporated milk, five pounds of sugar, one strange looking cloth strainer and my first Bialetti? coffee maker.
My Bialetti? Moka Express looked more like a work of art than a functioning appliance. Its six-sided form and perfectly matched seams and lid made me think knick-knack rather than utensil. Within a few short lessons, I mastered the tiny six-cup wonder. Filling my thermos with hot, rich, foamy Cuban Coffee was less exciting than searching out a parking space on a busy street and waiting in line among the domino players and office workers. Zobie?s gift lasted for almost thirty years and is still operating on the hot plate in my sister?s shop. Since then, Zobie replaced the original with a classy and modernistic version with the suitable name: Bialetti? Kona Espresso Machine.
No, my new prize does not rely on manufactured steam or a pump and no motor or electricity is required. This dandy little item makes the mandatory six-cups of steaming Cuban Coffee or Espresso within minutes but does it with style. The new Kona model is a thing of beauty. Bottom heavy, it has a more substantial feel than its older brother the Moka Express. Instead of the hexagonal design, the Kona is sleek, polished with a body made primarily of 18/10 stainless steel.
The innovative style resembles a megaphone, set on its bottom and chopped off at the two-thirds mark. The wide base allows for impressive stability ? one thing in which the older Moka Express failed. The stainless steel funnel and filter rest comfortably on the replaceable rubber gasket forming an airtight seal when assembled. The entire unit sets evenly on electric, gas or smooth top burners ? big plus after the wobbly fit of the earlier version.
Someone at Bialetti? came up with a winner by offering a color choice in stay cool handles of deep cobalt blue or stark black. Other models offer gold, silver and other colored handles, knobs and accessories.
Living in South Florida, finding one of these coffee makers is a simple task. Any drug, grocery or culinary supply store in most areas carries at least one version of the Bialetti? line. For those in Kansas, Ohio or Wyoming, a number of venders offer these wonders online at a reasonable price plus a small shipping fee.
The Out of Box Experience
? One Six-Cup Bialetti? Kona Espresso Machine
? One Stainless Steel Filter and Funnel Assembly
? Multi-language instruction manual and warranty
The coffee maker comes assembled; simply wash, dry and get ready for great coffee!
To use:
? Simply fill the bottom reservoir with water
? Place the funnel and filter onto the bottom reservoir and fill with fresh ground coffee
? Screw on the top portion and place on a pre-heated burner
? Expect perfect coffee in the time it takes for the water to boil.
The Good News
? Burnt coffee cannot happen with these coffee makers. The unit?s design forces the boiling water up through the ground coffee and into the top reservoir with its handy pour spout.
? For some reason, the coffee maker keeps the rich brew hot longer than one might expect.
? Clean up is a breeze. Once the Kona cools, simply unscrew the well-matched components and wash with soapy water. Everything is dishwasher safe but the chore of cleaning this little wonder is so simple, why bother?
? The Bialetti? line of stove top coffee makers are safer than electric pump or steam espresso machines and require much less time to master.
? Friends fall in love with the stylish little appliance, at first sight. Once they taste the amazing coffee brewed in the Kona, they will beg for one or at least directions to the nearest store carrying Bialetti? products.
Channeling Regis! My Final Answer . . .
When struggling with my holiday gift list, I look for something unique to give loved ones. Those living in South Florida seem to know the Bialetti? secret. Friends and relatives in less temperate climates seem to find the compact, stovetop espresso/Cuban Coffee maker a winner. No muss, little fuss and quick as the proverbial bunny, the Bialetti? Kona combines style and function. For less than sixty dollars, the Bialetti? Kona is well worth a try.
(Hint: Avoid purchasing specialized coffees online. (Watch while pogomom defeats the purpose of Epinions in a single bound!) Your local grocery store carries a wide variety of amazing coffees. Take a look way above and below the big brand name items on the shelves. You will be amazed at what you find at very reasonable prices.)
