Bialetti Moka Express 1-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker

I really love Cuban coffee, but since I live in a small town, in a cold weather climate state, if I want Cafe con Leche at home, I have to make it myself. After a ton of research, including reading reviews and watching YouTube videos, I decided to get the 3 cup Bialetti. You can't go wrong with the price, and it seems to be a very sturdy little coffee pot. It's very easy to use, and after some experimenting, which has been fun and delicious, here are my suggestions/instructions on what I have personally found to work the best. These are just my personal suggestions, use them if you wish, or feel free to do something completely different!!!! - First things first, for the sake of technicality, please be aware that this coffee pot doesn't technically make espresso. True espresso is made by forcing very hot water, through the ground coffee, by use of very high pressure. This little unit doesn't build up enough pressure to technically create true espresso. What this unit is going to produce is approximately 2 times the strength of drip brewed coffee, with a very high level of oils from the grounds. And unlike espresso machines, which create a layer of golden crema on top of the espresso, this machine isn't really going to do that either. There will be a little bit of golden brown foam on the top, but not really. So for any espresso purists out there, while I commend you for your appreciation of fine espresso, this unit is not for you. - Always use good water. If you have bad water (ie: hard water, chlorinated, rusty), use bottled water. You are trying to pack a lot of flavor into a small amount of liquid, and bad water will make bad coffee. - Fill the water chamber to just below the valve. Please don't overfill it. - I currently am using Cafe Bustelo in the can, but will be experimenting with other brands like Pilon. - For the 3 cup version, I spoon in coffee by the teaspoon, leveling the coffee with each spoonful. When the basket is full, add a little extra coffee on top to create a mound. Total amount I put in ends up being about 4 heaping teaspoons. Make sure the threads are clear of any grounds, and screw the top on. This will compact the coffee down on its own. - Before you place the pot on the stove, make sure that the top portion is firmly screwed on to the bottom. If it is not, the pot will not brew properly, and you will lose moisture and steam pressure from between the threads. - Never use high heat for this coffee pot. I have an electric range that is about 12 years old or so, and I use one of the small burners, and never turn it past 5. It takes a little bit longer to do it this way, but makes a huge difference. High heat will cause the coffee to have a burnt, bitter taste. - I cannot emphasize enough the importance of keeping the heat low. You have to be a little patient during the heating process, but the difference in the flavor is worth the extra time! - Until you become really familiar with exactly how the pot will work on your stove, I would recommend not walking away. It takes a bit of time for the water to heat enough and build up the pressure, but once the coffee starts coming out into the top chamber, its going to go fast. - Resist the urge to keep lifting the lid of the pot. It's hard to do because its pretty cool to see the coffee filling up the top chamber :) I left my lid open the whole time I made my first batch, and lost some coffee in the process. The coffee will kind of spurt and splatter around during the brewing process, so you can imagine what my stove looked like afterwards. - The first few spurts of coffee that come up will probably have an almost syrupy appearance. This is GOOD! You want this! If the coffee doesn't look like this, and/or its pretty pale, you don't have enough coffee in your filter basket. If the coffee is pale, its still ok to drink, but treat it like you would a regular drip coffee. It will not taste like espresso at all. - Each pot sounds a little different, but learn to tell when the bottom chamber has no more water in it. The sputtering noises in the top of the chamber will increase in volume a little as the water chamber empties. - As soon as the bottom chamber is empty, immediately remove the pot from the heat source. If you let it sit on the heat, it will burn the coffee. This is bad! Burnt coffee is nasty!!!! - If you are dividing the coffee between multiple cups, make sure you either gently swirl the pot a few times, or stir the coffee gently before you pour. You want to make sure that the inital thick liquid from the first few moments is evenly distributed throughout the liquid. If you don't, the last cup you fill will contain a much larger portion of the oils from the coffee, and will be stronger than the other servings. I recommend NOT sharing the espresso, and drinking it all for yourself! It's too good to share!!! :) At this point, you can drink it straight if you wish. If that's what you would like, stop reading now............ If you want to do a little more with it and make it even better, keep reading. Like I said before, I love Cuban coffee. I love how strong and rich tasting it is, BUT it is a little sweet for me. I mean, it's got a LOT of sugar in it. So I do mine with a little less sugar than traditional, though I do like a genuine version once in a while. -While the coffee is starting the brewing process on the stove, I pour about 1 cup of whole milk into a glass measuring cup and add about 2 1/2- 3 teaspoons of sugar. - Microwave the milk and sugar until very warm, but not scalded or boiling. - Remove it from the microwave, and use a milk frother to mix the milk and sugar and to make some foam. This is not necessary of course, but I like a little bit of foam. - Pour it into a large mug or coffee cup (I use a 2.5 cup travel mug) and when the espresso is done brewing, pour it into the milk and stir gently. That's it! Easy and delicious, and a great way to cheer yourself up on a snowy, gray day!!!! Enjoy!