Primula 6 Cup Stovetop Espresso Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel (PES-4606)

Even though it has only been one day that I have had this, I feel confident in its build quality and am convinced that it is an excellent value at $23. I can tell the handle will not and is not meant to withstand any torque as a result of joining or dismantling the unit. It is meant to hold the unit, and allow pouring and that is it. The reservoir holds 8oz, no more on this 6 cup model. Do not put more than that in the reservoir or you may have problems such as leaks. It is the perfect amount for 2 cups with steamed or warmed/frothed milk. I used some old freezer beans for my first run, I was also using a new hand grinder so I am still getting used to the grind settings. It was a fine grind, I tamped lightly. The first pot smelled fantastic! but I dumped it down the drain and waited for things to cool down to clean things up and go again. This time with a french roast bean and a slightly more coarse grind but still fine. Assembled the halves being sure that there were no loose grinds to interfere with the 2 parts joining properly and put it on the heat. I preheated the water this time and it started brewing a little faster. It gives the same auditory signals that an electric espresso machine gives, the sputtering means it is about done and remove it from the heat when it is mostly silent. It was a fantastic cup of espresso, well cappuccino I suppose, just like I remember from my old machine. This type of coffee making takes some attention to detail and careful execution to be successful. It is not a set it and forget it kind of thing. You are committed to the process for about 12 minutes, depending on your heat source and barista skills. Of course once you have enjoyed your Java, you have to clean the unit and dry it for best results. I experienced no leaks, no surprises just a splendid cup of espresso. The unit is easy to clean, no soap just hot water and brush or cloth. maybe occasionally remove the silicone ring(takes a little effort) and give the filter a good cleaning especially if it ever gets left for extended periods after use. I use baking soda to remove any stains where coffee is involved. I will add any updated information as time goes by but for now I have full confidence in this product and recommend it to anyone who is looking for an economical way to make espresso that is full stainless steel. Seeing how things have changed in the last few years where old time quality has given way to new world garbage, it is refreshing to see that a quality item can still be had for a decent price amongst all the inferior options.

This is exactly what we needed! This little gem of an espresso maker works perfectly with easy clean up and the most important part, it's all stainless steel so it won't leach aluminum into your drinks or your body! IT is so easy to use. You fill the bottom with water, fill the removeable filter with espresso coffee like LavAzza which is awesome, and put it on the stove top for a few minutes, mine is a gas stove. It rinses clean in seconds and looks nice on the counter top for daily use. My son has made lattes with frothed milk and added syrups and a little whipped topping and says that it is as good as any he has purchased. I'm not much for sweetened drinks and I use only full fat cream, I use 2 oz full fat cream warmed and 3 oz espresso and it is fantastic! We couldn't be happier and from the reviews I read on counter top machines, this seems like the way to go. We have 4 coffee drinkers in the house so we use K-cups, a french press and now this. My poor old coffee pot sits unused unless we have a large gathering. Thank you for this quality Primula espresso maker!

I've had some sort of espresso maker for about 40 years. I started off with a cheap little aluminum stovetop item that provided great espresso. After years of great service, my wife gave me an electric espresso maker. I have suffered with that item for almost ten years. When it worked, it made great espresso. When the check valve had some aluminum corrosion products in it -- the water tank was aluminum -- or hard water deposits, it made great steam ... no espresso though. I was then forced to go through the vinegar cleaning process. That worked well enough for a while, but was a pain in the ... . Lately I had to run the vinegar cleaning solution through several times, then I'd get maybe one pot of espresso before the check valve became non-functional again. Time for an alternative. I never had any problems with my old stovetop unit, so I researched for a while and decided on the Primula 18/10 stainless steel unit.. It arrived today and I was immediately impressed by its heft and construction. It's much heavier than I would have expected, and that's a good thing. It's also a beautiful item compared to the hexagonal aluminum alternatives -- nicely polished stainless steel and elegant proportions. the handle is covered in a silicone layer that makes picking up the unit from the stove a snap; no hot pads required. It is very precisely made ... the bottom threads into the top perfectly. Note that 18/10 is a high-quality stainless steel. How does it do making espresso? Perfectly. And. And, I'll never have to face vinegar fumes again. Eureka!!!

I used this product almost every day for 4 years and it never failed to make a great cup of joe. Cleaning is relatively easy. I always used a scrub brush and mild detergents to clean it and all its divits. You can put it in the dishwasher, but it doesn't come out as clean as if you do it by brush. The only drawback is that the handle is a weak point that will wear out, overtime. Unfortunately, I have to throw away a perfectly good espresso maker because the handle has popped off. I hope that Primula will improve the strength of the handle, in the future.

