Customer Reviews

Bialetti Musa 6-Cup Stovetop Percolator

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Before buying the Musa, I used the Bialetti Moka Express for about 4 years and loved it. Then I bought the Musa, expecting the same perfection, but I was very disappointed. The Musa is more of a coffee maker than an espresso maker. True, it makes an amazing cup of coffee, but it is far too weak to be used in a cappuccino or latte. I found that I had to use twice as many shots to have the same potency as my old Moka Express which means a lot less room for steamed milk and less servings all around. If you don't mind the aluminum, get the Moka Express instead.

This little pot makes a great, smooth cup of coffee, and I like its appearance. There are two drawbacks. First, the lid opening mechanism is a lovely sculptural shape, but doesn't really work. As a previous reviewer mentioned, one doesn't have much reason to use it, so it's not a serious drawback. The other, more serious problem is the difficulty I've had in tightening the base when assembling the pot after filling with water and ground coffee. The base is quite wide, and for those with small hands, or with arthritis, this can be very hard to do. I have found my way around this by cutting a small piece of non-slip rug padding, and using it to get a better grip. One can also use a damp paper towel for this purpose. Overall, I'm very happy with this product.

Moka pots are an excellent way to make coffee at home. They're fairly easy to use and will produce very full-flavored coffee. For the price, the coffee can't be beat.

The Musa is a very nice pot from Bialetti. The satin finish is attractive and the shape allows for easy pouring. My only complaint about the design involves the thumb-tab to open the lid. It's a bit awkward -- luckily, there's almost no reason to ever use it.

For half the price, you might consider one of Bialetti's basic aluminum moka pots. With the Musa, you're essentially paying for a little bit of extra style. You may also want to consider paying a little more for Bialetti's Brikka pot, which uses a special valve to produce a stronger espresso with crema.

I've read reviews saying the unit explodes or doesn't make the same coffee as the Moka models and it's really difficult for me to believe. I have both the Moka and Musa 6 cup models and measured the water and filter volumes. It's not surprising that they're exactly the same.

Is it possible for these units to explode? Yes, it is as with any contained steam generating item, but only if you don't follow any directions. When you fill the bottom up you only fill it to the bottom edge of the safety valve. The coffee you use should not be an espresso grind. It should be between a fine drip and an espresso grind. If you use a very fine grind you're going to clog it up and allow pressure to build. If you should ignore both of these very simple things then you'll have a clogged unit and a covered safety valve which can result in it blowing up on you.

These are very simple things with only a few parts and the only wear item is the gasket which will last well over a year if cared for properly.

So here's Moka/Musa pot 101

1. Fill it with water to the bottom edge of the safety valve.

2. Fill the coffee filter FULL, and I do mean full of coffee ground between a fine drip and espresso and scrape something across the filter to level it. Do not tamp!

3. Now put it back together first making sure the gasket is clean. It should only be hand tight and if you're getting leaks then the gasket is dirty or you need to replace it.

4. Put it on the stove over medium heat. If you put it on high you're going to force it to brew too fast and get poor extraction and create a lot of pressure that can be dangerous. It's common sense to aim that pressure relief valve towards the wall so if it should pop you don't have hot steam going where anyone could be standing. I've used Moka pots for years and other than replacing gaskets I've never had a valve pop.

5. It'll begin to brew after a few minutes. When it's halfway done remove the pot from the heat and let it sit and finish. If you hear steam you've left it on too long and the taste of your coffee will suffer for it.

It seems like several of the low-ratings are a result of people thinking that this pot is for regular coffee - it isn't, it is for espresso. Based on the product title, I can see why there was some confusion. It should be specified as an espresso pot, not simply as a "Stove Top Percolator". Bialetti also makes 4-cup and 10-cup Musa pots - Amazon properly labeled the 4-cup as a "Stove top Espresso Maker", but mislabeled the 10-cup as "Stove Top Percolator". Amazon should change this on the 6- and 10-cups to prevent further confusion.

As for the actual pots, I love them. I have the 4- and 6-cup pots and plan to purchase the 10-cup. They are well-built, stylish, easy-to-clean, and most importantly - they make great espresso. I have never had a problem with either of my pots. And, I have had them both for almost 4 years!

As long as you follow proper instructions (as posted by "Brandon", so no need to re-post), you will get a delicious cup of espresso!

My mother-in-law also has these stove top pots (we bought them at the same time). along with several other brands. She is Italian and has used stove top pots for her whole life - as have her mother and grandmother before her. The Musa pots are among her favorite.

I have an induction stove top which is great when you want fine temperature control, speed, and energy efficiency. Induction burners require stainless cookware to operate, however not all stainless cookware will work. This product unfortunately doesn't work on an induction burner. Otherwise on close inspection it looks to be constructed well.

May have to order the Bialetti Venus Induction from Amazon UK.

The fit is bad and the pot spews steam out the side, right under the handle. Made several pots to make sure it wasn't me, but no good. Bought this from a local store and will be returning is ASAP.

Not as large as I thought it would be, but of much better quality than the one I had previously ordered. It is what I was looking for as far as material and quality.

I am dissapointed with this product. I have used it twice and have carefully followed the instructions and I have found that the pot leaks. The seal between the upper and lower sections leaks steam. I tightened it moderately with the first use, using about as much pressure as with my aluminum Bialleti pot and the pot leaked steam. The second use I tightened with considerably more force and although the leak was less, it none the less leaked steam. In each case I had carefully cleaned the mating surfaces to eliminate any coffee grounds. This is unacceptable since I can't imagine the leaky condition improving. A tight seal is paramount to safe and effective expresso pot performance, so this pot is going back for another type of pot with better seal. I have liked my aluminum pot which has given years of durable service, but am looking for a similarly good quality stainless steel pot for health considerations.

This is my second Bialetti stovetop percolator. I needed a bigger one because now I'm making coffee for two. This size is perfect for us, it makes exactly 2 half-cups of espresso. I top off my cup with milk, his with hot water = morning bliss.