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.

Forever All In One Stovetop Cappuccino & Espresso Maker - "Miss Combi Duo"

First, my review is based soley on making cappuccino, as the only espresso I've made are the three pots you are instructed to make and throw away to "season" the pot before using. When I first opened the instruction booklet, I was overwhelmed by the diagrams and instructions. However, the English instructions are very clearly-written, and they are easy to follow if you just take them step-by-step. Once you've gone through the process of seasoning the pot, you will be quite comfortable with the parts and the process, and it will go quickly. There is also a good troubleshooting section.

A few things to know before you purchase this pot. The instructions say not to use finely ground espresso. I asked my local café to grind their high-quality espresso beans on the more coarse espresso setting. The result tastes exactly like what we had on a recent trip to Italy.

Don't pat the coffee down in the coffee holder, and don't tilt the pot after you screw the top and bottom together. I did this once to make sure it was screwed on straight, and the milk didn't foam because the ground coffee shifted in the coffee reservoir. If you want foam, you must use whole milk. I used 1% the first time, since that was all I had when I received the pot. The result was a nice latte, but no foam. Also, the instructions say not to use vegetable-based milks (soy, almond, rice, etc.).

The instructions say not to use an induction cooktop. I have a glass top range, and I set the burner on #7. It takes 4-5 minutes total for cappuccino. The pot produces two smallish cappuccini. If you are drinking alone, and have a larger cup, you could certainly drink the entire amount yourself. In fact, I'm so pleased with this pot and the ability to make cappuccino easily at home (after spending the equivalent of $4 for one cappuccino in Italy), that I'm going to email the company and suggest that they make this pot in a 4-6 cup version.

Jan 28, 2013 Update: Since I wrote my original review, I've had mixed results with this pot. About the half the time, I end up with latte instead of cappuccino. I am following the instructions, and making sure the valve is clean after each use. Filling the coffee reservoir to the brim may be the cause this, so I've been trying to use a little less coffee. The English troubleshooting section of the instruction manual is titled, "When the pot is naughty." The title in the Italian section of the manual uses the Italian word for capricious. I would say that capiricious is accurate, since I can't figure out why I sometimes get foam and sometimes I don't. When I get foam, I am very impressed with how easy it is to make real cappuccino at home. When I don't get foam, I still enjoy a delicious latte, but it's somewhat disappointing. I've reduced my rating from 5 to 4 stars as a result.

I bought this in hopes that it would make a decent cup of espresso, and cappuccino. Followed the directions for pre-cleaning it. Even while cleaning, I could see that the process was very nice, using the little pressure valve. Holds the water in the coffee, until the pressure is up, and then WHOOSH! fills the top pot. This little pot brews a wonderful espresso, with nice crema, and a nice frothy cappuccino. WOW! My only wish is that it was bigger. Perhaps a 6 cup model. If you want a good espresso or cappuccino at home, this will give it to you. Easy to use, and quick. No big bulky machine on your counter, and to clean. This thing cleans up fast, too. VERY HAPPY with this purchase.

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This coffee maker is easy to use and makes nice cappuccino. It's similar to a bialetti, but you put milk in the top and as the coffee steams, it froths the milk. I've had it about a month, and have found that you have to be careful to use the correct amount of water, coffee, and milk: it's overflowed a couple of times. But most of the time it works well and I'm very pleased with it.

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I am not a Espresso expert but do know if my cappuccino tastes good or not. Although I do want to have a machine that gives me strong espresso with good crema and thick bodied milk froth, yet I am not ready to dish out the money on a 15-bar barista machine especially when a lot of these mid-range machines costing $500 or more don't last more than a year or two before requiring expensive repairs. This contraption of a moka pot sort of gives me an inexpensive way to start off on my path to a barista. I have tried out a couple of different coffees and grounds but am not totally satisfied with the results as yet (more to do with my inexperience with making an espresso than with the pot). Sometimes I do get a thin layer of crema in the pot but it disappears soon after pouring it in the cups. I am also not sure about how much ground coffee I need to place in the filter. With the given measure of water (which is hardly enough for 2 small espresso cups)I feel the coffee comes out too strong or bitter if I top up the filter with coffee (wihtout tamping ofcourse). Diluting with more milk or water once the espresso is made doesn't really work with Cappuccinos. I guess I need to play around with different coffee types and grounds to find my sweet spot. Can't blame the utensil much for that since it pretty much does what its supposed to do. It actually makes a great milk froth if I only use water for steam and the filter left empty without the coffee... but that defeats the whole point of making a capuccino with espresso in one go. Anyways I think the pot is better than regular moka pots as it does induce some steam pressure on the filter grinds for better extraction.

