bonVIVO Intenca Stovetop Espresso Maker - Luxurious Stainless Steel Italian Coffee Maker for Camping or Home Use -

Design/Aesthetics As can be seen from the photos, it is stunning piece of industrial design, combining raw and bold forms with refinement and nuance--always a difficult balancing act for a designer. It actually looks substantially better in person than in the photos. The handle has a very comfortable and solid feel to it and looks far better in person than in the computer-generated renderings. Attention was paid to the details, including virtually no trace of welding marks, a fine engraving in the inside showing the maximum water level, and a frosted finish on the bottom, presumably to hide scratches. Quality of Construction Everything except the pressure valve is stainless steal. This includes the coffee basket which is of far better construction than the aluminum versions. The interior of both components are well finished and free of rough machining marks, etc.. The threads are well made and clean. My only complaint is that the top of the pot, under the lid, was misshapen when I bought it. With a little bit of effort I was able to reform it back to a nearly perfect circular form. Ease of Use The smooth interior makes this pot easier to clean than the common aluminum versions (which are always roughly machined in the interior). There are some deep recesses in the upper portion which are slightly difficult to access, but it is really not much of a problem. The handle, unexpectedly, remain quite cool when the pot is in use. I have had no problems with the coffee burning, which was one of my concerns of buying a heat conducting stainless steel pot. Overall, I would recommend this product and similar products by the same manufacturer. If you use a Moka pot regularly, I would recommend investing in a higher quality one such as this one. It is always a delight to use beautiful and quality tools. Read more

...that the receptacle that holds the coffee must be filled to the top every time - which requires a bit more than 1/4 cup of espresso grounds. You can end up wasting a lot of espresso if you only drink a portion of what you brew. 5 to 6 cups of espresso is a lot. If you alone, or even two of you are drinking all this espresso every time you brew it, it seems like a lot. I've tried cooling and refrigerating this immediately, to use the next day, but everyone knows it's not quite the same. The pot is of excellent stainless steel quality and heavy for its size, and works excellently. But the design of the inside of the pot makes it hard to clean for people like me who don't want the coffee residue building up inside. There's a kind of ditch around the inside edge, perhaps 3/4" deep. I typically rinse my pot with hot water and then wipe with a paper towel (which can often lift up the oily residue that the hot water leaves behind), but in order to wipe residue out of that ditch, I have to wrap the paper towel around a knife and stick that down in there and try to run it around the circumference of the pot. It's tricky, because if the knife and paper towel are too thick it can't be run around the inside, and if they're too thin they won't wipe the surface of the pot. Is there a reason the pot was designed this way? I don't know. But I like mine clean so that the next cup tastes fresh, and with all the fussing with the clean-up and the amount of espresso i have to use to make each pot, I find I'm not using this pot as frequently as I intended to. I'm keeping it because it's beautiful, solid and works fine. I just wanted to make others aware of the espresso use and cleaning issues I've experienced. Read more

This attractive shining stove-top espresso pot has a wonderful handle that helps you tighten and unscrew the pot! ( I read that some other pots are disappointing because the handles “can’t take the heat” and are too weak to use to screw the pot tightly shut. Some specifically say, “Do not use handle to tighten.”). Glad I got this one with the great handle. This pot makes a concentrated six cups/six shot-strength liquid extract from the espresso—a VERY strong (bitter) latte. So.. add hot water and make 2 to six cups with the concentrated brewed espresso or cofefe. Add half and half to a large coffee mug with your sugar (or whatever — to your taste). The pot should be carefully watched — or maybe you could set a timer—but watch and listen so that as soon as pot makes a gurgling sound, take the pot from the stove and pour it into your cup or tea pot or coffee carafe immediately. Otherwise, if the pot is left too long on heat, it sends a burnt tasting flavor into the espresso or coffee. If you get it just right, it has a wonderful butternut flavor and fragrance. Note: I bought Bullet Proof Mentalist Espresso and used with this pot, and it gave me inconceivably long lasting energy throughout a long day. Making a latte like this is cheaper than the cost of “drive-thru” latte. Someone said to blend espresso in a blender with all your almond milk, cream, coconut milk/flavors, and it’s just like what you buy at the coffee shops! I tried it and agree. I was so happy to get this espresso pot to get the benefits (of desperately needed energy!!) and yet save so much (desperately needed money) that I was spending at that coffee shop! I tried heating on lower heat and my impression is the burnt taste is easier to avoid that way. The sudden point at which it burns doesn’t come so “suddenly”. Others say, turn it up to hottest for best results, but perhaps each pot has a different “best technique” for its unique properties. Read more