" Bialetti - Musa Induction, Stainless Steel Stovetop Espresso Coffee Maker, Suitable for all Types of Hobs, 10-Cup (15.5 Oz), Silver"

So, in an effort to break my Starbucks habit, I purchased this and a Kuissential milk frother. From all of the reviews of multiple moka pots I decided to stay with a Bialetti in stainless steel and not aluminum. This particular pot is very sleek and attractive and looks nice on our island behind the cooktop. More importantly, the moka pot works PERFECTLY! I wanted to be sure that I could produce the best tasting espresso from the pot, so I did quite a bit of research online about "how to make the perfect moka espresso". The one that I decided to follow had a few more steps than came with the pot, but I did it anyway (improvising a bit along the way) and the results were AMAZING! Starbucks should be so lucky to produce an espresso as smooth as this. So to share here, these are tips for a perfect moka espresso:1. Never wash the pot with anything than hot water and never use soap to clean it.2. Break the pot in/season it before you start making espresso. I used a strong coffee blend that I had on hand and made two (2) pots before finally committing the expensive illy coffee to the endeavor.3. Put the coffee into the basket and level it off with your finger. Don't fill it on the bottom of the pot and DO NOT TAMP the grounds.4. Have a small bowl of cold tap water near the stove (I will explain this later).5. Microwave or pre-heat the water for the espresso to just before it comes to a boil. I use 8 ounces for the moka pot. You can also heat more and pour the extra into your cup to warm it up (Obviously, dump the water out just before you pour the espresso into it).6. Add the hot water to the bottom of the pot and do not let it go about the blow-off valve.7. Place the filter basket in the bottom piece and screw the top onto the unit.8. Place the pot on the stove on high and watch the process. You can lift the lid and watch the progress. The coffee will start to come out dark and gradually get lighter as it gets to the end of brewing.9. When you start to see the coffee running out light remove the pot from the burner.10. Place the pot into the cold water (not above the seal) to stop the brewing process.11. Swirl the espresso around in the pot for a second or two to mix the coffee evenly.12. Pour and enjoy. If you are very disciplined and are going to save the rest for some reason, place whatever is left in a covered thermos to keep it hot.Obviously, having a great coffee grind specifically for a moka pot is critical. The illy that I purchased is pricey, but the flavor is absolutely amazing and smooth. This and my new frother are letting me enjoy great lattes at a significant savings over what I've been paying at Starbucks.My only regret is that I waited so long to finally make this purchase and start enjoying the coffee. If you're on the fence about purchasing one - don't hesitate.

This is my third stainless steel Bialetti and it does not disappoint. I will say though that, not knowing what to expect from a 10 cup, it is bigger that I envisioned. I have a 4 cup, a 6 cup and now a 10 cup. I got the 10 cup because I'm having to make two 6 pot runs whenever I have friends over and I'm only just 1 or 2 cups short; the 10 cup solves that problem. The pot is of Bialetti's usual high quality, no lightweight stainless steel here. I will say, however that on my pot, the lid is looser than on my other 2 pots... not really an issue. Please note, this pot is NOT for a beginner! First of, if you are learning to make espresso only on a 10 cup you are going to spend too much on coffee honing your skills (on my test runs so far it looks like somewhere around 50 to 55 grams will get me to my sweet spot... I need a few more runs to dial it in. (I season my new pots by first running a vinegar "espresso" with nothing in the filter then 4 or 5 plain water "espressos" again nothing in the filter and then 4 or 5 pots using the cheapest espresso I can find, when I see a little staining on the inner walls of the pot I'm ready to dial in my pot with my regular espresso roast. (Remember to never wash the pot with soap, rinse with hot tap water and a toothbrush or a small stiff paintbrush and I also use a wooden chopstick to get down into that crevice inside, shave it as needed) If you are a beginner learn on a 4 cup it's much cheaper when playing with your tamping and heat settings. I read in someone's review before I bought this pot, that it was difficult to tighten the 10 cup because it was hard to grasp since it was "big". Well he was absolutely right. It is 5 inches in diameter at the bottom of the pot and tapers up to about 4.5 inches. I pre boil my water to 145 deg. F before I drop in the loaded filter so tightening this baby required some thought. I finally wound up using two small rubber strap wrenches (see photo) to tighten the preheated pot and also to loosten it. It works very well. You can't go wrong with a Bialetti... Always Great Espresso, ENJOY!