Bialetti Venus 4Cup Stovetop Percolator
by admin on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 | 15 Comments
| Brand: | Bialetti | ||
| Average Rating |
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Stainless steel, stovetop espresso maker produces 4 cups of rich, authentic Italian espresso in just 4-5 minutes. more info
New Cooktop
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
~I am purchasing because we are moving to an induction cooktop. We have had and loved our aluminum one from Italy! I don’t believe the hype on the affect it “may” have and alzhiemers. The below is taken from WEB MD.
“On the other hand, various studies have found that groups of people exposed to high levels of aluminum do not have an increased risk. Moreover, aluminum in cooking utensils does not get into food, and the aluminum that does occur naturally in some foods, such as potatoes, is not absorbed well by the body. On the whole, scientists can say only that it is still uncertain whether exposure to aluminum plays a role in Alzheimer’s disease.”
Great little espresso maker!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted an inexpensive method to make a decent cup of espresso and this is it. The stainless steel is highly polished, the quality of the welds is excellent and the pieces fit together great. It is very easy to use and I love the fact I don’t have to use filters.
I also purchased an electric milk frother. Using Starbucks Espresso Roast I am able to make Latte’s just as good as Starbucks. My eggnog latte is even better than theirs.
This is a good percolator with some limitations
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
It is good one. But, we always get some coffee bean in the coffee. I have tried using coarsely ground powder, but the result is the same. The gasket appears very delicate. Bit difficult to clean.
The best
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent piece of work and it looks well put together. No leaks, works very smoothly.
Modern & Functional
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Bialetti Stovetop Percolator makes great espresso, just like any traditional espresso stovetop coffee pot and is easy to use. The sleek lines make it more attractive and modern looking and the quality of the coffee it brews is excellent. Highly recommend.
Bialetti Venus 4-cup stovetop percolator
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very nicely constructed. Ton’s better than the Aluminum ones that I have been using currently. Delivers the coffee faster and without that bitter taste. Easy to clean I love it!
GOOD 2-CUP STOVETOP
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Good I read the reviews! True, it is standard 2-cup (small expresso cups that is. Works fine, I bought it as 2-cup pot, for I read reviews, otherwise if getting the wrong size would be disappointed greatly.
Made in India, not Italy. Again, I read reviews, knew that, so have no issues with it. Essy to clean, looks good, works OK. Misleading description.
Amazon, we depend on your descriptions! They may be short, but what it is made of, where it was made, and capacity. Is it too much to ask?
Bialetti Venus 4-Cup
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
So far, it works fine. My housemate accidentally ran it dry and burned a pot, but other than some funky discoloration of the steel, it is intact, including the handle, which others have had problems with. Perhaps that was a design issue they have since changed? I am also very good about not using the handle to screw and unscrew the parts.
p.s.: I liked Davi Grant’s hose idea, although I haven’t tried it yet.
Is the handle supposed to fall off mid-pour??
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’ve been using this for about 5 months and was very happy with it, and then one day the handle just came unattached from the pot while I was pouring coffee! I was checking the reviews to see if this happened to any one else…. Makes me a little nervous about buying another…
Great- after a return and scaling the learning curve
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I think you have to be willing to risk some hassle factor, as mine arrived damaged (cracked handle). Amazon was great about the return, sending a replacement immediately. Makes good espresso, but there is definitely a learning curve.
A few tips:
It’s hard to be sure, but from looking at the interior pieces, I don’t think they are stainless steel like the exterior. The instructions are similar to the aluminum model, to make a first pot of coffee and throw it away and to only rinse for cleaning. This is to coat the interior with coffee oils to prevent a metallic taste. So if you’re hoping for a totally stainless steel model (no aluminum parts to touch the coffee), you may want to contact Bialetti and find out what metal the filter is made of.
It’s important not to pack the espresso grinds so the steam will move properly into the upper chamber. When I packed the grounds, at least half of the water remained in the lower chamber and quite a lot escaped through the release valve and gasket seal.
There should be a little water left in the chamber after brewing, maybe a tablespoon or so. This is to prevent scorching and discoloration. This means the 4-cup unit makes about 7 oz of espresso, not 8oz. For us, this is enough for two cappucinos.
It’s also important to use relatively high heat, and to remove the maker from the heat as soon as most of the espresso has moved into the upper chamber (this takes a little practice to figure out, but the upper chamber looks about 2/3 full at this point). The espresso is more bitter if there is prolonged contact with the grinds.
I do like Illy brand espresso, and you can froth hot milk with a whisk if you look up the Cooks Illustrated directions. It’s basically putting the whisk between hands that are in the same posisiton they’d be in if you had just clapped them, then slide them back and forth in opposite directions (like you would if they were cold).
Great product!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
With this item, you can make Starbucks Latte at home. It tastes the same if you use Starbucks Espresso.
Delicious Coffee
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is perfect for making a single cup of rich coffee. The 4-cup version makes the equivalent of 1 American-size cup of coffee. I could never get a good single cup from a drip maker without having to make more than I would use. Quick and easy to use. Use freshly ground dark roast beans.
Inexpensive and easy way to make a cappuccino
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The quality is just ‘ok’ as it is made in India rather than Italy and you can easily see it when you unpack it. The handle feels a bit cheap, the lid also looks like it could break if you ain’t careful and the metal also has some defects.
But for the price it is rather excellent at what it does, which are espressos. You just fill it up with water, add you favorite coffee and in less than 5 minutes you are done!
If you do it properly the espresso it produces is great and you save quite a bit of money by avoiding the expensive options. And since I’m using it only for my personal morning and evening cups of cappuccino I don’t see the point on spending $300 to $400 dollars on a big machine.
You are better of using that money on getting a high quality grinder, gourment coffee grains and some very nice Italian coffee cups or glasses.
A couple of suggestions…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought my pot 3 years ago and it still works great. I changed the gasket one time. I’ve found it is better to leave it alone for the best seal. Also I modified the pot by putting a rubber hose (I used fuel line hose) on the end of the spout and having the coffee go directly into the cup. That way all the crema goes right into the cup. Otherwise when you pour the coffee into the cup, somehow the crema seems to disappear before one gets to sip it.
problems closing it, bad design
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This percolator gets jammed every single time you try to close it together. The closing system does not screw together seamlessly, and that affects the brew. Either water or pressure escapes through –and both of those are bad news. The coffee wont rise.. or will be too thick. Or burn because you keep waiting for more water to come up and it has in fact spilled through the sides. All kinds of gentle / pressure tactics have been attempted with no luck.. I am very very upset. It doesn’t work