Primula Stove-Top Espresso Maker, Aluminum, 3-Cup

This worked great and I was very very happy until someone accidently ran it through the dishwasher. It came with instructions not to do this, but not everyone read them. Unfortunately, the finish was greatly diminished by dishwashing. Otherwise, a great product.

I spent hours researching espresso machines online the other day and ventured out to the store to play with some of the ones I found at a local high-end cooking store. While I was there I came across the Primula stove-top 3-cup. At under $20, I figured I should give it a shot in light of the multi-hundred-dollar machines I was considering.

It took a few sessions to really figure this thing out, but I'm now very pleased with it. I don't think I'll be looking for a espresso "machine" anytime soon--this thing makes a very passable shot of espresso, better than any cheap espresso machine I've encountered.

Some tips/observations:

* Like all espresso makers, fresh ground coffee is better. Way better. You may save a bunch on this cheap espresso maker but don't skimp on the grinder.

* Like all espresso makers, the grind is key. If you don't have great results on your first try, try varying the grind a few more times.

* Tamping is a little tricky because the filter has a slight curve to it, and you need to tamp the coffee all the way up to the top of the filter in order for it to be pressed by the top of the unit. I found I have to do about 3 cycles of "add more" / "tamp" before I fully top the thing off.

* You'll want to remove it from the heat pretty soon after the espresso starts to rise to the top. If you let it go for too long without paying attention you'll boil/burn the espresso. I've been leaving the lid open and keeping an eye on it, then once the espresso starts i close the lid, take it off the heat and then let it sit for a minute.

* Cleaning is a slight chore because you have to clean it by hand, but I actually don't mind cleaning it. I like that you can take the whole thing apart and thoroughly clean it, unlike most espresso machines.

* The biggest downside to this thing is you really only get to us it once, then you have to wait for it to cool. You also have to wait for it to cool to clean it.

Time: Figure 10 minutes to make your espresso, 5 minutes to drink it, 5 more minutes to wait for it to cool, then 2 minutes to clean it.

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I love this product. Unfortunately the one I got from Specialty Gourmet Goodies was not a "Primula". Apparently the American importer of Primula products has decided to sell cheap Chinese knock offs under the primula name. Specialty claims said importer assured them that it was the same product but in different packaging. All "primula" products are made in their Venezuelan factory, are of very high quality, and bear several identifying marks. The one I received said Made in China on the box, was of low quality, and bore no marks. I'm not sure if it is a supply problem, ex.trade sanctions on leftist Venezuela; or more demand than supply, or if it is a money thing, cheap labor=larger profit margin. Be careful when buying this product. If you don't know any better, well then you probably won't tell the difference. But if your serious about your coffee, Demand that the "Primula" name is on the aluminum!!!

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I have one and I bought this for my daughter. It makes wonderful espresso and is very affordable.

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I've purchased two of these at my local kitchen shop in the last two weeks, and each has failed for different reasons. The first worked for a week, then stopped channeling hot water through the filter--you'd open the top, and there'd be nothing there. The store owner couldn't have been nicer, and gave me another, thinking there was probably something wrong with the seal. This morning's attempt yielded a melted handle--and this was over a low flame. I'm off to buy a Moka via Amazon this time.

Illy espresso pods, REGULAR roast.

I am an espresso fan. I usually order my beans online and grind my own. The coffee at work is fair at best, but becomes a much better morning treat when I add a shot of espresso to it. I have a small machine and the Illy pods fit it best with a good smooth taste.

Capresso 13204-RB Jura Impressa E9 Automatic Coffee Center - REFURBISHED

My wife and I purchased this for each other approximately 2 years ago for ~ $1200. We named it "ChrisAnnie" as it cost enough to be another child, and it combined as a Christmas and Anniversary gift.

From the start, the coffee was a little bit off, with temperatures not quite getting high enough resulting in slightly bitter coffee. They get to about 190 (should be closer to 200-205), but Jura tech said that was 'normal' for their machines. This was a little disappointing for coffee affectionados and home-roasters.

