Coffee Maker Reviews – the complete guide to finding the top espresso machine

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Many automatic drip coffeemakers oversaturate the grounds, resulting in flavorless, watery coffee. The Krups 468-42 Moka Brew 8-Cup Coffeemaker aims to avoid fitting into that category by using steam to generate a low-pressure brewing process. The brews are strong, but not bitter – an rare achievement of other coffee machines.

The unique design of the Krups 468-42 Moka Brew makes it stand out next to other automatic drip machines. Instead of pouring water into a tank on the side of this coffeemaker, water is poured directly below a lid that lifts up from the warming plate. When the unit is turned on, steam pressure forces just enough water up a tube hidden in the coffeemaker’s frame and through the grounds, which rest in a compact filter right beneath the lid. The result is up to 8 cups of rich and aromatic Italian-style coffee. Stainless-steel heating elements heat water quickly and continue to keep the carafe at the right temperature while on the hot plate. The graduated glass carafe lets you monitor how many cups you’ve brewed and has a locking lid to safeguard against accidental spills.

Here are a couple of tips we found through research:

1. When you are in a hurry, just fill the brew chamber with hot tap water instead of cold.The taste is no different and it brews in half the time.
2. When you first get it home, experiment with the grind, and amount of coffee. I found that a grind half-way between drip and espresso is perfect. I use only half the amount of coffee per cup I would with drip, and get a richer cup. The Moka brew is not cheap, but because I use less coffee it will pay for itself the first year.
3. You cannot get filters except by phone through Krups. However, I have found that using 2 standard 3.5″ disk filters (cheap at any major supermarket) and offsetting them slightly so they cover the 3.75″ in basket, you can get perfect coffee with no grinds slipping into the brew.

The Krups 468-42 Moka Brew 8-Cup Coffeemaker comes with 100 paper filters to get you started and is covered by a limited one-year warranty.