Product Description
Stainless steel, stovetop espresso maker produces 4 demitasse cups of rich, authentic Italian espresso in just 4-5 minutes.
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Product Details
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Customer Reviews
Review 1:
I've owned a 6-cup "Moka Pot" for a couple years and recently purchased the Bialetti Musa 4-cup stovetop perconlator for $39 from amazon.
Moka Pot: Your standard Italian stovetop percolator that will last forever despite cheap construction. About $6 from the second-hand store, and very easy to find. Unfortunately, they're a bit more work -- the aluminum construction results in a metallic taste if not properly cleaned. The "proper" way to clean it is to use only hot water and leave the oily coffee film in the pot (to coat the aluminum and provide a barrier). So, it provides increasing returns if *not* cleaned. :)
Bialetti: Stainless steel -- easy cleanup, can use soapy water, no metallic taste. Harder to find (check amazon, health-food stores). Mine arrived via Amazon.com yesterday, no metal shavings or grease (as an earlier reviewer experienced).
As other reviewers have pointed out, the "4-Cup" version does 6-8 oz of espresso, so that's like that Starbucks "Venti" wonder that you're trying to avoid.
Here's an easy recipe that should kick you out the door in the morning:
6-8 oz espresso from Stovetop (1 Moka Pot)
1-2 Tbsp of sugar
6-8 oz of half-n-half
Throw it in the microwave for 30s, some like it hot.
Review 2:
I received the Musa as a wedding gift 4 years ago and have used it nearly EVERY MORNING since. It has held up extremely well to regular use- I have only had to replace the rubber seal/gasket once so far and there is a small 1/2" crack on the top of the handle. I even take it on trips since it is so small! I rinse it after each use and clean it with a paper towel and mild dish soap and water about once a month or so- if you have hard water you can end up with a bit of calcium buildup in the bottom reservoir- a bit of watered-down CLR left to sit for an hour or so will clear it right up (rinse well!!). Highly Recommended.
Review 3:
I love coffee and own many different methods to brew it, french press, drip percolator, Aeropress, stovetop percolator and now the Musa.
I originally purchased the aluminum Bialetti moka pot but exchanged it for this Musa stainless steel version. The negative reviews had me nervous about the quality of the stainless steel models but thankfully these negatives were unfounded. My Musa pot arrived in pristine condition without grease or metal shavings. It is beautifully crafted with a brushed steel finish. The steel of the water tank is quite heavy and thick while the top chamber, where the coffee collects, is slightly thinner but by no means chintzy. The lid is seated squarely on the top and the hinge and metal pin are properly aligned as is the handle. This unit is heavy and substantial and I expect to enjoy the use of it for many years.
Before use, I washed the pot thoroughly with hot water only and then made and discarded two pots of coffee to season the Musa.
I did not see a fill line but guessed that it might be to the bottom of the safety valve which turns out to be about 6oz. I have had no trouble with the threads and, as another reviewer mentioned, I also avoid using the handle when I screw the pot together. I'm careful to adjust the gas and the pot on the burner so that the plastic handle is not heated. The burners of my gas range are too large for the pot to be centered anyway so it works out very well. It takes about 4 minutes for the pot to brew. I don't have to babysit it and worry that the water will boil out of the tank because it's made to have some extra water remaining for this purpose. I can hear when it's done by the sound of air sputtering through the pipe openings.
Using 6oz of water and 2 Tblsp of ground espresso, this pot produces a tad more than 5 shots (5oz + 1 tsp/5ml) of strong coffee. A perfect quantity for two people drinking double shots, four people drinking single shots or a large drink for one. Don't confuse this with our American 8oz cup as that is not how the Italians measure a "cup" of espresso. While not technically espresso, as the pressure produced by the moka pot is far less than an espresso machine, the coffee extracted is delicious and far superior to drip, french press or percolated brews. Occasionally, I'll make lattes, cappucinos or Americanos but I primarily drink this coffee straight with some sweetener. The moka pot is how my Italian sister-in-law makes coffee as well.
