IMUSA USA B120-42T Aluminum Stovetop Coffeemaker, Espresso Machine, 3-Cup, Red

This Italian-style stovetop coffee maker really exceeded my expectations. For the price, the quality is amazing. It works perfectly on my electric stove and brews strong, flavorful coffee just like I wanted. The build feels solid, and the design has a classic look. It's simple to use and easy to clean. Honestly, it’s more than I expected for what I paid. Highly recommended 100%!

I don’t ever write reviews on Amazon, but I felt there was a special need here for this. Like many people, I was skeptical about this because it is so absurdly cheap (I got the 3 cup one for less than $6) and because I often find Amazon reviews to be unreliable, especially when it comes to coffee products. Usually the people reviewing them are older people who are more comfortable with a cup of Maxwell house than of Verve or Stumptown.I decided to buy it anyways because it was just a few bucks. This thing is absolutely incredible. I use a French press normally and I used to swear by it, refusing to drink drip coffee or pour over. Ever since this came, it’s all I can drink. It’s super easy to make coffee with as it basically forces you to measure out a perfectly proportional mix of water and grounds, it’s self contained and compact especially compared to a French press which requires the auxiliary component of a kettle to boil the water, and it actually creates foamy, rich, delicious, extremely intense coffee that I would say tastes BETTER than espresso from a machine, and it only costs $6!I am sure that there are higher quality Moka pots that produce richer microfoams and have more pressure and better valves and gauges, but I honestly think this thing gets the job done 1000x better than you would ever expect for $5. If you’re new to moka pots and espresso and want an affordable, easy, delicious way to make espresso (it can also be used to make americanos by diluting the coffee with hot water, obviously), then this is so unbelievably worth $6 that I can’t even explain it to you. Pair this with a cheap $4 milk frothing wand you can get on Amazon and you’ll have better cappuccinos and lattes and whatever than you’d get at any coffee shop.I use this with medium-dark roast beans from Verve Coffee, and I’ve also used a few other roasts including French roast which was delicious to me but I’m sure it would be wildly too bitter and intense for a lot of people. Look for a medium-dark roast I’d say, or even some lighter dark roasts. But probably traditional “Italian” and “French” roasts wouldn’t be the place to start unless you know that’s your thing.

If you've never used an espresso (moka) pot before, it's easy to use and makes great, super-strong espresso, just like the shots you get from Starbucks. This little pot works just great, so why pay more for an Italian pot or some super-expensive machine that does exactly the same thing?All espresso pots operate pretty much the same. There are 3 pieces included. The base is heavy cast aluminum with a pressure safety valve (the little brass bit you see in the pic). This is filled with water, right up to but not over the brass valve. The second piece is the coffee filter. You can't see it in the pic but it looks like a funnel met and fell in love with a strainer, and had this filter as the baby. You fill the open top of the filter with coffee (it doesn't need to be espresso grind) and gently drop it into the base. The top of the coffee and filter will be flush with the top of the screw threads of the base. Try not to get coffee in the threads of the screw part, that will affect the seal. The third part is the coffee pot itself with the handle. It holds the brewed coffee. The lid is hinged, and when you open it, you'll see the tube that the coffee comes up through and into the pot. If you flip it upside down, you'll see a filter built into the bottom of the pot to strain the coffee from the grounds and a silicone or rubber ring around the inside of the screw threads, that helps seal the pot and bring it up to pressure.As I said, even the expensive Italian versions work the same. When you place the filled pot on your gas burner, make sure that your flame doesn't lick up the sides of the pot. Match the flame to the size of the bottom. Common sense, but some people have melted off the handle apparently. Mine has never even gotten hot. If you have an electric stove like me, set it slightly off to the side of the burner, not right in the center, just to make it easier to pick up. I crank mine up to high. After a minute or so, you'll hear a lot of hissing. What's happening is that the water in the base is beginning to boil, creating pressure. That's why there is a safety valve. If the pressure is too high in the base (due to over-filling), the safety valve will give way first, releasing any pressure. No worries though, it's really very safe! If you see excess steam coming from the screw threads, and it doesn't stop soon, you just didn't tighten it enough. Once the pressure has built up enough, it forces the boiling water up through the funnel and filter, and through the coffee grounds at high pressure. The brewed coffee (minus the grounds) is forced up through the tube and into the top pot. You'll hear a lot of hissing and loud bubbling, that's the sound of the coffee percolating through the tube. Once the sound starts to die down, take the pot off the burner and set it on a hot pad. That's it! Clean up is easy too. The base doesn't need it, and the filter and pot clean up quickly with a bit of soapy water. Let dry and reassemble.I use mine to make cafe Americano and iced coffees. For Americano, just add boiling water to taste. The straight up espresso is WAY too strong for this sissy. For iced coffees, I make a mocha syrup, mix it with the espresso and put it in a glass bottle in the fridge for iced coffee on demand. I keep mine for no longer than a week. To make the mocha syrup, use a microwaveable glass or ceramic bowl or mug. Mix 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl. Add several tablespoons of cold water to mix into a thin paste. Microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. I usually pour the hot coffee into the bowl, stir well, let it cool and pour it into a bottle (I really don't recommend plastic). Then when you want an iced coffee, add a few tablespoons of your mix to a glass of cold water, add sweetener of choice, cinnamon or vanilla (etc.) if desired, and then your dairy/flavored creamer/etc. These are really good and you'll save a lot of money. Enjoy!

I absolutely love this coffee maker! It makes the espresso more creamy and authentic to Columbian style coffee. The only thing I think could use some updating is how cheap the handle feels especially when it’s been warmed up making coffee on the stove and you go to unscrew it to clean it out it feels like the handle is going to break off. So I just let it cool down completely and rinse out only the top part where the coffee goes into after it’s brewed. When I can safely take the coffee maker apart I dump the grounds and still only rinse with water to season my pot. It makes the coffee taste even better over time. NO SOAP! I also do not like how sometimes the two parts are difficult to screw together like that part was made cheaply. Overall for the price is a very good coffee maker and I’m glad I ordered it!