Despite meticulously reading and re-reading the manual and watching the video and paying attention to cleaning schedules, etc. this thing started breaking down and popping up with unsolvable error codes after about 6 months. We had to do several procedures (wasting expensive cleaning tablets and filters, at our expense) in following tech support's directions. Finally they agreed to replace it since the issues could not be solved. I don't know if we got the same unit back or a refurbished job, but it started having the problems again after about 6 months. This time it was out of warrantee.

You should know this: THEY CHARGE OVER $200 PLUS SHIPPING JUST TO TAKE IT BACK FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST after your warrantee expires! Then repairs (they ran >$100 for us) and our shipping to them increased the costs to over $400. We fell for this once. Then the machine died again. It sat on our counter for several months while we agonized over going through the same thing again.

Rather than acting like the Proverbial "dog that returns to his own vomit", we decided discretion is the better part of valor, and we boxed it, threw it up in the attic, and bought a $160 Cuisinart with a burr grinder.

My wife still misses the lattes every now and then but it is not worth the thousands of bucks to get them. It just seems it should work better and not be so expensive to maintain after you pay so much for the initial purchase.

The machine came as promised. It was in

prefect condition and easy to set up. It

tell everything to do and when to do it.

It makes a great cup of cup! My husband

did not want to get it, but I know now

after a few cups of coffee he is sold on it.

The only thing, it is abit noisy

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Bialetti 39522 "Caffe Concerto" Electric Espresso Maker

As an avid cappuccino drinker I have had many of my own machines. This one has by far been the best! Well worth the price! Simply amazing!

I was quite surprised to discover, upon receipt of my espresso maker, that it was not stainless steel at all, as it appeared to be in the picture, but completely plastic. That said, it was easy to set up and use, in spite of a manual that made it look extremely complicated. I have been a bit disappointed in the espresso-making part (not very good crema) but the milk frother is totally amazing. Very easy to clean.

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Bought the Espresso Machine in town, not off of amazon, but couldn't be happier with the performance for the price. Would recommend.

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Disappointed with the quality. The button that is used to start the espresso drip won't stay on, after 6 months. The on button won't stay down without numerous attempts. The machine is only a year old is being replaced today.

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Neapolitan Coffee Maker

I've had one of these elegant Alessi coffee makers, called a macchinetta napoletana, since the late 1980s. Beautiful to behold, and makes the loveliest coffee. As described in Alberto Alessi's book "The Dream Factory": "His [architect Riccardo Dalisi's] research into the Neapolitan Coffee Maker (1979-87, winning the 12th Compasso D'Oro) was the longest in our history: over the years it led to one book and over 200 prototypes in tin. Wearing a beret and and clothes straight out of a neo-realist film, continuously turning over new ideas and trying out new ways of making things work, Dalisi has not been an easy person to manage, but this was a very important project for us indeed. It enabled us to open up our manufacturing world even more to the conceptual experience of the artisan, it taught us to dilute our certainties in a fragile and poetic light, which is so necessary when working on extremely deep-rooted household rituals." Put that in your pot and brew it!

Hamilton Beach Espresso Maker

This machine, with the proper grind of espresso (in other words not Folger's drip or something!) produces as good a cup as I have ever used. And I've had some fairly impressive Italian units. I especially like that the clearance from the portafilter to the base is longer and allows the use of a slightly taller cup for those times when I let it run longer for more of a cafe Americano. The pump inside is Italian, so that may be the reason for the better than average performance in this price range. Again, this is NOT a drip maker, and is NOT designed to make an 8 ounce cup of black coffee...it makes espresso!

