Making Cappuccino's in the Wild

So we messed with the ROK Cappuccino Maker and the ROK Coffee grinder prior to leaving for a week of camping in the Mojave Desert. We found the grinder and the the Cap maker worked perfectly. We used the Aerolatte Foam buzzer in the 140 deg. soy milk to froth it. the poured it over the freshly made espresso shot with nice crema on the top. Definitely took us from K-Mart grade to Macy's for sure. We will likely start using a high grade of pre ground espresso roast to cut down the mess and fuss in the trailer. Thanks for all the help!

Thanks for all the help with this. We ordered the ROK Coffee Grinder(very excited about this tool) and the ROK Espresso Machine. I think this will take us from "Big Lots" grade coffee to the "Williams and Sonoma" grade. I will report back as soon as a have it in hand.

That's a fair price. Look to coffee forums for user tips. The most common one is to overfill the chamber with water. Then bring the handles up very slowly to allow the air bubbles to escape. Pre-infusion is very important to wet the puck. Light pressure for about 10 seconds, then go for it. Do a couple of boiling water flushes before the first shot of the day. This warms the group and portafilter. Nothing worse than a cold shot!

Looks like I can order it on Amazon for $177.00-ish

nightshift wrote:
Vintage, we had two different versions of stove top espresso makers and they both produced equally bad coffee. The definition of espresso: "Coffee brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans." The problem with stove top machines is that they force low pressure steam and boiling water through the coffee puck, ruining the brew. Sacrilege! We finally found boondocking espresso nirvana when we bought this. The inventor won a design award years ago in London. Now we have an unusually high number of visitors in the morning when we're at the lake! Don't forget the aerolatte.

I believe that is the ticket! I can heat the soymilk on the stove top carefully, then use the little buzzer to foam it and the Rok thing for espresso! No 110v! Perfect!

Thanks!

Vintage, we had two different versions of stove top espresso makers and they both produced equally bad coffee. The definition of espresso: "Coffee brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans." The problem with stove top machines is that they force low pressure steam and boiling water through the coffee puck, ruining the brew. Sacrilege! We finally found boondocking espresso nirvana when we bought this. The inventor won a design award years ago in London. Now we have an unusually high number of visitors in the morning when we're at the lake! Don't forget the aerolatte.

JiminDenver wrote:
What do you think creates the inconsistency or how is it inconsistent?

Well there are a couple variables. The amount of water is measured, so that's stable. The Soy Milk is measured so it's stable. The temp of the soy milk when it's poured in the unit is out of fridge so that's stable. The coffee measurement is the least accurate of all the elements. They just say to fill the little hopper thing level and don't pack it. The grind of the coffee can change things but we were using a consistent fine espresso grind. The instructions say when the button "pops" it will take 10-15 seconds to push the espresso up the unit into the frothing chamber. Sometimes it's acceptable(not great) and sometimes it separates and tastes bitter. Real surprising cause the little unit seems to be well thought out and certainly is not a piece of junk. We have tried to keep the heat the same too. Just don't get it. But we have found that we have a little 110v milk frother that my bride can toss two Starbucks Via's into it and some soy milk and let 'er rip. Makes her a frothy cappuccino type thing that is decent enough for her and is consistent. I will need to get a 1000w inverter to power this little dude though.

What do you think creates the inconsistency or how is it inconsistent?

NYCgrrl wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:
So, just to set the record straight, I drink what Juan Valdez drinks....Black Coffee, strong, no sugar My wife, however, that is a different story. She needs a Soy Cappuccino in the morning. We don't usually hook up to 110v so having a regular Cappuccino maker is not a good option. We've been using this thing called a Mukka Express from France that boils water, forces it up through some espresso grind coffee, through some kind of a devise that "pops" and foams the soymilk in the top. It is OK, but the biggest problem we have with it is the lack of consistency. So, my idea of perfect would be something that can work off the stove top. A small 110v cappuccino maker could be an option if I set up some kind of inverter, but my biggest problem with that is there is very little room for luxuries like that in our trailer as it is a 24' (tongue to bumper) bumper pull.

Thanks!

I'm a little confused. Are you saying the Mukka you have now works on the stovetop and you want one that functions via electricity OR you want a different stovetop version?
Sorry, I prolly haven't had enough tea yet.

The Mukka does not really make the Cappuccino to my wife's satisfaction. Occasionally it will make an "acceptable" cup according to my wife. I think if we could always get an "acceptable cup", she would be OK with it. It just seems to make it different each time even though we are real careful with our steps. So if there was a different stove top maker I would be interested. If someone has set up a mini 110v set up I would be interested (especially if it was powered off an inverter)in that too.

That's one of the reasons for the taller cup. :)

I have learned that backing off the heat once the pot gets going helps. Some suggest removing it from the heat all together.