I decided to finally replace my old stovetop espresso pot after many years of often tough use at home and on a sailboat. I took a swing on the Primula and so far I am pretty happy with the choice. The Primula is well built from heavier gauge stainless steel and all the parts fit snugly together. The steel is well polished and my wife no longer gives me the evil eye when the pot is left out on the countertop. The quality of the coffee is excellent, which I have come to expect from this type of coffee maker. The pot is easy to clean. One thing I really like about this product, over the three other similar pots I have used, is the size of the upper tank compared to the lower unit. When the Primula is running at full steam the upper pot seems big enough to avoid the messy boil overs I often experienced in the past. I've been inattentive several times and the pot made its usual highly energetic show, but nothing escaped the pot. For the money I think the Primula is great value and if this is the type of coffee brewing you prefer I don't think you'll be disappointed.

1) When I unpacked the pot, a curled metal filing was attached to the inside of the water chamber where the whole was drilled for the pressure valve. 2) Sharp edges on the lid cut the cellulose dish cloth I used to wash the pot. I have to be careful during cleaning so I don’t cut my hand or fingers. 3) The hinge pin easily slips out. 4) The lid/hinge wobbles and wiggles at the attachment point. I expect it could easily fall out. 5) While snug, the silicone gasket is so difficult to remove for cleaning that I fear it will become nicked or torn. 6) The screen between the lower and upper chambers is not fine enough. I use a fine grind versus espresso grind, yet still get a large amount of bean sludge. Therefore, I would NOT recommend this product and would NOT reorder a stovetop espresso maker from this company. The cheap, China-made and lack of quality control doesn’t warrant more than one star. I can still make my morning Americano, albeit with too much sludge, so one star is all this product deserves.

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 ordered this item because it is described as 18/8 stainless steel. And yet, when you pull this item up on Amazon, the title is Primula "Aluminum" Stove-Top Espresso Maker. I didn't catch that before ordering. It is the main reason I give it three stars. So how can it be both? It looks to me as if it is stainless steel coated aluminum. The inside of the pot looks like aluminum; but if it is not, I'm not sure what that coating is. It sure doesn't look like the inside of my 18/8 cookware. But...I'm not a metallurgist. The grounds holder is definitely not 18/8 if it is stainless steel. I recommend checking out Bialetti Musa Moka Pot. It is much more substantial, definitely 18/8 all the way, and has a 2 year warranty. Right now Sweet Maria's offers it for about 15% less than Amazon. (Sorry big A. But you are the one who taught us that competition is the name of the game, right?) Keep in mind: this is an espresso pot, not a coffee pot. Some reviewers seemed surprised at how little it holds (8 ounces of water in the four cupper, which is only about 6 ounces of brew). It is designed to make little teeny tiny cups of espresso. Although you could use it to make espresso and then add hot water for an Americano. All of that aside, however, how did it work? It works well enough. You'll have to experiment with the level of your heat source--ideal time from start to finish should be 5 minutes. Expect some water to remain in the bottom part--that's how moka pots are designed--you never want any pot to boil dry. I've had a couple fails, where only half of the water brewed, and I think that was because the heat was too low. Taste: You know, with a Moka pot, you have to be able to tolerate some sludge in your coffee. You want to get it off the heat source as soon as the liquid turns clear--some will say when it gurgles, but that was too late for me, and it had a faint burnt taste. Another fail was where I used too coarse of a grind coffee (I don't recommend coffee ground for drip), and the coffee was under-extracted and bitter. If you are careful and follow the tips, you can get a passable espresso. If you want to keep it spiffy-looking, you'll need to dry it as soon as you rinse (never wash) it, because stainless steel is not really stainless of course. But if you aren't OCD, just rinse it and drain. There is a recessed area in the interior that I doubt even the worst OCDs will be able to get to and clean. After 5 brews mine is already stained, and it's going to stay that way. Hopefully, as it gets more that way, it will not affect the taste. Bottom line: As with all things coffee, the first question is: how finicky are you? If you have a blessed palate that can detect subtle flavors, and you enjoy tweaking coffee toys, go for the Bialetti for just under twice the price. If you really don't mind a few flaws, and don't want to tinker much with the toy, this one is a decent plaything. This is definitely an inexpensive step up from the all aluminum Moka pots. On the other hand, if you really love good espresso, you need to save your money, put on your big boy/big girl pants, and move right on by the Moka pots to a good burr grinder ($200 and up) and decent espresso machine ($350 and up). UPDATE AFTER MORE USE AND KNOWLEDGE: It is a nice change periodically from a brewed cup and an espresso cup of coffee, so I am enjoying it. If this is for one person, I do recommend the 4 cup rather than the six--4 cup is just the right amount. Also, it makes a big difference if you heat the water in a microwave and then add it to the pot and then put it on the stove. Really helpful details are here: [...]