BialettiMoka Express Iconic Italian Stovetop Espresso Maker (Black, 3 Cups)

The media could not be loaded. A friend of mine showed me her Bialetti moka pot in silver and I liked it so much that I decided to order this one. The current price of $36.86 plus tax is pricey but typical. She even paid $8 less than I did but the price on Amazon fluctuates and this particular color is more expensive. It is also perfect for Christmas time even though these are the colors of the Italian flag.This pot comes in three pieces (five pieces if I consider the filter and filter ring separate). The filter and filter ring are shown separately in the documentation but I could not remove them; although one day I'll need to replace it with this. In fact, I ordered a new filter when I purchased this not realizing I didn't need it.Before use this pot has to be primed (four times). First, it should be used (heated) with just water then dumped. The remaining three times it should be brewed with coffee and then the coffee dumped. Once the unit is primed, it is ready to use.After priming, I brewed regular coffee on low and it was done in a few minutes. It is perfect for espresso (not as good as what comes out of an espresso machine but close enough). As long as I remember to warm my milk after I froth it, it makes a good cappuccino by just pouring the brewed coffee on top of the foam or adding the foam on top of the coffee (either / or).Note that I also ordered these filters to lay on top of the grinds (and wetting it lightly) but my order for that hasn't arrived yet. This will help keep some of the sediment out of the brewed coffee.IMPORTANT TO NOTE:- This supposedly makes 3 cups but the "cup" size is actually the tiny espresso cups (demitasse cups). Since this holds only about 4 ounces of water below the safety valve, I actually consider this as making 2 espresso cups. Each demistasse cup holds a little over 2 ounces of coffee.- This needs to be primed before use as mentioned above.- This pot only gets rinsed with water and never washed.- The coffee grinds should not be packed down as one would do with an espresso machine. They should only be loosely sitting in the "funnel."- Only regular grind coffee should be used. Espresso coffee (which is a finer ground) should NEVER be used with this pot as it will clog the filter.- It's best to use with a lower flame below the pot. Lifting the lid during brewing may make a mess. I tried lifing the lid and during the end of the brew cycle, the coffee explodes out like a volcano. The lid prevents this.In summary, I love my moka pot. It is a piece of functional art that allows me to brew "almost espresso" at the drop of a hat very quickly.UPDATE Dec 18, 2024 - I am using this pot regularly and love it. As I mentioned above, my order for these filters finally came in. I ordered that because another reviewer recommended them and I am sorry I did. I put this on top of the grinds and wet it lightly, but I didn't like the results. First of all, the coffee came out exactly as it always did and there was still some sediment in the bottom of the brewed coffee. Secondly, the pot ran hot and steamy. I may try these filters one more time but I honestly wish I never ordered those filters for this pot. It was a waste of money to me not to mention the scariness of having the pot run under more pressure than expected.

I bought this for my girlfriend and she loves it. As long as you don't fill past the overkill valve there are no leaks. We use it to make our morning latte's and we can't be happier with the taste and strength. Pop in on the stove and you'll have espresso in about 10 mins so it's pretty fast. We drink a lot of coffee so I would've gone with larger size but this one is good for one person otherwise you'll be brewing multiple kettles. Very easy to use and save us a trip to a regular coffe shop.

It's the classic Moka Pot. The coffee is strong. This has been a good replacement for my 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning. Good for one person. It's a little annoying needing to babysit the Moka Pot while it's brewing, but it only takes a few minutes. It hardly takes any time to set up. I've followed the instructions each time and gotten consistent results. I love that all I need to buy repeatedly is the coffee. Saves me money. Once it's seasoned, it's low maintenance too. It's easy to store and doesn't take up much space. The only downside is that I need to buy a bigger one for when we have company. But they're not that expensive so it's not a huge deal.

I bought the 6 cup version. First, please know its not 6 -(8oz) cups. It’s more like 6 full shots. This size of pot will make just over a full measuring cup (8 -10oz) of coffee. Solid built. Not thin materials. I tried another brand that looked nearly the same but it did not perform as well and no matter how hard I tightened the pot onto the bottom water reservoir, it still sputtered and leaked water. I returned it and bought the Bialetti. It made wonderful espresso (I use illy dark roast ground Intenso). Some say to not press the ground coffee into the holder, but I did apply gentle pressure to mine - not hard tamping like you would with the more expensive espresso machines, just a gentle press. I found the espresso came out a bit richer tasting.Because the rubber seal in the first Moka pot of another brand I bought did not seal well, I researched and learned that many people replace the original seal with a silicone seal of which I have provided a picture of with this review. I highly recommend purchasing and replacing the seal that comes with the Bialetti. Not that it was bad, but I didn’t want to take any chances with it and there was zero leaking or sputtering from the the sides of the moka pot with the new seal. Well worth it.Though you don’t have to, I preheat my water in my water kettle then pour it into the moka pot not to exceed the level of the pressure valve inside the water reservoir.Next, I fill to the brim the ground coffee holder gently pressing down on the coffee and then topping it off till its level with the edge. Make sure there is no coffee grounds on the rim because you want a tight seal.Place the coffee grounds holder into the water reservoir taking care because the reservoir will be hot to touch. I use a dish rag to hold onto it while I screw the top carafe part on. Make sure its on tight.Next, I place it on my burner, medium high temp. Make sure the handle part is not over the flame or heat and just put it at the edge of your cooktop burner. You don’t want it burning. It takes about 2 min or so for the carafe to fill. When its done you will hear sputtering sound. I will lift the lid just enough to see if any more coffee is coming out of the tube inside. Usually there isn’t and its done.Remove from heat being careful to keep fingers on the black handle only as steam can escape at the lid hinge and let it sit for about 1 minute. Then pour and enjoy! Let the moka pot cool down before unscrewing it or just use a rag to hold it and unscrew it if you need another pot right away.This pot made excellent espresso like I drank in Italy, Prague, and Budapest. I initially bought it to have a way to make coffee if I lost power…can use a Coleman camper stove or your gas ran stove top.Its easy to clean, just rinse out with warm water and dry with a paper towel or rag. No soap!!! Some people don’t ever rinse theirs out but I found my espresso tasted better if I rinsed it all out with water only.I hope this helps someone! Enjoy your coffee!