Chefs Secret? 4-Cup Heavy-Gauge Stainless Steel Espresso Maker

CUSTOMER REVIEW



You do not need to spend a whole lot of money, nor buy a named brand, to get a good cup of coffee. People have been making coffee on stovetops for a long time before electronic models became available. If you follow their instructions they can be quite good at the job.



I like this pot. It is nice to have a non-electric model around. After experiencing a major hurricane and earthquake, these items come in handy when things get rough.



With regard to some of the complaints I have read on this product, honestly, if you do not know how to make coffee or specifically how to use a moka pot there is a learning curve. It is fairly straight forward, but it just may take you 4 to 6 pots to figure it out.



For the many who complained, and did not understand the measurements, 1 cup in the espresso world can be anywhere, usually from 1, 1.5 to 2 ounces (depending upon whom you ask). So in the moka pot world, 4 cups could easily be 4, 6 or 8 ounces. But this moka pot does not make 8 oz., the lower chamber will only hold 6.5 oz. (for safety reason you are never to fill this above the little brass safety valve), then with water staying in the boil chamber and wetting the grounds, it will yield me around 4 espresso cups (using the 1 oz./cup unit of measure).



It is NOT made by A MAJOR BRAND NAME, but it is made perfectly well. The metal is stainless, making a cleaner cup than aluminum of many other brands. There are three pieces; the upper brewing chamber with a hollow rod the coffee arises from, the coffee filter/basket with a hollow rod to the bottom, and the lower boil pot. Only the bottom is labeled stainless steel, but the other parts look and feel stainless too. The threads between the pots are smooth and work perfectly well. Both the handle and the top knob seem perfectly soldered and stable for many years of normal use.



New it had a stinky metallic smell that leaves when you prep the pot. The instructions state to first wash all pieces with ½ cup of white vinegar. Regardless, for any of these stove top espresso makers, make and THROW OUT THE FIRST 3 POTS OF ESPRESSO. I threw out my first three pots of espresso, drank the fourth which was okay. But my fifth was very, very good.



To me this is espresso-like or good coffee, depending upon how it is used. That being said, to me, this generated espresso and previous to this pot, only made 15 psi (via a pump) with one of my at-home espresso makers. But for me, looking for a good coffee in a cheap stovetop espresso maker, this works more than fine.



1)fill filter basket with medium to fine (not espresso) ground coffee

2)fill water to the brass valve, DO NOT put water over that valve, for SAFETY (you can use preheated water, it makes the process much faster)

3)put filter basket on top of water chamber, KNOCK OFF ALL COFFEE ground, this must be clean to seal

4)screw on upper chamber, fairly snug

5)put on heat

6)within minutes you will have a concentrated coffee (some cool the pot to keep steam or heat from degrading the oils in the coffee)



No Soap! Just rinse and dry it after you are through. Make sure to rinse under the coffee pot area where there is a gasket. Coffee grounds accumulate there too, and if they are not cleaned it will leak steam and hot water the next time you try to use it. (If you happen to wash it (with soap) you need to re-season it again, by making a few pots and throwing the away.)



Good luck!