Bialetti Venus, 6 Cup

I've got two Bialetti stainless. I've had this model for probably about 10 years (slightly older version, looks exactly like this except with a metal flipper on the top) . I now use it as my back up model. I make two cups of cappuccino every morning for my wife, and usually two cups in the afternoon Saturday and Sunday as well. I've had no real problems with this pot. I have to replace the washer (seal) between the top and bottom parts of the pot about every 7 or 8 months.

To use this pot effectively, I recommend the following:

1. Use a fine/espresso grind of coffee. You can use a coarser grind, but water rushes through it too fast.

2. Tamp down the coffee in the coffee holder a little bit, but don't get obsessed with it. I suppose if you want pure espresso, go heavy on the coffee and lighter on the water. We always do cappuccino.

3. For speed, pre-heat the water. We use a cordless electric kettle to get the water up to temp quicker before adding it to the pot. Usually I fill it to the point where the coffee holder just hits the water. That way I make the most coffee, without causing the water to flow out when I drop the coffee holder in. Oh, yeah, you'll now need a towel to hold the pot while screwing the pot together since you added hot water to it. I twist it down good and tight.

4. I use high heat on the stove. I get the job done quick. Just make sure the cups are ready. Usually I'm heating milk in the frother in the microwave while the espresso maker is busy making coffee. When the coffee is ready, its ready, and you need to be on top of it, otherwise it will spatter out.

5. Cleaning: When you go to use the coffee maker again, you MUST clean the sealing washer. Otherwise the leftover coffee grounds on it will prevent it sealing for the next time. I use the scrubbing side of a scrunge to get the grounds out of the washer. As you use the pot, the washer will soften up over time, and you'll have to scrub harder to get the grounds out. After a while, I'll flip the washer over and use the other side to seal against the lower half of the pot. It works for a while, but eventually you'll have to replace the washer. I recommend keeping spares on hand.

Every so often (few weeks) I scrub out the lower half of the pot with an sos pad. It gets rid of occasional coffee residue which seeps back down to the lower half and sometimes burns on to the bottom of the lower half of the pot. It can cause a burned taste in the coffee.

Occasionally I've had to pull the filter plate out and "clean" it. Just lift the seal washer to get to it. The problem I've had every once in awhile is grounds plugging the filter plate. If you hold it up to the light, you should be able to see through the holes in the filter plate. If grounds block any of them, just use a needle to poke through the blockage.

I'd guess I've made about 1500 pots of coffee with this espresso pot. I think I've got it pretty well down. Follow the directions above and I think this coffee pot will work for you for a very, very long time.

An Update Concerning Induction: I tested it with a magnet. It indicated that this is pure stainless, i.e. the magnet wouldn't stick, and is thus unsuitable for an induction top. This is the test for all cookware for use with an induction top. If the magnet won't stick, it won't work.

The one feature I especially like about this pot is its wide bottom. It's very stable and doesn't teeter on a gas burner like some others (i.e., the "Ilsa") do. The handle doesn't get burning hot like metal handles can. It has a straightforward design and is easy to disassemble and clean. I have been making stovetop espresso in pots like this for 15+ years and this is one of the most satisfactory pots I have had. A good value.

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Use med.-low heat for gas and you are ready in 11 minutes. Make sure the stainless steel filter is always facing in the right direction or the expresso maker will leak. Be aware that they are talking about expresso cups (demitasse 2.5 oz cup) and not the savage sized coffee addicts cup we Americans are use to using. Also, most civilized people add milk at a ratio of 1:1, so if you make five demitasse cups of expresso (12.5 oz.), then your coffee maker should produce around 6 oz. of pure expresso.

Read Best Reviews of Bialetti Venus, 6 Cup Here

The Bialetti espresso maker came on time, in its original Bialetti packaging and with all of the parts unbroken and without any dents or scratches.

I love the look and style of this espresso maker. I have only used it a few times now and the biggest disappointment has been that it doesn't seal properly. Steam comes out of the sides while the water is heating no matter how tightly you close it. Even my husband couldn't get it closed well enough. Maybe it will take some time on this...

The other small disappointment was that I thought it would make more espresso. I was hoping this could function as our coffee-maker (we like it really strong!) so it would have to make enough for two cups of coffee. It looks so large, but the looks are deceiving. While it does make just barely enough for the two of us, if we ever had guests, I would need to wait for it to cool and then make more or buy another one!

Overall it makes yummy coffee and it looks super-cool, but if I had to do it over again, I would have bought the biggest one they make.

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I got this as a present. I had used other cheaper modules of the same brand so I was very excited but the threads never matched up and it didnt seal enough to produce anything remotley like coffee let alone espresso. I was very disappointed that this one was so cheaply made that when I called the manufactures they said that becouse I had used it they wouldnt give me another one. I have had success with this manufacture in the past but beware they are hard to get a hold of and not very nice with there customer service.

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