This thing is awful! Don't buy it

Read First Before Buy Bialetti Express 3 Cup Stovetop Espresso

First off, I have to state that I've never used one of these before. After reading all of the reviews I was on a quest to some what duplicate our favorite coffe drinks from Scooters and Starbucks. I ordered 'used' listed as 'like new' condition. This showed up in perfect condition. So I was happy as I only spent $16 on it. But would not be disappointed at all if I spent full price for new. If this broke I would buy another one. Although looking at the design, I'm not sure what could possibly break on this thing :D

First and foremost, run some coffe through it a few times to help break it in. It seems to get better each time you use it. I only rinse it out now after each use with plain water. Now on to what I've learned so far:

1. Reading the reviews about full rich flavor of espresso, I was excited. But my first few batches tasted horrible. I tried various tips listed in reviews and also online about making espresso. All I can say is, have patience and experiment. I went from course grinds, to finer, then finer. Tried not packing them down to packing them down a bit. Each yield a different result. For now I've settled with grinding fine and tamping down a bit.

2. The heat makes a difference!!!! First few batches, I had it up towards high. This is on a flat stove which does work just fine. Coffe tasted like it was burned. Finally learned to just give it a few more minutes on medium. Now I put it on medium which is the half way point between the lowest setting and the highest. This seems to work fine. Although I'm still experimenting with the heat to make sure the water goes through the grinds not too slow, not too fast.

3. Take it off the heat when you hear the gurgling. It's finished. And it will even work if you take it off when the top portion is mostly full. Then you avoid any burning.

4. Try different beans! I bought Starbucks espresso dark roast. These mimic the taste of the drink my wife likes. I also like the taste. For the fun of it, I tried some of our drip coffe pre-ground beans. That worked also, but was pretty bitter. All in all, the way you grind, the type of beans, and the heat, and other factors play a part in the taste. Fine what you like and go with it.

5. If you like Starbucks, go there and order just a single shot or two of Espresso and taste it. Then go home and taste it against what you are making with this. I did this with Scooters and was really happy that the shot they gave me tasted like the stuff I was making at home. The point being, whether or not Starbucks or whatever chain is considered real coffe, the fact is, if you or a loved one is addicted to what they serve for $5 a pop, then it's worth it to compare. That way you know. Because 99% of the time, the drinks people are ordering from these places have a shot or two of espresso. I was able to mimic my favoriate Scooters drink. But I wasn't sure at first if my espresso was tasting right just plain. After comparing, I know what I make at home is right.

Now here is the other thing I am finding. I enjoy drinking the espresso straight. It just has a certain flavor to it and the smell is great. Heck, I could see just making a cup and leaving it sit out in our home. You walk in and it smells like a coffe shop.

I am very happy with this purchase and have been using it everyday once or more times a day. I have nothing against the coffe chains as they make some great drinks. But it's nice being able to make them at home and not spend the $$$ to get a good drink. You can find ways to mimic various drinks. With the milk for example, take a mason jar (without the lid), then microwave it for a minute or two. Then take it out, put the lid on, and shake it for a bit. Now you have the likes of steamed milk and froth. You can pour with a spoon blocking the froth. Then scoop out the froth to put on top of the drink. Pretty cool.

Hope this was useful!

Get your Bialetti Express 3 Cup Stovetop Espresso Now!