Best Coffee Maker under $50

After a lot of experimentation to find the perfect cup of coffee, without a heavy price tag, my journey is complete - I've found the best coffee maker (in my opinion).

I'm passionate about coffee and very fussy about how it's made. For me it's a triple expresso, extra hot cappuccino.

I've been on a journey to find the perfect cup. I've tried filter coffee makers, top of the range fully automated coffee machines and the French Press. How the milk is frothed is also very important and I've experimented with different gadgets to get the best lasting froth. Here I'm going to tell you that making a "Good Cup of Coffee" (froth and all), does not need to break the bank.

We have an all singing, all dancing Gaggia coffee machine at home. I love it. It's one of the automated ones so you just have to add the beans (no need to pre-grind them), fill up the water tank, place cup in position and press the button. Et Voila..the coffee is made. If you like coffee with a taste of frothy milk, the arm on the side of the unit can sort that out for you. The result I can assure you is a very good cup of coffee. Espresso machines are expensive, however, and require cleaning out the drip tray and descaling every so often so there is maintenance overhead.

I went on to try and achieve a good coffee from a cafetiere and filter coffee (drip) machine. Yes, the coffee may have been good but what you can't achieve with these is the strength of flavour you get from the espresso machine. That requires pressure. The filter and cafetiere devices cannot create an espresso. So if you like lattes, cappuccinos and mochas you may forget it.

While at university my Italian housemate made fresh coffee every morning using a device I'd never seen before. She would fill the base up with water, insert the coffee filter, spoon in some ground coffee, screw the top on and place it on the stove for several minutes. The result - a beautful, yet simply achieved, espresso. The stove top coffee maker she used was a moka pot, macchinetta (small machine) or Italian Coffee Pot.

I've since tried it for myself and know that I have finally found what I was looking for - a cheap coffee maker that produces a good quality strong espresso and that I can easily carry with me when I'm travelling. This machine has all that to offer.

The Moka Pot uses steam pressurised water to prepare the coffee. It was invented back in 1933 by Luigi De Ponti, owner of Alfonso Bialetti. Bialetti are still around today producing these marvellous small, very effordable and portable coffee machines.

I like to make a cappuccino from the espresso produced by the Moka Pot.

For those not familiar with how to make a cappuccino from the espresso, it's basically just a matter of pouring in some hot milk and then froth on top. A cappuccino should be a 1/3 espresso, 1/3 hot milk and 1/3 froth. To top it off you can sprinkle cinammon or chocolate powder.

I've tried the hand held milk frother with the spinning end (you know the type I mean) but I find it awkward to use and the froth doesn't last that well. You also require batteries to power it.

My breakthrough in my search came when I went skiing in Italy 3 years ago. In a household shop I discovered a different type of milk frother - it was like a jug with a manual, mesh pump. It was reasonably priced so I decided I'd give it a go. Firstly, I heated the milk in a cup in the microwave and then transferred this to the milk frother jug, put the lid/pump in place and started gently pumping the handle. In no time at all the milk had transformed in to a beautiful, creamy, lasting froth. Exactly what I was looking for.

Now I've found the perfect coffee maker and milk frother.

I'm really excited to share this, but I've found a set on Amazon that contains the milk frother and Moka pot - the Complete Package for my "Good Cup of Coffee" conquest. It's under $50 and can't recommend it enough.

Don't just take my word for it...read the 71 5 star reviews.

The Moka Pot comes in different sizes. The one in the package above is 6 cup. There is also a 3 cup version.

Also, for those that don't want to rely on using a stove there is an electrical version available, albeit more expensive. I've actually own both the stove top and the electrical version.

The coffee used with the Moka Pot needs to be Ground. Lavazza are a good quality Italian coffee worth trying.