GROSCHE Milano 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker Review
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Scored- Best for: buyers who want color choices and a comfortable handle on a standard aluminum pot.
- Drawback: it does not work on induction, durability reports are mixed, and it costs more than budget aluminum pots with a similar design.
- Skip it if: you cook on induction, or you want the lowest possible cost.
The GROSCHE Milano is an anodized aluminum moka pot that sells on color options and a comfortable handle. It costs more than the cheapest aluminum pots, which look much the same, so the question is whether the extras are worth it. This review is based on the manufacturer's specs, the retailer listing and published reviews, not on our own bench work. The short version: it is a good-looking, easy-to-live-with pot for gas and electric stoves, held back by mixed durability reports, a small basket and no induction support.
What it is
The Milano is a classic Italian-style moka pot. Water goes in the bottom chamber, heat builds steam pressure, and that pressure pushes hot water up through a basket of ground coffee into the top chamber. The Amazon listing describes this version as a 6-cup pot made of food-grade anodized aluminum, holding 9.3 ounces. It comes in 3, 6, 9 and 12 cup sizes, and this review covers the 6-cup.
The brand is Canadian, and its own Milano page says the pot is made of food-safe, quality aluminum. The listing also highlights a premium silicone gasket in the standard 6-cup size, and a safety valve marked as made in Italy. Only the valve is stated as Italian-made. The listing does not say where the rest of the pot is made, so do not read "Made in Italy" as covering the whole thing.
If you are new to moka pots, remember what "cup" means in this format. Moka cups are small, espresso-sized servings, so a 6-cup pot makes a modest amount of strong coffee, not six mugs.
Design and handle
The listing describes a soft-touch handle with a burn guard. The brand says the handle is a soft touch design with a built-in burn guard. The brand also calls the valve a certified Italian safety valve. Those are the three features that matter most for daily safety: a handle that stays comfortable, a guard for your hand, and a valve that vents if pressure builds up too far.
Published reviewers also liked the handle. America's Test Kitchen noted a cool wooden handle and a wide base, and Homes & Gardens called the handle comfortable and liked the range of colors. Color options are the Milano's clearest selling point. Most moka pots are plain silver, and this one gives you a choice if the pot will sit out on your stove.
The wide base is worth a note. A wider base can spread heat more evenly across the bottom chamber, and America's Test Kitchen listed it as a plus. Whether that pays off at home depends on your burner size, so match the pot to a burner that is not much smaller than the base.
Stovetop compatibility
This is the section that matters most if you are comparing pots.
The Amazon listing says it works on gas, electric and propane camping stoves. It adds that the pot will heat very slowly on an induction glass-top, because aluminum is not magnetic. The brand is more direct. The brand states that it does not work on induction stoves. The brand also says it is designed to brew on all stove top types except induction.
Those two statements are not quite the same, but they point the same way. If you have induction, do not buy this pot. A very slow heat-up is a poor experience, and the brand itself says it is not meant for that use.
There is a separate stainless steel version, the Milano Steel, which is made for induction. It is currently unavailable on Amazon, so we cannot point you to it. For induction-friendly stainless pots and what to look for in them, browse the kitchen picks in our Home & Living section.
How it brews, according to published reviews
We have not brewed with this pot, so here is what the published reviews say, attributed to each source.
America's Test Kitchen found the coffee rich, which is the best result a moka pot can get. It also reported that the pot brewed more slowly than some others, carried a risk of a burnt taste, spurted, and had a lid that slammed shut. Those are common moka pot complaints, and several of them depend on technique as well as the pot. Burnt flavor in particular often comes from leaving the pot on high heat after the brew has finished.
Homes & Gardens liked the colors and the comfortable handle but found the filter basket small and the coffee weaker. That is a real tradeoff. A small basket holds less coffee grounds, and less ground coffee generally means a milder cup. If you like it strong, you may need to fill the basket carefully and keep the grind consistent.
Tasting Table described the pot as light and good value, with mixed durability. Mixed durability is the phrase that should make you pause. It does not say the pot fails, but it does say experiences vary. Anodized aluminum is meant to resist wear better than bare aluminum, but we have no information on how long this particular finish lasts, and we will not claim any.
Taken together, the published picture is a pot that makes a decent, rich cup when handled well, with some friction in the form of slow brewing, small baskets and uneven long-term reports.
Gasket and upkeep
The pot uses a silicone gasket in the standard 6-cup size. That is useful, because standard sizing means replacement gaskets are easy to find. The brand sells replacement gaskets and recommends changing them every 6 to 12 months. That lines up with the general advice to replace the gasket about once a year, or sooner if the pot starts to leak around the seam.
For cleaning, the brand says hand wash only. The brand states that the pot is not dishwasher safe. Aluminum pots of any kind tend to darken and dull in a dishwasher, so follow that guidance. Rinse the pot by hand, dry it completely and store it with the lid slightly open.
Using it well
These are general moka pot practices, not claims about this specific pot.
- Fill the water chamber up to the valve, not over it.
- Use a medium grind. Avoid a very fine espresso grind, which can clog the basket.
- Level the grounds in the basket but do not tamp them.
- Use moderate heat and keep the lid open so you can watch the stream.
- Remove the pot from the heat at the first gurgle.
- Never leave the pot unattended on a hot burner.
A moka pot's steam pressure is roughly 1 to 2 bar, compared with about 9 bar for an espresso machine. That is why moka coffee is strong but does not produce true espresso crema. If espresso itself is your goal, a stovetop pot gets you close in strength, not in texture. If you take your coffee with milk, our milk frother review covers an inexpensive add-on for the same routine.
How it compares
The Milano's design is a standard moka pot, and several cheaper aluminum pots follow the same shape. What you pay extra for is the color range, the soft-touch handle and the branding around the safety valve. If none of those matter to you, a budget aluminum pot will make the same style of coffee, though published reviews of budget pots, including the IMUSA 6-cup, point to their own build and brewing issues. If those details do matter, the Milano is easier to like.
If you want a pot you can use on any stove and expect to last, stainless steel is the usual answer. Stainless pots generally cost more than aluminum, but they work on induction, which this one does not.
Who should buy it
Buy it if you cook on gas or electric, you want a pot in a color other than silver, and you value a comfortable handle with a burn guard. It also suits a small kitchen where the pot will be on display.
Skip it if you cook on induction. The brand says it does not work, and the listing says it will heat very slowly.
Skip it if you want the strongest cup possible and are put off by the small basket noted by Homes & Gardens, or if you need a pot that is known to last. The mixed durability remark from Tasting Table is a reason to buy from a seller with an easy return policy.
Bottom line
The GROSCHE Milano 6-cup is a pleasant, good-looking aluminum moka pot with a standard silicone gasket, an Italian-made safety valve and a handle that reviewers found comfortable. It is held back by its lack of induction support, a small basket that may brew weaker coffee, slow brewing and uneven durability reports. It also costs more than budget aluminum alternatives with a similar design.
Choose it for the colors and the handle, on a gas or electric stove, and treat the long-term durability as an open question. If you need induction, look elsewhere.
Product details come from the manufacturer's page, the retailer listing and published reviews, and can change. Check the current listing before you buy.
