Customer Reviews

Primula 18/10 Stainless Steel 4-Cup Stovetop Espresso Coffee Maker

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was fantastic. Great quality stainless steel. It produces a smooth cup of espresso. I had the 'ever so popular' hex shape one and hated it. This pours perfectly unlike the other one which spills all over the place. You cannot go wrong with this. Great price, great quality.

After much use I noticed the visible rusting inside the bottom portion of the pot so I doubt it is stainless steel. The knob or valve on the bottom portion of the pot leaks water. I"m looking for a replacement stovetop coffee maker now.

I bought an aluminum Bialetti some time ago, and while it seemed to work well for a while the coffee started tasting "off" and I just wasn't enjoying my coffee anymore. No matter what brand, quantity or grind, it just didn't taste right. So I started looking for a stainless pot, and due to the high prices ($50 plus, and the fact that I was having a hard time finding a "4 cup", (I use my stove top espresso maker to make myself a cappuccino and the 6 cup pot made just a little too much so I was also wasting coffee every time) I hadn't ordered one yet.

I spotted this pot in a store for about $28, so I figured I'd take it home, give it a shot, and return it if I didn't like it. The price was right. I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. It is made of stainless steel, the top screws easily and smoothly onto the bottom, the handle juts outward which is good because obviously none of these pots fits on a burner, so when I put this pot on the edge of the burner, the handle is well away from the body. It looks so much nicer than the other pot. I make my coffee with about a 1:1 ratio of coffee to milk, and this size pot is perfect for 1 large mug of coffee.

I haven't had any problems with the knob on top like another poster did, but I have been careful with the knob and handle of it because as it seems from reviews from a variety of this type of coffee maker these seem to be the problem areas. You can't use the handle to try to screw the top off the bottom on these, that is surely going to break it.

This coffee maker is a little bit slower than my other one, which used to brew the coffee in about 12 minutes on 5 1/2 on my electric stove, smallest burner. This one takes about 14 minutes, but it is well worth it.

This little espresso maker is excellent for making espresso drinks. It is so simple to use. Now I can have those pricey espresso drinks for a fraction of the cost!! And I can have that extra shot or two of espresso without the extra cost! It is very easy to use. It takes no time at all to make the espresso. Cleanup is a breeze. The pot is made of good quality stainless steel. This little pot will pay for itself in no time!! It is an excellent product at an excellent price.

I've been using this to make my morning coffee for the last 5 years or so. I'm now shopping around for a replacement because, after all these years, the rubber ring is no longer holding off the grounds as well as it had been. I'll buy the same brand because it's good for what it's for at a fair price.

I bought this to replace an old, cheap aluminum espresso maker, and I like it MUCH better. It's dishwasher safe, which is great, the handle is larger and easier to grasp, and it makes less of a mess when the pot is full and I'm trying to pour (for some reason, the aluminum one always sputtered a little when it was full, and I always got a little coffee on the stovetop). The instructions say not to pack the coffee, but that's what I always did with the old one, so that's what I've done with this one, and the coffee has been quite good.

The only complaint that I have is the length of time it takes to make the coffee (about 10 minutes), which is quite a bit longer than the aluminum one. I think part of that is because the bottom of this coffee maker isn't actually flat - the center portion of the bottom is recessed about 1/4 of an inch, so it doesn't come in contact with the heating element directly (making it heat slower). Not a big deal, but a little bit of an inconvenience. Overall, it was definitely a good purchase.

I received this espresso maker as a gift and initially was very pleased. However, after using it for two months the screw that holds the silicon knob in place on the lid started falling out. There are no threads holding the screw in so every time I use the espresso maker and wash it the knob comes off and I have to fish out the little screw inside the pot. It does make great espresso, but it's not worth the aggravation so I am currently shopping for another stovetop espresso maker. I don't know if this is a common problem for this type of espresso maker or just this particular brand. At any rate, I won't buy another Primula.

A step up from the aluminum product, but I had expected more stainless steel. Not perfect craftsmanship, but still produces decent tasting coffee (much better than a filter coffee maker or, yuck, instant coffee - can you really call it that?). I still use it.