I'm very pleased with my beautiful, new, stainless steel moka pot! It's made the other methods obsolete for me.
Review 4:
I have been using the musa 4 cup maker for a little over four years now, and I love it. I have used it on gas, electric coil, convection, and radiant cooktop stoves (as well as coleman and MSR backpacking camp stoves) and all worked just fine. On the flat (radiant or convection) top stove, I put it on the edge of the smallest burner and let the handle hang off so it doesn't heat up. Never had a problem with it getting too hot or melting at all.
I have only just replaced the gasket, but mostly because it started to give the coffee a funny smell/taste after I left it on the burner a little too long. I have used it up to three times a day, every day, and the rubber gasket has held up all these years. The gasket is ragged and stained, and the outside of the pot has discolored a bit, so it doesn't look pretty but still makes the best tasting caffe I have ever had!
Review 5:
I asked Amazon to tell me what espresso makers they had in stainless, but it failed to bring these Bialetti ones up for appraisal. I got mine at Eatly in New York, after asking the shop attendant for a simple stainless maker. Iit is just like the funky aluminum one I have had from Ikea for a zillion years, but not cruddy aluminum. It is simple, the screw threads are smooth, it works fine. If you are trying to replace your aluminum one for a more healthy version, get it. Simple, no fuss... just what I wanted. Its fab!
Review 6:
I purchased this pot because I love good coffee and cannot stand the taste of coffee made with pots that have plastic in contact with the coffee. This pot makes great espresso, is easy to clean and looks great. I will never buy an aluminum pot again, stainless steel is the way to go
Review 7:
Hubby likes his coffee strong and caffeinated. I've weaned myself to decaf. 2 Bialetti's take up a lot less space than 2 coffee makers and make a good coffee in the same amount of time! It's been years since I've bought my Bialetti Musa and it's still going strong. I much prefer it to the aluminum Bialetti's that have that metallic aftertaste.
Review 8:
I like the coffee it makes, seems smoother than espresso. I really appreciated the feedback i read here about the Italian coffee maker before i bought it. It helped me get accustomed to it and not be surprised by the size and its abilities. I like that it is stainless steel, it cleans up really easily with just water.
Review 9:
Requested this as a birthday present from my wife. She didn't understand why until we used it, and now she is hooked! Our coffee pot has been retired to the basement, and no more wimpy, under-powered espresso machines with weak boilers. This unit makes a great cup of strong coffee (what we like) is efficient, uses less grounds, and has no moving parts to break.
Have read the reviews about "exploding" and I don't understand. My first response is to ask if they bothered to read the directions. It has a pressure relief valve that should not be covered by water when using. Put your burner on a medium heat when you make it (I have a gas range and use the 'simmer' burner, smaller area of flame, and set it on 4 of a 6-dial setting). And last but not least, do not pack the grounds in like in a regular espresso machine. Tamp/pack them lightly with a spoon. When you empty the unit, it should have swelled the grounds and self-compressed into a nice firm disk, not be loose.
It works well enough to even make decaf espresso tastes good, and we frequently have one at night in the winter instead of tea. Have even bought 2 as gifts for foodie friends.
Review 10:
I purchased this unit in Switzerland for a gift for a friend here in the states. In the vacation apartment we stayed in was an Aluminum one, after a couple days of that one, I started using the Bialetti Stainless. OH MY, the difference was night and day. when I got home I used it a couple times on my magnetic induction stove top and it worked equally as well and made an awesome espresso. I told my friend of my using his "gift" and he was ok with it, so he got it all nice and cleaned up and in the box it came in. He also has an aluminum one, and since using the Bailetti has put the aluminum one in to the recycle bin. He is also completely impressed with it. I believe the coffee to water ration on this model is perfect and makes a perfect coffee each and every time.
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Related Stovetop Espresso Maker Product:
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Bialetti 6800 Moka Express 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker
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