Moka Express 1/2 Cups Stovetop Espresso Maker. The perfect gift! Made in Italy

I've used this machine for a month now and I LOVE IT!UPDATE 4/19/17: We finally bought an induction hot plate. This one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0045QEPYM/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1I can't say how much quicker, easier and much more consistent results are with my Kamira! If you are able to couple your kamira with an induction hot plate it'll change your coffee experience ten fold!I will say that this isn't a beginners Moka/espresso machine. You have to know your grind, roast, time, a watchful eye and a lil bit of patience. HOWEVER the result is amazing, delicious and beautiful espresso with great crema.I use my Kamira on a glass-top electric stove. Kamira works great on electric, however since we use our kamira daily we are looking into an induction heat hotplate/ when we replace the stove it'll be either gas or induction. Here's why- most electric stovetop ranges pulsate/flash heat. When we use Kamira on our grill we have more control on the steady build up of heat/pressure; which we find is easy to get that constant flow of crema. Is it impossible to get that lovely thick crema like the Kamira website shows on electric? Not in the least. However we run a "blow out" to preheat our unit by filling the reservoir half way, attaching the portafilter without grinds, and letting the water/ steam cycle through. Kamira works much better slightly warmed up.Another thing to note is roast and grind. The hubby and I are medium roast people- which with the right grind is no issue. The caveat is less crema since the beans are not as oily. The darker the roast, the more crema you'll get. We've experimented with all types of roasts including blonde roasts and still yield far more crema than any Moka pot we've ever used. As far as grind, you want a fine grind like table salt.Here's our process on an electric stovetop:1) preheat with an empty portafilter and cycle water (medium heat until steam emits from the portafilter or the water has cycled through- we've have a good eye how much should be in the cup. Careful not to over heat- start with medium low heat until you know how your range performs)2) remove portafilter and fill with fine grinds. lightly tamp by tapping the portafilter on the counter . level grounds and clear any grinds around top and sides. place onto Kamira.3) Lever in horizontal position. Fill with water. A little over half for single shot. To the top for a double shot. Push lever to vertical position to let the water drain into kamira. Once drained return lever to horizontal position.4) Place on burner. Heat on medium.5) Once coffee emerges turn to medium high heat for 10 seconds. Return to medium heat.6) Once crema emerges turn to low heat for 15 seconds. Turn off heat. Kamira should continue to brew and stream crema in dollops or if you've hit that wonderful sweet spot of steam and pressure- a steady flow of thick crema.7) Remove from burner once the crema begins to slow or you hear hissing. The portafilters will gurgle as you brew, but if you hear a slight hissing, remove from heat immediately before the safety valve whistles. Removing from the heat doesn't cease brewing it just lowers the pressure building up.8) Once off the heat for a minute, SLOWLY lower the lever to the vertical position. If you do this directly after removing from heat or while it is still on the burner you can have steam shoot out. Please don't burn yourself.9) Drink as is, or doctor it up how you like. Sweeten, pour over ice, add milk. Dealers choice. We warm almond milk in the microwave and use a frother to create microfoam lattés. Or make it an iced latte to go on our busy days.A few things to note:We have made consecutive shots with no issues. Simply run Kamira under cold water for a minute in between brews/cups.To clean the portafilters we run under hot water and use the brush that came with our ceramic burr grinders to gently sweep away any grinds hanging out in the filters. Once a week we wash with soapy water and rinse very well.Making coffee with Kamira is an experience. A wonderful experience that performs well and delivers amazing results for a stovetop espresso maker- the catch- it can take some time to prepare. For us 20 minutes, to freshly hand grind, preheat, brew 4 shots, and heat and froth milk. That's worth it to us.It's a beautiful, compact and very well made machine that is easy to clean and use. No checking pressure valves, plugins, etc. Kamira sells replacement parts that are also industry standard.As someone who has been trained to compete in international espresso making competitions, owns Moka pots, French presses, hand espresso machines, pour-overs, used espresso machines that cost thousands- this Kamira is priceless to our household. We will have this unit for years and cherish it beyond all the other methods of coffee brewing. 100% worth every dime.If you want true Italian coffee made beautifully every time without cheap plastic parts. This is your machine.The only thing we could ask for is a 3/4 shot portafilter for those days we need the extra kick.

