Bellman Stovetop Espresso Maker & Steamer - Brew Rich and Creamy Espresso, Cafe-Style Milk Steaming, Portable and Lightweight, 850ml Capacity, Brews 3-9 Cups

The quality for the calibration and extraction coffee is poor.

Nice product, I like it

Good

The CX-25P is well made. It brews a nice cup of full bodied coffee/espresso drinks. The pressure gauge is nice to have. The steamer makes lovely foam. However, the product description declares the CX-25P will work on induction cooking surfaces. The CX-25P I received does not work on my induction cooktop. That's a bummer but we will keep it to use on the propane cooktop in our travel trailer.

Before I start, I want to be clear: this machine makes the best coffee I have ever drank. I have been using this machine for about four years now, and I am pleased to report that it holds up greatly. I don't follow its instructions to start making coffee around 2 bar of pressure, but instead do 4-4.5 bar. The coffee is good and foamy - while the "true" espresso has to be made at 10+ bar pressure, it seems that the 4.5 bar this machine delivers do the trick. Some pros and cons follow. Pros: - good coffee, good foaming - very solid, quality build - made of stainless steel so if you care about aluminum, this is great - gauge allows you to try a variety of strength/taste for your coffee - very hands-on and takes a bit to clean; this is good for me for if it was easy (like with a pod machine), I would drink coffee continuously Cons: - hands-on, so not easy to clean. While this is a plus for me it may be a minus for others. - must take a bit of care when you operate. For example, if you open the valves but left it on the stove, the water will evaporate completely and the silicon gaskets will burn. Or, if you do not close the lid tight, the pressure may push the gasket on top and the water will "explode" out. This happened to me - the good thing about it is that by the time it hit my face the water was cool already. - the shape is not beautiful (but the construction is solid), so this machine does not look like a great Italian art piece that some other espresso machines do) - plastic on the handle, faucets (OK, bakelite, a bit more heat-resistant), and worse of all on the pressure gauge! If you use this over a gas fire, it's very easy for the heat to effectively melt the "glass" of the pressure gauge, so be careful. -cannot control water temperature AND pressure easily - you can however by adding more or less water in the pot (and by applying Boyle's/Charles' laws). UPDATE (after 5 years of use): The pressure gauge broke after 5 years, indicating zero pressure. Instead of ordering the part I simply bought an Omega gauge and installed it myself (very easy process). Still using the machine every day.

This is a BEAUTIFUL espresso/cappuccino-maker! It's design is so unusual! The drawback is: It is not the most practical to use. Filling it with coffee tends to make a mess. The riser in the center, used to screw down the top, makes it quite difficult to tamp down the coffee without spilling.

It took 10 days to receive this item. It comes with a pressure gauge to know correct time to start brewing espresso. The item was cleaned by using just water as indicated in instructions. The pressure gauge never registered at all even up to the point of having pressure relief valve opening. I contacted seller and let them know this seeking help. They said to return and would email a return allowance. It took another 3 days to get the email. The item was packaged in original box and returned by fedex, another week. Hey received it 4 days ago and said they would test gauge and decide what to do. No word since then - still waiting. Over three weeks and still no espresso pot or any indication what happens next. This is a 300$ purchase.

Unit was supposed to be induction compatible but is not. I am using it with the special induction plates which works but is slower and more cumbersome. Disappointing for the induction issue.