For a buck and a half, six shots of thick, rich elixir were measured into a medium Styrofoam cup handed over with the accompanying half dozen tiny paper cups. I managed to make the rounds of the better windows in town while working my way from one end of Dade County to the other. My average outlay for various coffees and other goodies hit at the ten-dollar mark on an all too regular basis. The day finally arrived when my pal, Zobie, decided I needed to know how to make my own shot of liquid speed. For my birthday, she brought a basket filled with Cafe Bustelo dark espresso grind, a can of evaporated milk, five pounds of sugar, one strange looking cloth strainer and my first Bialetti? coffee maker.
My Bialetti? Moka Express looked more like a work of art than a functioning appliance. Its six-sided form and perfectly matched seams and lid made me think knick-knack rather than utensil. Within a few short lessons, I mastered the tiny six-cup wonder. Filling my thermos with hot, rich, foamy Cuban Coffee was less exciting than searching out a parking space on a busy street and waiting in line among the domino players and office workers. Zobie?s gift lasted for almost thirty years and is still operating on the hot plate in my sister?s shop. Since then, Zobie replaced the original with a classy and modernistic version with the suitable name: Bialetti? Kona Espresso Machine.
No, my new prize does not rely on manufactured steam or a pump and no motor or electricity is required. This dandy little item makes the mandatory six-cups of steaming Cuban Coffee or Espresso within minutes but does it with style. The new Kona model is a thing of beauty. Bottom heavy, it has a more substantial feel than its older brother the Moka Express. Instead of the hexagonal design, the Kona is sleek, polished with a body made primarily of 18/10 stainless steel.
The innovative style resembles a megaphone, set on its bottom and chopped off at the two-thirds mark. The wide base allows for impressive stability ? one thing in which the older Moka Express failed. The stainless steel funnel and filter rest comfortably on the replaceable rubber gasket forming an airtight seal when assembled. The entire unit sets evenly on electric, gas or smooth top burners ? big plus after the wobbly fit of the earlier version.
Someone at Bialetti? came up with a winner by offering a color choice in stay cool handles of deep cobalt blue or stark black. Other models offer gold, silver and other colored handles, knobs and accessories.
Living in South Florida, finding one of these coffee makers is a simple task. Any drug, grocery or culinary supply store in most areas carries at least one version of the Bialetti? line. For those in Kansas, Ohio or Wyoming, a number of venders offer these wonders online at a reasonable price plus a small shipping fee.
The Out of Box Experience
? One Six-Cup Bialetti? Kona Espresso Machine
? One Stainless Steel Filter and Funnel Assembly
? Multi-language instruction manual and warranty
The coffee maker comes assembled; simply wash, dry and get ready for great coffee!
To use:
? Simply fill the bottom reservoir with water
? Place the funnel and filter onto the bottom reservoir and fill with fresh ground coffee
? Screw on the top portion and place on a pre-heated burner
? Expect perfect coffee in the time it takes for the water to boil.
The Good News
? Burnt coffee cannot happen with these coffee makers. The unit?s design forces the boiling water up through the ground coffee and into the top reservoir with its handy pour spout.
? For some reason, the coffee maker keeps the rich brew hot longer than one might expect.
? Clean up is a breeze. Once the Kona cools, simply unscrew the well-matched components and wash with soapy water. Everything is dishwasher safe but the chore of cleaning this little wonder is so simple, why bother?
? The Bialetti? line of stove top coffee makers are safer than electric pump or steam espresso machines and require much less time to master.
? Friends fall in love with the stylish little appliance, at first sight. Once they taste the amazing coffee brewed in the Kona, they will beg for one or at least directions to the nearest store carrying Bialetti? products.
Channeling Regis! My Final Answer . . .
When struggling with my holiday gift list, I look for something unique to give loved ones. Those living in South Florida seem to know the Bialetti? secret. Friends and relatives in less temperate climates seem to find the compact, stovetop espresso/Cuban Coffee maker a winner. No muss, little fuss and quick as the proverbial bunny, the Bialetti? Kona combines style and function. For less than sixty dollars, the Bialetti? Kona is well worth a try.
(Hint: Avoid purchasing specialized coffees online. (Watch while pogomom defeats the purpose of Epinions in a single bound!) Your local grocery store carries a wide variety of amazing coffees. Take a look way above and below the big brand name items on the shelves. You will be amazed at what you find at very reasonable prices.)
