Stovetop Espresso Maker Showdown!

Not really, but it was too good a headline to resist.

So here at last is a tale of two stove-top espresso makers. They work in similar fashion. The bottom section unscrews from the top section. You fill the bottom section about 3/4 full with water. There is a funnel-shaped basket for holding the ground coffee. This basket goes into the bottom section, you add the coffee, then screw the top section on. Maybe the photo helps to explain it. You put the unit on the stove-top, and in about 8 minutes you hear a low rumble build up to a sort of jet engine roar as the brew rockets under pressure up into the top portion of the device. Either of these units makes a potent brew of espresso, completely blowing away their wimpy counter-top Wal-Mart equivalents.

So how do they stack up? Either will produce a better espresso that you'll get out of the aforementioned cheapie tabletop units. I've used french press coffeemakers, and these units produce a brew that has got to be 3 times stronger, not to mention, much hotter. No need to heat up some half-and-half, the coffee in the stove-top unit will be hot you'll want to use milk or half-and-half right out of the fridge. Both units produce enough coffee to make a nice 16-ounce latte or breve, despite their terms such as "6-cup". With espresso makers, "cup" refers to a demitasse cup, which is not much more than a shot glass in size.

Oh yeah, the comparison. The BonJour unit is priced less than the Primula, and the fit is a bit looser. When pouring coffee out of the BonJour, I find it best to do so over the sink. I've got a similar unit packed in our camping gear, it being caked in soot and not really fit for the kitchen anymore.The handle on the Primula is a bit heaver, making it a bit easier to handle. The Primula unit is stainless steel instead of aluminum, so for those who are paranoid about aluminum particles going into your brain or whatever, you'd want the Primula. For those who think the aluminum cookware thing is more tinfoil hat stuff, then the BonJour will work just fine for you and cost less to boot.

I prefer using Latin coffees, my current favorite being the Estrella shown in the foreground. Absolutely fantastic espresso coffee. I've found the latin coffees are the thing to use for espresso, while the typical French roast is good for drip coffeemakers.

So, okay, back to the comparison. On a daily basis, I find myself switching between the two units, cleaning out one while using the other. The stainless steel Primula is very nice looking and even came with this sort-of-odd-looking satin bag, sort of like you'd see around a fancy bottle of booze. The BonJour has a nice coffee bean shaped knob on the top, plus the classic beveled stove-top espresso look. Timeless. I love both of 'em, and they will get plenty of use.