Update: Improving the rating to 4 stars as I think I am now getting better results with a different grind and coffee. Using starbuks medium roast fine grind filled all the way to the brim of the filer, I am getting better crema and coffee is smoother too. I am frothing the milk seperately now using a small hand held milk frother. That way I can have more milk to reduce the strength (the pot only holds frothed milk enough for one cup) and keep the froth white in the cup as well. Going to try Lavazza Crema e Gusto Ground Coffee now to take it up a notch!!

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So Overall I am amazed on how good the Cappuccino is and the valve used to make it happen is better than the one used in the other better known brand with the cow symbol. The overall machine is really well made. The issue was that upon arrival and opening the first thing I noticed is that it appeared to be almost new and not a new coffee machine. I say almost due to the fact that I would have not notice that it was used if it wasn't for the dried coffee stains left on the side of the coffee maker. For what I can see it seems like someone used it probably one time try to clean it really fast and put it back in the box trying to make it look all new but since they didn't pay attention to detail had left proof of their mischievousness. I have decided not to return it since I am not a picky person I clean it and is all well. The seller was CashClock but they may not be the ones to blame since I had also ordered some filters for my humidifier from a different seller at the same time and they got send together by amazon fulfillment services, where at least they should have done some quality check (although I don't know how their mail system works)and notice that the box looked like it had been open before and do something about it. The only reason I mention all of these is that I would had been really angry if the same had happened with a more important item like my baby's new bottles or an expensive electronic device that looks like it was tampered. In other words something did not happen or something happen in between me placing my order and receiving it at home. But hopefully I am wrong, and just wanted to inform you all for your knowledge in case these helps at all. Surprisingly enough I do recommend the coffee maker since is an excellent device and works so far great. If all above mentioned had not happened I would had gave it a 5 stars.

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Panorama Window Micom Electric Dispensing Pot - 169 oz.

I am in love with this hot water pot! Debated long and hard before ordering, but so far, it's worth every penny! It's so much easier and faster than boiling water on the stove or in the micro. Originally, thought we would use it just for tea, but have found the instant very hot water to be useful for so many other things, both cooking and cleaning. First, ordered the 4L size, but upon arrival, immediately realized we should have ordered the 5L size, as we thought of so many more uses. Returned for the 5L size and are happy we did. We especially like the fact that we have plenty of hot water for pre-warming thermoses in the morning, as well as making large amounts of tea to fill them. Works much better than anything else we've tried. This unit is very easy to use, keeps water within a couple of degrees of the selected temperature (208, 195 or 175 degrees F.), heats fairly quickly and seems very well designed and made. A pleasant surprise for us was the color of this unit. It is BISQUE, not white or white grey, as stated, so it blends well with ivory/bisque and looks okay with white. The electronic control panel is a pearlescent bisque color, kind of pretty, not as plain as we thought it would be. We now leave it on all day. Only negatives, so far, is the 7 hour timer, which usually, isn't right for our schedule, so we just plug it into a different timer to overcome this obstacle and the quirky magnetic plug, which sometimes would unexpectedly disengage. We solved that problem by feeding the cord through the folded down handle before plugging in. One other thing, the 5L size is taller, making it easier to fill taller thermos' and carafes right from the dispenser. But the 4L size would probably be okay for most people. It's nice being able to have a cup of tea at a moments notice, we wish we had bought this sooner!

Living at 9,000 feet, I love that I can select a temperature below 212 degrees. It is easy to maintain. The only bummer is how long it takes to heat up (around 40 minutes), but if you don't mind planning ahead, it is fine.

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We love our Zojirushi! I'd had my eye on it for some time and when the little bookstore we frequented was closing out it's section dedicated to fine teas and accessories, we got a super deal on it. Even if all we did was make tea with it, it would have been well worth it, but I use it when making coffee, oatmeal, soups, pasta or when I want to add a bit of water to a simmering dish without dropping it's temperature. It's just so much more convenient than boiling water on the stove or in the microwave. It's right there and ready whenever I need it.

