Bialetti Moka Express 6-Cup Stovetop Percolator

I used one of these years ago when I was a student... now that I can afford to, was planning on buying an expensive espresso machine but after getting overwhelmed at "too many" options on the market, I opted for the classic instead. I have to say, this thing still makes a great cup of espresso. I like to prepare mine "con leche" style with warmed milk. It tastes awesome!

The only downside to this style percolator is that it needs to be "monitored"- meaning you have to keep an eye on it to know when it is done percolating and also never leave it on the flame for longer than it needs.

I have been using the small pot for about 5 years now and I will never use anything else but Bialetti. Use with good coffee and it blows Starbucks away. You will find that you like a certain amount of coffee grinds and maybe a certain level of water and you will consistently get the best cup of coffee you ever had. The exterior shiny polish will soon go to an ugly patina but who cares, right. I have thought about getting the larger version but there is something about brewing a fresh cup every time that is appealing and definitely delicious. I throw it on the stove on full blast and have never had any bad results. Never had to replace a seal or anything. If you will be making coffee for more than one person get the larger size. The small makes just enough for one mug full. The cups Bialetti quotes are espresso sized (small). Takes 4 min for a new pot. Take it off as soon as you hear it percolating-you will soon know the sound well. Just hand wash and set aside disassembled and allow to dry. Its a lot simpler than it sounds. very easy. Enjoy!

I buy the Starbuck's espresso roast coffee (at Walmart for $7 or $8!) and use it in my Moka. I LOVE IT! I think it tastes just as good, if not BETTER than starbucks. I can't believe how rich and strong the coffee turns out! I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ESPRESSO LOVERS!
****Make sure to keep the stove at the lowest heat possible though! I heat it at 5 (a little less than medium heat) at the most. It takes about 5-10 minutes to make the coffee. If I heat up my filtered water a little (to take the chill off) before I put it in the Moka Express, it heats up and makes the coffee faster (more like 5 minutes)

I've had the 3-cup model for 5 years, using it on average 3-4 times per week. It makes absolutely fantastic espresso and I've become so spoiled that I don't care much for espresso in coffee shops any more. It's quick, simple and wonderful! One caution that several reviewers mentioned -- make SURE it is COMPLETELY dry before storing away. My wife put it away several times without it being completely dry and now I have that "corrosion" that a few reviewers have mentioned. As long as it's dry - COMPLETELY dry - this won't happen. BUT, even though I'll now be ordering a new (and bigger) one, 5 years from an inexpensive little pot that has blown me away with its coffee quality isn't bad at all. For now, I've found that if I scrub out the interior with a steel wool SOS pad before using it, I'm getting by until I get a new one. I LOVE this pot! My advice -- buy one now! Oh, for a really special treat, put a small piece of lemon rind in the cup before pouring in the coffee. HEAVEN!

I got this percolator last Saturday, and have been using it since (for 5 days).

Pros: Great coffee. I make 2-cup espresso. Then I make 1 mug cup of Americano and 1 mug cup of either Cappuccino or Mocha. I put the percolator on my simmering burner (which is the smallest I have), and put it on low medium heat. It still only takes about 10 min. I don't get "crema", but hey, I still get a great Americano and Cappuccino.

Cons: I don't mind cleaning up. But yesterday I forgot to clean it. This morning when I opened it up, I noticed some foam in the bottom of the percolator. Maybe some sort of chemical reaction with the acid in the coffee? It's discolored now, and has a metallic smell.

I'm going to try Bialetti's stainless steel version of this. Otherwise I really like this product.