I received this as a Christmas gift from my wife and kids. I will be the first to admit that I love a good cup of coffee and a good cappuccino, but as for the technical aspects of the art of being a barista, I am a complete novice. I knew nothing about expresso's or crema. I spent the next few days on Youtube looking at espressos being made and reading up on the subject. Afterwards, I figured I was ready to give it a try. My first attempt was embarrassing. It made a great cup of coffee but I couldn't pull an espresso for anything. I finally realized that I couldn't use my regular ground Maxwell House. I had some whole beans that were given to me so I ground them up into a very, very fine powder, like powdered sugar. Voila! I pulled 2 espressos with beautiful crema. I then steamed some milk and had one of the best cappuccinos I have ever had. This baby steams like all get out. There is a trick to pullling espressos though. The light will come on indicating that the water is hot enough, but it isn't. What I do is turn on the indicator for the steam wand. When the water is hot enough for that, I steam the milk first. Then I switch the mode to cup and wait about 30 seconds. Once I hit brew, a beautiful shot of espresso comes out with a nice head of crema. This machine is pretty good if you follow the instructions. The coffee needs to be ground to a very fine powder in order to work. One might want to get a better tamper and it would have been nice if they included a milk steaming container. For the beginner, this is a good machine to learn on. The key is that the water MUST be hot enough to build up enough pressure, don't rely on the light.

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I did not buy this from Amazon. It was cheaper at Wal Mart. It made a good brew after experimenting with the grind (The instructions say "grainy, like salt or sand"). It was too watery. A fine powder worked better.

I made a couple cappuccinos, cleaned the machine like recommended and retired for the evening. I had watched all the tutorial videos on Hamilton's website and noticed that they did a lot of "plugging in the machine" in each one. For some reason, I unplugged the machine and went to bed. Lucky for me because water leaked inside the machine overnight and ruined a cutting board and flooded my countertop. Had I left the machine plugged in, there certainly would have been an electrical short and a fire that may not have wakened me up!

I returned it the next day. I gave it three stars for the brew and the steam wand was very good. But the inherent danger was not worth any price.

Perhaps you will have better luck with this machine. If so, give it a good rating.

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Like the the person mentioned above my unit came from Walmart at a great price! It was gift from my girl friend. Excellent machine for the price. It replaced a Krups XP4025 which only lasted 2 years and cost $150 from Amazon of all places. That machine was o.k. but this machine produces a better shot with better crema. I've not experience the aforementioned leak but I will keep an eye out for that.

It should be noted that I generally only make cold drinks and use E.S.E Pods for the ease of use so I can't attest how well it steams milk or how well it froths milk.

*****UPDATE 27 August 2010*****

Still a decent machine but it's really picky about ESE Pods and the brew gasket is fragile and has had to be replaced. Hamilton Beach customer service is surprisingly prompt.

Looses one star for durability.

*****UPDATE 5 Sept 2010*****

Don't waste your money. The head group gasket blew after six weeks of use and its non-repairable. Thankfully it was gift or I would've really lost it.

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First, I work as a barista with a really good machine (rancilio). This is far from it. But it does the job as describe. You have to wait a bit for the steam and you have to wait for the machine to warm up between the shots a lot especially if you are doing a long espresso. But I've seen worse. I've had the machine for a couple of years but I don't use it much.

What I really don't like is the strong plastic smell from the reservoir! I don't trust it and it obliges me to change the water all the time and flush the machine before I use it. Lts say, i never let water over night in it.... I'll be looking for a better machine soon. But as I said, for the price, it works if you don't have high expectations.

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High temperture silicone tubing .312 ID X .472, per foot.

What can I say it was the correct hose to repair the leaking hoses on the Mr Coffee coffee maker. Shipping was fast .

After my noticing a leak from under my Mr. Coffee I inspected it. I found a small split in one of the tubes that goes from the water tank through the heat element. After many calls around my city, no one had the tube to replace it. This product worked.

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High-temperature tolerance makes this ideal for replacing worn-out hoses which connect the heating element to other portions of the coffee maker. It's also EXACTLY the same size as what was in there. Can't say it makes the coffee taste any better, but hey, the thing doesn't leak anymore, and it cost way less to fix than it would to buy a new one!

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This hose works great for my solar stove/boiler. It withstands the heat of the concentrator and is flexable allowing movement. Great poduct for a water boiler.

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