How to Relax Over the Weekend, and Warm Up Valentine's Day!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received these products, free of charge,from Trudeau, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about them.

valentines day gift button

One of my old favorite haunts from Marin County, north of San Francisco, was a creperie that opened up within walking distance of my house. We used to adore walking down on a weekend morning and getting a French Press or Espresso pot of coffee brought to our table for savoring prior to the crepes arriving. We had time to relax, talk and share the gorgeous scenery of the mountainside,from the lovely windows. SIGH....

While I can't get that cafe here in Louisiana, I CAN get the great pot of Espresso, made at home. I just need to con somebody else into making the crepes! LOL -they can be SO time consuming! Unfortunately my old Espresso pot died a couple of years ago and I had not replaced it, so when the chance came up to check out the Trudeau line of Espresso products, I was very happy to see if I could recreate that wonderful feeling again!

trudeau espresso maker and cups

The new 16 oz Espresso Maker from Trudeau allows you to make your own morning Espresso in less than 20 minutes. The Maker features a very contemporary stainless steel stove top “true Italian style” design, but at it's heart is the same design that has literally worked for centuries to bring you a greta cup of coffee!

trudeau espresso maker  contents

The Espresso maker comes with everything you see above- the boiling bottom chamber, the coffee filter/percolator (which is housed in the bottom for shipping) and the top chamber that receives the percolated coffee, and holds it for easy serving using the cool-touch, heat-guard handle and top knob.

You simply fill, brew and serve your way to a great pot of coffee!


trudeau espresso maker  bottom chamber and vale

To start, you will the bottom chamber up to the release valve, aka the little gold screw thing on the top. It is important not to overfill, as the relief valve allows for the right amount of cooking pressure!


Then you set in the filter basket you had removed from the bottom chamber, and fill in with your espresso coffee. A note on espresso. There is no such thing as an 'espresso bean'. Espresso coffee is merely PROCESSED differently toi get a much finer grind than what your normally use when preparing drip coffee. Typically they are made from Italian or French Roast beans. In my case, I am used to the strong French Roast (being typical here in Louisiana), so I just use it and grind the beans finer, then store in a marked container, so no one gets it confused with the drip grind.

The idea of the stove top Espresso maker is that the water boils in bottom chamber, creating vaporized pressure that then channels the water up into the interior cylinder, through the coffee grounds, and producing coffee in the upper chamber.


The Espresso maker features an ultra-efficient extraction system, with a silicone gasket to keep the unit sealed while percolating, which you can see in the left of the picture above, under the top chamber.

You screw the top onto the bottom chamber and then put your pot over medium heat, or in my case medium low, making sure that you don't heat the handle (which defeats its cool touch feature!).



Now the part that requires patience. 

Letting your coffee percolate!

As your water boils, it will start the extraction process and you will hear gurgling, and then the percolating. This is not a quick process. In the day of personal cup brewers, we get used to a quick cup of coffee. This is NOT it. Espresso is meant to be savored, and thus it takes time to make. It allows you time to get the rest of your meal/dessert ready! Once you no longer hear the percolating, you can turn off the burner and then give your pot another 30 seconds to finish brewing, before serving.

 This distinctive stainless-steel stove-top espresso maker from Trudeau works like true Italian espresso makers, with sophisticated styling for table service, straight from the stove!


When you drink Espresso, it is VERY strong. You can add steamed milk, or drink it straight, but generally it is served in Espresso cups, which are much smaller than our traditional coffee mugs! The Biana Espresso Cup feature a contemporary design that compliments the Espresso maker, with white porcelain cups and stainless steel trim. They are the perfect way to serve espresso in the morning, or for dessert (which we chose to try first, with Miss Grace's first cheesecake she made by herself, in our little dessert bite saucers!).



As you can see the Espresso Maker makes a very dark and rich cup of Espresso coffee. It is NOT for the feint of heart- but it IS the perfect pick me up to get your day started, or to give you a second wind after dinner for evening activities!

The Espresso Maker and the Espresso cups are both dishwasher safe, making for easy clean up too! Just remember to follow the included instructions for decalcification, to keep your pot working like a charm on every use, especially if you have hard water! 

Both products also have a 5 year warranty (!!!), so you know you are getting quality products from a name you can trust. Both products are available thru Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Cost Plus, Costco, Crate & Barrell, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Kohl's, Marshall's, Meijer, Target and Walmart stores nationwide. Plus you can check their store locator for additional locations near you!

Be sure to check out Trudeau on their social media links, for specials, new items and great entertaining ideas and recipes: FacebookTwitter,  Pinterest,  and  Instagram! Their Youtube videos help you to use their equipment and offer more advice!

If you're looking for a way to slow down on the weekends, or to give a gift this valentine's Day that says how much you savor time with your sweetheart, this is the set for you!


About Trudeau

As a leading supplier of quality kitchenware and tabletop accessories in North America since 1889 (they started in Montreal), this 4th generation family company offers a wide range of products, such as kitchen tools and gadgets, porcelain tableware, glassware, pepper mills, barware, coffee and tea accessories, fondues and party grills, thermal products and children’s tableware.t's time to cook the simple way, with tools that will make preparing meals a breeze! It's easier than you think. We promise

Comments

  1. Hi! Thank you for the great review of our client, Trudeau's product. Have a wonderful afternoon and enjoy a warm cup of espresso.

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