How bad can those aluminium moka pots be for you?

[Terje]

Was at this coffee shop yesterday and I think he was really trying to sell me a stainless steel moka pot. He kept babbling about aluminium and Alzheimer's. Is there even a proven link?

In any case, as we kept talking about the pros and cons about the different pots he (I think accidentally) admits that the aluminium pots are better for the taste since the top gets heated up pretty quickly and the coffee never comes pouring down while the top is still colod, that you actually have to heat the top up if you're using a stainless steel moka pot.

Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on this?

[phil]

I believe that the link between Alzheimers and aluminium is indeed not proven - but I avoid the stuff anyway.

[zix]

I heard from another dealer that some moka pots are better than others and that Bialettis moka pots are the best, and quite harmless in this respect because they don't leak aluminium into the water. Probably a load of bull*?#, since he was so obviously trying to sell me a Brikka, but he might be right about different varieties of aluminium corroding more or less.
I have a Brikka, and judging by the looks of both the bottom and the top half, our water sure makes the Brikka ugly. Since I don't use it everyday I don't care about it, but for everyday use I would avoid it.
Stainless moka pots cooling down the coffee? Sheesh, well perhaps they do, I have never noticed. Perhaps I would notice if I could let the coffee stay in the moka pot, but I can't - I usually pour it before the coffee has stopped running.
What I have noticed, on the other hand, is that my stainless Vev looks a lot better after 4 years use than the Brikka did after the fourth time I used it. And to be honest, in my opinion carefully made s/s moka pot coffee tastes just as good - but not the same - as the Brikka moka coffee, and better than traditional aluminium moka pot coffee.

[Jo2]

some moka pots are better than others

From what i understand is that most aluminum moka-pots are welded when the bialetti mokapots are "poured" (probably not the right english word but try to imagine)...

[JulieJayne]

I doubt it that any are welded, but I will check those that we have in our shop tomorrow. Mostly I think it is just that Bialetti and some other "good" names pay more attention to detail and the cheaper ones have sharp metal edges, easy to cut yourself on.

[Steve]

I'm not sure about others but Bialettis are cast.

Steve

[GeorgeW]

Of the seven moka pots I have, all alu, all are cast. I've had a few s/s pots but most are let down by flimsy hinges. S/s does tend to develop "hot-spots" as opposed to alu which has a superior heat distribution pattern. No evidence has been found re the leakng of alu into the water and certainly no harmful effects hve been proved to exist. I think it's difficult, if not impossible to compare espresso with coffee made by the stove-top method. Both fill a particular need at a particular time but really it's apples and oranges as far as comparisons.

[quink]

I'm not sure weather its the aluminium itself or the oxideied white stuff that is supposed to be the culprit, but my old mans Bialetti does produce little white spots of corrosion inside the bottom chamber after its been left to dry.

[kingseven]

I think the Alzheimer's scare was something to do with similar looking brain ganglion or something like that.

I don't like the aluminium ones just cos they feel cheap, but then I don't much like anything that comes out of a Moka pot. Buy a Kona or something more amusing!

[fiend]

That is a stunning roseta

[steves]

That is a stunning roseta

Amazing what you can do with Photoshop