I make my coffee at home with a Bialetti coffeemaker. I tried a "moka pot"-style coffeemaker from another brand back in the 90's and found it made strong but bitter and very inconsistent coffee. This turned me off to the moka pot, but my friend Tristan mentioned his Bialetti one day a couple years ago and I decided to give it another try.
I'm glad I did because the results are excellent, and I haven't looked back once. I still have my vintage Braun on stand-by (I'm afraid to use it daily because it's become something of a collector's item and spare carafes are a fortune), but I've donated every other coffeemaker I had and completely switched to the Bialetti.
I use Raven Espresso from our local roaster Nunatak Coffee. I grind this medium-fine in a nice burr grinder I picked-up a few years back and I usually use tap water. The result is a potent but smooth cup, really a half or third "American" cup of coffee, but each sip explodes into gallons of flavor.
I still enjoy regular coffee when I'm out-and-about and of course love a good cappuccino or other concoction when I'm somewhere with a trusted barista, but at home it's always the Bialetti.
The only challenge has been the rare occasion where we have guests who drink coffee too. This almost never happens, but when it does the limited capacity of the Bialetti does mean I spend a lot of time making each cup. This isn't the worst thing that could happen, as it gives me time for a little needed mindfulness when we have company. Also Bialetti coffee, which is similar to espresso, isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I've found cutting it with equal-to-double parts hot water produces something like an Americano which most coffee drinkers find acceptable.
Jason J. Gullickson, 2026