Cappuccino Espresso Stovetop Machine Froths 18/10 Steel

As much as I hate junk from China, you can no longer buy the real one made in by Stella. This is knock off of a $120 Italian made unit. The company never recovered from an earthquake that destroyed its manufacturing facility in northern Italu. I have purchased 4 of these and take one when I travel so I don't have to pay $4.50 at Starbucks. I can't imagine how the one reviewer claims his exploded. There are 2 ways for pressure to escape the unit. 1. Through the stem the way it should escape normally. The valve is pulled up to close the breather hole which is used for frothing the milk. The espresso travels up the inside of the stem from the moka pot then then down the outside of the stem into the frothed milk. 2. There is a pressure relief valve on the pot that will release at a certain pressure in the event that the stem becomes blocked. Water must only be filled to the bottom of the valve or it will not work. This is standard with any stove top espresso maker. I must also disagree with the review that said it was a poor design. It is a brilliant design by the metallurgist that started the company back in the 1920's. I gave it a 4 because it is actually made well for China, but a comparison to a real Stella will reveal some of its short comings. For instance the coffee basket works fine but the holes are a bit bigger and not as neat as an original. Also, the threads on the pot did not mesh nicely on one unit. The price is unbeatable and I have been using the first one I bought for 3 years. They make a nice gift for the coffee enthusiast. It does take some practice to get it to work correctly but it makes great cappuccino.

Review Update:I had to write an update to my 2013 review, this thing is still AWESOME! The only reason I can figure out that it's getting bad reviews is because people don't understand how to use it. I cannot rave enough about it. Perfect for home or travel.I'll give you a short scenario of how it works. First you fill the bottom chamber part with water up to the middle of the bolt. (Look inside the bottom chamber and you'll see a little bolt approximately halfway between the top and bottom of the chamber.) Next put the espresso in the little metal filter and pack down the espresso, at least that's what I do. I have a little measuring device for from my more expensive cappuccino espresso maker that I never ever use anymore to gently tap down the espresso. Assemble the top portion to the bottom two pieces by screwing the top piece to the bottom (the bottom contains the water chamber with the coffee chamber tucked inside). Insert the frothing piece down into the top, add about an inch or so of milk, you can experiment to own taste, and finally put on the red top. You can now quickly pump the the frother up and down for about 30 seconds. The milk gets thick quite quickly and you can take the top off and peek to see if that's your desired thickness. With the red top back on the coffeemaker, pull the little ball on very top of the frothed up tight - straight up where it will stay and should always stay until your coffeemaker is ready to be taken off the stovetop. Now you're ready to put your ensemble on the stove - I put the heat on med high. Normally it takes about 3 or 4 minutes for the coffeemaker to just come to a slow boil. As soon as I hear it begin to boil for a few seconds I immediately take it off of the stove top and press down the top center ball. I let it sit for a couple of minutes but not too long because it may kill your foam if it sits too long.If you forget to put the water in the bottom chamber and put it on the stove (this will happen sooner or later I can promise you) it's going to be super hard to clean. After it cools off take steel wool and clean the inside of the scorched bottom chamber. Also if you take cold water and rinse off the frothing stick and the red top immediately after you take the coffee maker off the stove, it's super easy to keep clean. I bought three coffeemakers this time because I never want to be without my coffeemaker again, EVER!I got this for a recent family trip since my daughter wouldn't let me take my expresso/cappuccino machine. Although I have only used it for a few weeks I love it. This morning I made espresso from my machine and froth from this little baby. The foam is off the hook. The only issue is the foam cools down the coffee too much. It's mentioned in the reviews here. I don't like putting the finished product in the microwave, as one suggested, because it deflates the foam. Now that I have time to play with it, I'll find a way to perfect it. Can't go wrong with this purchase. This pot is quality made and worth more than what I paid.

I am so glad I gave this little pot a try! Even my first cup turned out pretty good. I love the fact that it is stainless steel rather than aluminum. I have it pretty fine tuned now and am very happy to say I just love the cappuccino that this all in one pot puts out! And, this is after spending over 5 weeks in Italy at my daughter's! I just wish it was a little bigger for two cups at a time but since I'm the only coffee drinker in my house it doesn't really matter that much. Some key things to do:1. First I turn my electric burner on to medium heat. Then fill filtered water up to the bottom of the vent into the bottom piece.2. I am using Gevalia's Brand of Espresso Coffee for my cappuccinos. I have absolutely no problem with this Espresso 'grind' seeping through the filter into the water like another posted. I fill it with a small teaspoon and then I do tamp it down a little, not tight. Put the filter into the bottom piece and then attach the top piece placing the frother into the top.3. Like the directions state, I use 2 full lid measurements of cold 1% milk. Put the lid on top. I like my froth really creamy and this frother will do this, it just might take longer than the 20 sec it recommends. I pump the frother until I feel it start to get fairly thick and puff up the sides about two-thirds up. Remove the lid.4. DO NOT FORGET to pull up the metal ball stopper at the top of the frother handle. Very Important! Otherwise, your coffee will not perk correctly. Then place on the burner and set a timer for 5 min.5. Then listen to hear when it starts to perk from the bottom. I only allow it to perk for a couple of minutes tops, so that enough water is perked up from the bottom into the top, too much longer though and the coffee will taste burnt I have heard. The froth will have tiny bubbles bursting on top, too.6. Here is where I have found this little extra step to help a lot! Because you cannot let this coffee perk too long, it does not allow the milk to warm up to a nice temp leaving it luke warm at best. So, after adding a little teaspoon of sugar to the bottom of a nice good size thick coffee cup, pour your cappuccino into the cup scraping out the froth over the top with the frother. Stir the sugar in under the froth, then put it directly into my microwave and heat it for 25 sec. This is just enough time to put it at a nice coffee temp and it actually puffs up the froth a little more.7. I then top it off with a little bit of cocoa sprinkled on top! Perfection!Hope this helps! Enjoy!!!