I actually bought this for my wife for her birthday - but I think I enjoy it more then she does.
I know that this doesn't make "true" espresso but it comes mighty close in my opinion (i'm not much of a connoisseur, but I do love a good cup). In fact this is better then most any other espressos i've had! I love the coffee this thing produces! The first night I ended up drinking 6 shots of 'espresso' made with fresh Baba Budan beans and I still wanted more! I couldn't do it though because it was 1:00 in the morning and I was wide awake from drinking so much coffee.
Here are a few tips for you...
Make sure you have a Burr grinder. You want a fine grind (but not too fine) to get the most out of your coffee. Burr grinders can be quite the investment but well worth it. You will need a Burr grinder for any espresso machine anyways.
Make sure you have cups close by. This thing will suddenly shoot out coffee and if you're not quick enough you might get some coffee on your stove... as soon as you hear the gurgle and whistle get your cup ready! (you'll know what i'm talkin about...), After a few rounds you'll have it down.
Chances are your first pot will not turn out perfect (unless you've done something like this before...which I haven't). The good news is that after your first time you will understand how the process works and everything will be fine after that!
Clean this as soon as you can! It will be hot for awhile but try to clean it ASAP to make cleaning easier. It's worth it... trust me.
Follow the instructions EXACTLY. It's not hard to do by any means but make sure you read the instructions. if you accidently do something wrong such as pack in the coffee tightly then you will be sorry. The instructions are very simple but very useful.
I noticed one reviewer mentioned that this coffee comes out tasting burnt. If you grind your coffee too fine then it gets caked inside the coffee holder and it takes longer for the coffee to make it up inside the main chamber (excuse my lack of correct terminology). This does cause a burnt flavor because only a little bit of coffee comes out at a time which causes that little bit to become a bit burnt before the next splash comes through. If you grind it slightly more coarse then this will not happen and your coffee will taste amazing. I have a feeling that the people that mention the burnt flavor are grinding their coffee a bit too fine. You want the coffee to be ground fine but not like flour... more like fine sugar.
Have fun! This simple little gadget makes a fine cup. Enjoy!
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Bialetti Brikka 4-Cup Stovetop PercolatorProduct Description: Aluminum, stovetop espresso maker has a patented value that produces 4 cups of frothy, creamy, rich, authentic Italian espresso in just 4-5 minutes.
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When I was looking for new can opener and toaster covers, I never dreamed I'd find ones that would match my toaster oven cover that had the same burgundy check trim.It was exactly the same material and color.They look like a set bought together.I am very happy with my purchase!
