The only thing I really have missed from life ashore is my lovely espresso machine and its fantastic cappuccino.
Unfortunately, the limited kitchen space does not provide room for a large coffee machine. We also don’t always have enough power to be able to supply it.
Here, almost five years after moving aboard, I have found a solution that both takes little room and, to my taste, makes a good Cappuccino.
First I tried a regular cheap electric milk frother. But I couldn’t adjust the amount of foam and got way too much.
Then I have had a Bialetti Mukka Expresso cappuccino pot for several years. At first I used it with coffee beans, but it wasn’t great. Then I removed the coffee filter and mixed instant coffee into the milk. It has worked well for a few years, but it often happened that it foamed over before I could react. It broke recently and was sold out all around. So I went in search of another solution.
There are two secrets behind a good Cappuccino.
A good expresso
A milk frother that can make a rich hot milk, with an appropriate amount of foam.
A good espresso instant coffee is not quite as good as freshly made espresso made from freshly ground beans, but absolutely usable and easy.
Milk froth does not necessarily require a steam nozzle, the Bialetti milk frother shown in the picture does it almost as well with the help of a gas burner and manual power. Before foaming, I mix in instant coffee and a little sugar.
And on top of that, it is easy to deal with and easy to clean.