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Only used mine for two days now and for what it offers it seems to be perfect. I would love to see a future model just like this with only a few changes: An adjustable timer (this one is set at 7 hours only) and add a 185F temp setting. If the stats as is work for you, GET IT, you won't be disappointed.

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Great product. I'm spoiled now and hope to purchase another one in the near future.

Primula 18/10, Stove-Top Espresso Maker

OK, since Amazon now has this policy of publishing reviews to similar items as though they were for the specific items (beware of this when you read reviews! Read the fine print at the top of the review!), I hope this appears for all of these similar espresso makers, regardless of brand, because it works in all of them.

I've owned several of these, different brands and different sizes, and have been somewhat underwhelmed with their performance. "Emergency coffee" is what I used mine for. So one day I was at my son's house and he made me this incredible dry cappuccino. I immediately went to his kitchen to see what kind of machine he had bought, and was blown away when he showed me his old, beat-up and stained "6-cup" espresso maker, just like the ones in these reviews. I asked him how he managed to get that kind of performance out of this thing and he said the secret is in ignoring the published instructions and pretty much doing the opposite of what they suggest. Here's his instructions:

1. Grind your coffee to espresso fine. If you don't have a burr grinder capable of this, buy your coffee in small quantities and have them grind it for you.

2. Fill the coffee holder to a bit over-the-top and then tamp it lightly. A shot-glass or anything else that fits into the holder will do.

3. Then proceed as normal: fill the boiler to the brass safety valve with cold, filtered water, screw on the top, and put it on the stove.

4. Leave the lid open so you can watch what's going on, allow the coffee to flow until it starts bubbling a bit but not so long that it will boil!

5. Pour off the most amazing cup you've ever experienced from your Primula (or similar) espresso maker!

I now use the Primula more often than my $500 Gaggia machine. Less fuss and just about as good. Not better, but just about as good, and that's pretty darned good.

I have not had the problem with the gasket that other have had. Maybe they are using too much heat or like several reviewers have said poor quality control. I paid $4.99 for my 4 cup at a local supermarket, it make better espresso than my Tassimo machine and I have a friend that has a $500 Nespresso and it is better than that too. (Although he won't admit it!) My wife lived in Italy for 13 years and says this little thing brings her back to those days. Two important ways to use this: Do not pack the coffee in, just heap around 5 teaspoons and screw shut. And also use med-low heat and wait it out, the result is much better.

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I bought this espresso maker after owning 3 different makes that all failed when the handles broke away from the makers. I specifically bought this model because the handle is attached to the body at two points and so less likely to work itself loose. The handle performed beautifully! The metal lid, however, has developed a crack that runs along the entire surface! This I didn't expect to have happen and now I find myself searching for another maker before this one fails completely. I used this maker every single day, so it obviously has seen quite a work out and I have loved everything about it -taste of the coffee, ease of cleaning, ease of use in general, everything. I may even go ahead and purchase another one as I think it was very good value for the price (some of my other stovetop makers have cost more and lasted less), but I am frustrated at the fact that while it's engineered to solve one problem, it fails in another.

If you are an occasional espresso drinker who doesn't plan on 365 day/year performance, I would highly recommend this maker.

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There are three coffee makers here that are being reviewed: a stainless, which is stainless by the way; a pot metal one; and a glass top one. They each have differences. The metal two use a different gasket than the glass top one and they only have one gasket. It is a traditional rubbery one and if burnt will stink. Don't burn them! And the glass top has three (3) gaskets. The main one is in the same place as the other but is silicon. The other two are in the top and I cannot find replacements. I would separate these reviews because the comments are confusing as they are. The three coffee makers are similar but not the same in many ways.

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I too had the "stinky gasket" problem, and I was also able to solve it with the Bialetti replacement gasket. The interior had a rough finish with irregular globs of aluminum, suggesting that their factory quality control is poor, but that does not seem to affect the function of the coffee maker. When I was done, I had spent about $25, so this cheap espresso maker was no bargain. If I had to do it again, I would buy one of the products with a silicone gasket.

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