Moka pot for real espresso: 9Barista Espresso Machine

Espresso upside down

This isn't about a coffee machine that's somehow supposed to replace the classic espresso machine. 9BaristaEspresso Machine actually prepares espresso as you know it. It may beupside down, but it does.

It was all born in the mind ofBritish engineer William Playford. While working on his PhD at the famed Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge, outside of his time studying jet engines, he was trying to figure out a way to make real espresso in a compact, portable device.

He had a plan in his head for a coffee machine similar to a mocha pot. But despite its many advantages, it also had 2 major disadvantages:

The water passing through the coffee is too hot to make espresso.
The water never reaches the pressure of 9bar necessary for extraction.

William spent a long time developing and testing until after 5 years he arrived at the final product. He unveiled it on kickstarter.com and 216 users have subscribed to his 9Barista coffee maker. With their help, he then started his own production and it is now in its 3rd year.

What does the 9Barista espresso pot look like?

The big advantage of the 9BaristaEspresso Machine is the almost complete brass finish. Except for the spring valve inside, it contains no moving parts. It is thus very durable and will be with you for a very long time.

Its height is 18 cm. It weighs approximately 1.8 kg, which is not a little. But it's still a weight that doesn't prevent transporting almost anywhere. The thought of having a real espresso machine in your backpack will definitely lighten your load.

But make no mistake. 9BaristaEspresso Machine is not just for travel. It is a coffee machine that will be an extraordinary part of your home coffee equipment. What canwe say, it willabsolutely shine with its design on your kitchen counter or shelf.

How does the 9Barista espresso machine work?

In the first boiler the water is heated to about 179 ºC, reaching a pressure of 9bar. At that point, the spring valve opens and the water passes into the spiral heat exchanger.

There it is cooled to 100°C, while still maintaining the necessary pressure.

The water then passes through another heat exchanger where it is cooled to 93 °C. After that, only a basket of freshly ground coffee stands in its way and above it a teapot into which the finished espresso flows against gravity.

With the stylish wooden handle you pour the coffee into the cup and enjoy it.

The 9Barista will work on electric, gas and induction stoves or cookers.

As a nice and necessary accessory we can't fail to mention the original 9Baristatamper.

The 9Barista mocha espresso pot: who will buy it?

The coffee maker is designed for those who want to enjoy espresso everywhere and without compromise. If you like espresso and at the same time minimalism and independence, this may be the only coffee machine you own.

The next group will be us - coffee geeks. We may not make coffee on it daily, but it will be one of those coffee gadgets that we just have to have at home and cuddle with from time to time.

Compared to portable handheld espresso machines, it has a big advantage in that the water is heated right in the body of the machine and youdon't have to fiddle with it while brewing.

You can thus prepare coffee in it in practically the same way as in a moka pot.

The disadvantage may be the relatively high price. But considering that it is British handmade and the coffee maker is designed to last with you a lifetime, the investment is definitely worth it.