I stumbled upon this coffee maker while I was shopping around for a new stovetop moka pot. Anyone familiar with the coffee that comes out of a traditional moka pot should enjoy the coffee that this thing produces, only in a more convenient and familiar 'shot' form. ...and of course there is an almost comical amount of crema produced...which can be good or bad depending on your preference. It is perfect for those mornings before work when I need a little pick-me-up, but don't want to commit to a full pot. For somewhat of an impulse buy, I am very pleased with it. I can get a great shot of espresso without having to commit to a full-blown espresso machine. Here is a quick assessment:Pros:- Fast! Water heats up within about 1 minute and produces a shot quickly after. One and done!- Comes with both single and double shot portafilters, but I doubt the single shot will ever get used. :)- Easy to clean. The maker is elegent in its simplicity. Just wipe or rinse and it's ready to go.- Light and Portable. Can use it pretty much anywhere with a burner, such as a hotel room or friend's house.- Appears to be well made. Most of the construction is stainless steel, but the valve/portafilter handles are plastic. The protective covering seems to be rubber, as is the gasket of course.- Easy to use. There instructions come in English and Italian. The steps are fairly straightforward and don't leave much room for error. Basically, Close valve, load water, open valve (lets the water flow into the boiler), close valve, load portafilter, put on stove. When it's done, simply release the valve slowly release pressure.Cons:- Takes a little trial and error with grind and tamping to get an extract within 30 seconds. That's probably typical with most espresso makers though.- Valve assembly is functional but seems a little flimsy. IT has worked perfectly fine so far, but I'm guessing if something does snap off, it would be the valve handle.- Not a 'set it and forget it' maker. i.e. Don't load it up and go wandering off to the shower. It makes coffee quickly and should probably be watched carefully.- Water tank holds just enough water for a double shot. If you want an Americano or something like that, you'd need to put the kettle on. I don't imagine it would do a corto/ristretto shot very well either. If you don't mind the 1~2oz limitation, you're good.- Pricey. You can get a perfectly nice aluminum moka pot for $20-$30 and stainless one for $50-$60. For how simple it is, the $100 spend is slightly outside my comfort zone. I'm happy with it though, so I can't really complain too much.Bottom line: It doesn't do much, but what it does do, it does very well. If you are looking for an alternative to standard stovetop makers and want to have a nice conversation piece at dinner parties, I would recommend this whole-heartedly.

This innovative KAMIRA espresso coffee machine is hand made in Italy (Sicily) and the instructions advise that there could be minor imperfections (e.g. polishing of the welds). Disappointing was the bottom that is not 100% flush. Therefore, it's not the best for glass-top stoves, but it won't affected gas stoves (which in Italy all homes are furnished with). Not sure if it's due to this design flaw and the way that it heats up on a glass-top stove (wobbling), but the water for 2 cups (which is filling the raised metal cup to the rim and then shutting off the valve with the below lever) didn't make much espresso. It produced only one good espresso cup, which is small to begin with. Note that you can't put more water in than the raised metal cup holds (max of 2 espresso cups). Obviously, some of the water literally went up in air (steam). Another difference I noticed is that the Kamira coffee machine really makes some very hot water and steam that causes the coffee grind to become darker than with the convention stove-top coffee machine. Not sure if it has to do with the uneven bottom and putting the burner on high when the coffee starts to appear, but it seems to cook / burn the coffee grind more. Lastly, the Kamira coffee machine made only little foam and not as much as on the picture. It's not as creamy as I hoped for and therefore return it. I wanted to try this Kamira espresso machine before spending $300+ on a real coffee machine - the non-stove-top kind.