Bialetti Venus 2 Cup Stainless Steel Espresso Maker

I ordered a couple of the cheaper brands and sent them back. Before I purchased the Bialetti I contacted them on their website. I was shocked that I got a reply! It was within 2 or 3 days, I do not remember exactly.Good construction: The bottom is high-quality stainless steel, that a magnet will stick to. It will heat on an inductive stove. The top is a different alloy that will not cause the coffee to overheat in the top chamber. There is no Alumnim in this product. ALWAYS take it apart, drain the leftover water, and allow it to dry after every use. It is steel and could rust if you let it set with water in it for months at a time.This unit makes good espresso, and yes you can make a single cup. The trick is to get the coffee and water amount down. to make a single cup, I rinse the bottom, shake it out then use 80 ml of water. I add lightly compacted coffee just above the top of the line in the coffee basket. That gives a good taste and the perfect amount of coffee for one espresso cup.Break it in first! I made 3 batches of old regular cheap coffee, which I never intended to drink, through the coffee maker first. Then I ran 2 batches of water only. If you do not do that, you can expect your first cup or two to taste like metal. It has nothing to do with the quality of the device, it's just the manufacturing process. Any cheap coffee will do. My espresso coffee is $18 per pound so I did not want to waste 3 batches of expensive coffee breaking in a new espresso maker.Bialetti is quality and one of the best in the world. Although this was expensive, I think it was very well worth it.

This thing has been a workhouse in my house; we had to buy a second one.The only tricky bit is filling the filter basket, but that's because it's so small. I do not fault the design, though. It tells you it's small from the beginning.And evidently I like my coffee double strength because it says it's a two-cup moka pot, but I use all of it in my Americanos. That's why we had to get a second one, so my wife could do the same thing without having to wait for it to be cleaned up.

Love this pot! Replaced a 20+ year old bialetti 2 cupper and for a few years appears they were no longer the 2 cupper so was great to find this one. Perfect portion of espresso for 1or2 peeps. Slightly lower water capacity than the one I replaced but still excellent sturdy product I'm very happy with.

I love the design. It doesn't drip off the edge when I pour the coffee. The thick rubber handle doesn't get hot and its easy to grip. The rounded shape makes it easy to clean and the top is light weight and simple. It makes just the right amount of coffee for me. I'd buy it again if this one breaks.

I am very sensitive to caffeine, where even a few shots of espresso will keep me up at night. Even though it's advertised as a 2 cup moka pot, it is the equivalent of making one cup which is perfect for coffee drinkers like me.In order to avoid burning the coffee, I recommend initially placing boiling water into the basin rather than cold water—it makes a huge difference. And after each use, properly clean the entire pot and hand-dry immediately to prevent the moka pot from rusting.

I have been dying to purchase this stainless steel moka pot, but it was just too small, I returned it & will be getting the next size up, I don't know about the heat resistant handle, it does get hot, but this stainless steel espresso maker is better than the aluminum/or plastic coffee makers.

I think this is an elegantly designed piece of equipment and I really appreciate how it works. Heavy construction, steel, beautiful shape.The coffee tastes great, a wish it was actually 2 cups of brewed result rather than 2 cups in the boiler. It’s just a hair short of my usual morning dose! I do however love this product and will be keeping it

I prefer my old aluminum Bialetti, think the coffee was just a bit better when prepared with that design. I purchased this stainless version because I was concerned about the aluminum leaching...though I am sure this is just my own paranoia. It works well...but the design makes it a bit harder to clean the inside and the coffee is slightly different in terms of body and flavor.