GROSCHE White Milano Stovetop Espresso Maker, 6 cup

The GROSCHE Milano 9-cup Moka Pot has become a cherished addition to my morning routine. Its sturdy aluminum construction and heat-resistant silicone handle make it both durable and safe to use. The silicone gasket provides a reliable seal, ensuring consistent brewing without leaks. I appreciate its compatibility with gas and electric stovetops, though note it’s not suitable for induction cooktops. The espresso it produces is robust and flavorful, rivaling that of more expensive machines. Cleanup is straightforward, and the design adds a touch of elegance to my kitchen. Overall, it’s a fantastic value for anyone seeking quality stovetop espresso. The noise is minimal. The smell is decent. The capacity is perfect. The coffee grounds are perfect for removal.

Great does the jobPut water in bottomFine coffee in the middleScrew the top on , put on stove and in 5-10 minutes your coffee is readyMakes stronger coffee than regular coffee from boiled water and coffee beansIts easy to wash as well- wait until it cools down and it takes 2 mins to wash

My wife and I have been using stove top espresso makers off and on for some years. For the last two years, I've been using a stove top espresso maker daily (started out years ago with a Bialetti moka pot, more recently no-name knockoffs). Just over 3 months ago I was shopping a stovetop espresso maker for my wife after her prior one met an unfortunate demise. Since this was going to be a surprise gift, I decided to upgrade to a proper current unit. I combed through some reviews, and Grosche's Milano impressed me a little bit more than the original Moka, because of the ergonomic handle design, the quality of the aluminum, and the positive reviews (particular the Business Insider comparison review). I purchased a Grosche 6 cup white Milano for her.Upon arrival, I was super impressed! It's very solid, easy to use, easy to clean, and of course the coffee is delicious, (it's hard to go back to drip coffee after stove top espresso). The handle is much better than other models including the original Moka pot, because the design protects your hand from accidentally toasting the back of a finger on the pot, and the material stays relatively cool as well ... A very pleasant ergonomic design.The quality of the metal is impressive. Besides being food grade aluminum, it's a little bit thicker than cheap knock-offs, and consequently heats more evenly. To compensate for the thickness, the bottom and the floor of the boiler chamber are covered in tiny deep radial grooves to better, more quickly transfer the heat from the burner to the water. The coffee chamber on top is well designed, with a lid that has a splash guard seal that fits inside the rim when closed, and is well polished/ finished inside for easy cleaning. The silicone gasket to seal the chamber to the pot is very nice for those of us who remember the original gaskets on Moka models.After purchasing the white 6 cup milano for my wife, I was so impressed that 5 weeks later I purchased a silver 6 cup milano for myself, and I've been using it every morning since for the past 2 months.I will mention that my wife's white model has acquired a patina around the base of it's boiler chamber. The silver version shows no such signs. The silver version appears to be polished, not enameled, and seemingly will last forever. I've included a picture of the silver one shortly after I've rinsed and wiped it half halfheartedly clean ... it looks nearly new without even trying. My sister purchased a blue milano after seeing both of ours, and she reports the blue milano, like the silver milano doesn't have any patina/discoloration issues. My wife doesn't care about the patina near the base of her white milano because it works very well, and it looks good with a bit of patina.

This is a review, along with some general tips, because using a moka pot is great, but they have some quirks. :)So, the review. This is a pretty good little pot. I ordered the white 9-cup version. It's a little big for my hands - my hands are 6.5 inches (16.5cm) from the tip of my middle finger to where my palm connects to my wrist, right at the bend. I find that I can't quite get my fingers around the sides of the bottom half to get a good grip when screwing the top onto the bottom. I have to hold the bottom from underneath to get enough leverage for a tight seal. Not a big deal, but if you have small hands, or have joint pain, you might want to go with the 6-cup instead (if the base is narrower - I'm afraid I don't know). The threads are a tad rough, but the sections screw together smoothly, and a nail buffer took care of the prickly little machining bits. To me, not a big deal. I've had worse on newly purchased wrenches.The enamel is good. Evenly applied, there's no rough patches, chips, or missed spots. One thing I was disappointed about was the handle, purely from an aesthetic standpoint. I probably didn't read the description closely enough while switching between colors. I had been looking at the black pot, but purchased the white, because it looked like it had a wooden handle. It's not. There's nothing wrong with the handle - it doesn't get hot, and whatever material it's made out of is kind of a 'firmly microfibery' texture that's actually very pleasant to the touch. And it does look good. Just not what I was expecting. That's what I get for not reading the description more closely. My bad.In making coffee with it, it showed an issue that is very common to many, many moka pots, across all brands. A little finagling, and the issue is now resolved (more about that in a minute), and this pots works very well.What issue? It sputtered and spit when the coffee exited the spout in the upper chamber. Now, as I said, this is a common issue, which, I have found over the years, to have a couple of easy fixes.First probable cause of spittering (new word!) - the burner temperature is too high / you're trying to make coffee too fast. I've found the best way to use moka pots is to preheat your water to ALMOST boiling (200-205F/90-95C) in a separate container (pot, microwave, electric teakettle, whatever) then fill the bottom to just below the vent, put it all together (be careful, it will be HOT), then put it on the burner on LOW heat (see pic). I have a gas stove, and the burner I use is actually the one designed for melting butter or chocolate without burning it. It's on a setting of between 2 and 3, out of 10. Yes, that's low. But 3-5 minutes later I have a very smooth flow of coffee that isn't burned and bitter. Yay!Second cause of spittering is a not quite tight seal. This could be because you're not screwing the pieces together tight enough, or (more commonly) the basket where you put your coffee sits just a hair (and I do mean a hair!) too low, and the seal isn't quite perfect. To be honest, I have 4 moka pots (the Grosche is my 5th) including a not-cheap Bialetti, and all but one has this particular problem. (The good one is a $5 yard sale purchase from 8 years ago. Doesn't even have a gasket. Just screws together and works every time. Go figure.) But there's an easy fix. Use 2 wraps of PTFE (teflon tape). See pic on how to apply. Squinch it up under the lip of your basket and you're good to go. Yes, even my Bialetti got this treatment.One more tip - dont tamp your coffee down. Just tap the outside of the basket with your fingers to settle the grounds a bit, and level it off. Just trust me. It works so much better.All that aside, I do like the Grosche moka pot. It's pretty, it feels good in my hands, and it really does work well, if you understand how moka pots work. I would definitely recommend it as good value for your money.Cheers!