Makes wonderfully strong coffee, if you are careful on how you use it. There are many sites on the internet that give you instructions that will help you make a perfect cup of coffee.
Negative Product Points
I cant think of any right now, but don't expect to make espresso in this, if that is what you are looking for. This makes a really strong cup of Moka pot coffee, which I would argue is a completely different experience. However, the coffee it makes is as good as a fine espresso, just different.
Detailed Commentary
I live in Paris. I buy coffee beans, and grind them in my Peugeot manual grinder, and have a perfect cup of coffee. However, for an espresso, I visit a cafe. Beyond the experience of sitting in a Paris cafe, the espresso is a different drink, and tastes different. Moreover, I don't think that I will invest in an espresso machine, since going to a cafe is a different experience. However, if you live in a city where the cafe experience is just Starbucks, if you are trying to decide whether to invest in a espresso machine, don't buy this to make espresso. Buy this to make a great cup of coffee. Never having owned an espresso machine, I can t recommend any. However, the coffee that this machine makes, though different, beats most average espressos, and definitely beats the warmed over filter coffee that you get in some shops.
Buying Experience
I bought it on a an offer that gave four espresso cups, and an coffee storage tin, all from Bialetti, in a shop in Germany. Mine is a 3 cup aluminum edition made in Italy. I had the 6 cup stainless steel version before, but that did not last long. However, I must confess I did not take good care of it. However, I find that the coffee in the 3 cup aluminum is better than the one in the 6 cup stainless steel, though this may be a personal opinion.
