Capacity of stovetop coffee makers

[HoratioCaine]

I currently have a Bialetti "Class" stovetop coffee maker, which makes the best non-espresso coffee I have tasted - as full-flavored as a French press, but much cleaner tasting. However, at a 12-ounce capacity, it doesn't make very much at a time, and I am looking to upgrade to a larger size. The problem is, Bialetti designates their sizes in "cups" ("tazze" in Italian) rather than ounces, and I don't know how much a "cup" is. It is not 8 ounces, like in the U.S. Rather, they are referring to espresso-sized cups, and I don't know if those are 2 ounces or 3. Additionally, I don't know which size my maker is; it could be a 4-cup or 6-cup size. If I were intent on getting another Bialetti, I could just get the largest size - 10 "cups" - and forget about it. However, Bodum also makes a stovetop model, the largest of which is 24 ounces, effectively doubling my capacity, but at a significantly higher cost than the 10-cup Bialetti. Thus, I don't know if by going with a 10-cup Bialetti, I'll be getting a capacity of 20 ounces or 30, which will be the deciding factor in going between Bialetti and Bodum. Is anybody familiar with European "cups" enough to know the capacity of the Bialetti models? Thanks.

Just for reference, here are the two makers I'm looking at:

Bialetti "Class" 10-cup stovetop model

Bodum (Chambord) 24-ounce stovetop model

[HoratioCaine]

I decided to do a bit more research, but I haven't come up with anything definitive. I contacted Cooking.com, which sells both models I'm considering. The customer service rep I spoke to understood my question, but couldn't come up with an answer; I'll give him credit for trying, staying on the line with me for a good ten to fifteen minutes trying to figure it out. Ultimately, he suggested contacting the U.S. distributor, and I've also e-mailed the manufacturer in Italy. We'll see if either of them can come up with anything. I also found this website, which sells milk-frothing pitchers rated in tazze, and provides conversion to ounces. Their conversion suggests a tazza is approximately 2.6 ounces, but I don't know how accurate that is, since it appears they are rounding to standard ounce-capacity sizes. However, if their conversion is anywhere near correct, it suggests the Bialetter 10-cup maker is rougly the same size as the 24-ounce Bodum maker, making the Bialetti the better deal. It also means my current Bialetti maker is probably a 4-cup model, meaning the 10-cup Bialetti would be a substantial upgrade in size. But again, this isn't conclusive. If anybody can chime in, please do.

[SiBurning]

My favorite coffee as well. Unfortunately, I melted the gasket and am waiting for Bialetti USA to get them back in stock.

Don't know which ones you're comparing, so I'll assume just the basic ones.

There's no standard cup size. You need to compare the actual capacity in oz or liters, but even that's only approximate.

The Bialetti Class (one of the stainless steel models) From http://www.bialettishop.com/
4 Espresso Cup = 8.0 fl.oz / 230ml (max. boiler capacity)
6 Espresso Cup = 10 fl.oz / 300ml (max. boiler capacity)
10 Espresso Cup = 18 fl.oz / 550ml (max. boiler capacity)

Bialetti's standard is the Moka Express (aluminum). I have the 6 cup model.
1 Espresso Cup = 2.0 fl.oz / 60ml (max. boiler capacity)
3 Espresso Cup = 6.5 fl.oz / 200ml (max. boiler capacity)
6 Espresso Cup = 10 fl.oz / 300ml (max. boiler capacity)
9 Espresso Cup = 18.5 fl.oz / 550ml (max. boiler capacity)
12 Espresso Cup =25 fl.oz / 775ml (max. boiler capacity)

From http://www.bodumusa.com/
Bodum's Chambord is sspecified in oz. They come in
6oz (0.18L)
12oz (0.36L)
24oz (0.7L)

Another option I hear a lot about is Bialetti's Brikka. By using more pressure, it makes coffee with a lot of crema, but still not espresso.
2 Espresso Cup = 3.0 fl.oz / 100ml (max. boiler capacity)
4 Espresso Cup = 6.7 fl.oz / 200ml (max. boiler capacity)

You can see how the oz in a cup are just approximate for any of these.

[Luc]

Can't help you much with those, mine is a 2 espresso cups stovetop coffee maker. I get a regular cup out of it, love it. Sure, I can't use it when I have guests but it makes the best.

I tried the big one (12 espresso cups) and, same beans, same water, same time, same stovetop, coffee wasn't as good. The smaller quantity tasted better for some reason...

That's the reason why I never bought a bigger one...

[HoratioCaine]

Thanks, guys. SiBurning, that is just the info I was looking for. I had checked the Bialetti website before posting, but I couldn't find the site you linked to. Their stats definitely help steer my decision. The 10-cup Class probably isn't the way to go, since it would appear my current Class maker is the 6-cup model, meaning the 10-cup wouldn't be that much of a size increase. The Bodum would probably be the better choice, if I wanted to go with a stainless steel design.

Do you (or anybody else) have an opinion on how much better stainless steel is than aluminum for a stovetop coffee maker? Bialetti's largest aluminum Moka pot is 25 ounces and sells for a good deal less than the 18 ounce stainless steel Class pot, and a whole heck of a lot less than the 24 ounce stainless Bodum. The Moka is also made in Italy, whereas the Class is made in India, and the Bodum is made in China, for whatever that's worth.

Luc, that's an interesting point about the larger size not tasting as good. I wonder what accounts for that. In theory, if the proportions are the same, the results should be the same, even at higher volumes. Yet your experience clearly differs. Puzzling.

[Luc]

Thanks, guys. SiBurning, that is just the info I was looking for. I had checked the Bialetti website before posting, but I couldn't find the site you linked to. Their stats definitely help steer my decision. The 10-cup Class probably isn't the way to go, since it would appear my current Class maker is the 6-cup model, meaning the 10-cup wouldn't be that much of a size increase. The Bodum would probably be the better choice, if I wanted to go with a stainless steel design.

Do you (or anybody else) have an opinion on how much better stainless steel is than aluminum for a stovetop coffee maker? Bialetti's largest aluminum Moka pot is 25 ounces and sells for a good deal less than the 18 ounce stainless steel Class pot, and a whole heck of a lot less than the 24 ounce stainless Bodum. The Moka is also made in Italy, whereas the Class is made in India, and the Bodum is made in China, for whatever that's worth.

Luc, that's an interesting point about the larger size not tasting as good. I wonder what accounts for that. In theory, if the proportions are the same, the results should be the same, even at higher volumes. Yet your experience clearly differs. Puzzling.

Agreed, from a logical point of view, same quantity of water/coffee, same temperature should give he same end-result...