I have a Bialetti Venus, which I liked, except for one problem…

Bialetti Venus

Before I tell you what the problem is, you need to understand how a Moka pot works. This video explains it:

For more information, check out this Wikipedia page.

The problem is that the pipe of the basket isn’t long enough for all the water to be pushed to the upper space of the pot. Less coffee is extracted because of this. Apparently, more water than needed is left in the bottom chamber every time I use it.

Moka Pot Problem

Less Coffee Made

There should be some remaining water in case you forget to turn off the stove. But I consider the short pipe of this Moka pot a design flaw.

My older Tiamo pot doesn’t have this problem. Neither does the classic Bialetti Moka Makers which I have checked out in a shopping mall in Singapore. Their pipes are all of the right length.

Go see the real pot if you are going to get one. Make sure it doesn’t have any obvious design flaw. A nice pot should also have a heat insulation handle and high-quality valves.