ImusaUSA B120-41V Aluminum Espresso Stovetop Coffeemaker 1-cup, Silver

This cast aluminum coffee maker from IMUSA is an excellent choice for those who enjoy espresso-style coffee at home. Its moka pot design ensures a robust and aromatic extraction, and the 12-cup capacity makes it perfect for both individual use and sharing. It's durable, easy to use, and heats quickly on the stovetop. Ideal for home, travel, or camping, it offers excellent value with a durable construction and a design that preserves the tradition of good coffee.

This IMUSA aluminum stovetop espresso maker is a great choice if you’re looking for a simple and budget-friendly way to brew strong coffee. It’s lightweight and compact, perfect for small kitchens or even traveling.The handle stays cool enough to hold, and the spout pours nicely without spilling. It brews a rich, bold coffee in just a few minutes — not quite true espresso, but very flavorful and satisfying.One thing to keep in mind is that the “3-cup” size actually makes about 6 ounces total, which is just right for 1–2 people. Also, since it’s made of aluminum, you should hand wash it and dry it well to prevent oxidation.Overall, this moka pot works really well for the price, and it’s an excellent option for beginners or anyone who wants a quick, tasty cup of stovetop coffee without spending much.

First off, this design has literally been around for a century and as such, there are few moving parts, very little complexity, and it doesn't require electricity. This makes it super easy to clean. Second, it is small. Unlike the one I remember my Grandmother using back in the day, this makes 3 cups of espresso, and espresso cups are small. I included a picture for scale.I used to have a regular drip coffee maker, then a smaller version of an espresso/cappuccino like you'd see in a fancy coffee shop, and then settled on a Keurig. That spanned about 30 years of my coffee making history. The Keurig is starting to have scaling problems despite every method I had tried to descale it, and before I bought another to replace it, I thought of getting something like Grandma had. I was skeptical that I was retiring a $100 appliance with a $6 one that could use regular coffee grounds.It's super simple. Unscrew the bottom and fill with water up to (but not covering) the safety valve. Place the funnel that holds the grounds in it and add 2-3 tsp of ground coffee. Screw the top on and put it on the stove. (I set it a little off-center so the handle doesn't get hot on my gas stove.) On medium heat it takes about 4 minutes for it to start brewing, and 30 seconds later you can hear it gurgling, which means it's done. If I'm in an espresso mood, I pour some into a little glass and metal cup. If I want Americano style coffee, I dump the entire contents into a coffee mug and add hot tap water to dilute it down to regular strong coffee.It's cheap to buy, cheap to operate, easy to clean, and easy to use. I no longer leave a Keurig plugged in all day on the chance that I may want a cup of coffee. I don't have to buy wasteful k-cups. I load this with water and grounds, put it under the fire, set the timer for 4 minutes, and go back to what I was doing. When the timer goes off I come back into the kitchen, watch for it to start brewing, and then turn it off a half minute later. Once it starts it brews quickly as the water only passes through the grounds once, unlike perked coffee.If you like a good cup of coffee at home, I suggest giving this a try!16 months later, it's still going strong. It doesn't look as pretty anymore - a combination of daily use for over a year, as well as someone putting it in the dishwasher when I wasn't looking. But it still works great. If I want to speed it up, I let the sink hot water run until it gets piping hot and use that to fill it. With that step I can get the cook time to just under 3 minutes. If you work form home and often just want to make a single cup of espresso or coffee, this is a great way to do it.

I like this pot. There are one or two issues with it but given the price point, I still give it a 4.It is a pretty well built piece of equipment. Not steel but cast aluminum. Which is why it is so cheap I am assuming. Although it is aluminum, it heats well and is strong. Again, it is not sheet aluminum but cast. So it is thicker.The threading which joins the two halves together is a bit rough. I am not familiar with the process of manufacturing something like this but I assume the threads are created on a lathe. With use I am sure the threads will smooth out. But for now it is a bit fiddly getting them to line up and when you do, it squeaks loudly from the rubbing. Maybe I will apply some graphite powder or a food safe oil to help it along. This issue is no big deal breaker and it does not affect function.However, what does affect function is the leaking. The seam leaks when I pour. Right where the two halves come together. I've tried a little silicone lube on the gasket and that didn't work. You know how sometimes you need to keep a rubber gasket greased to prevent it from drying out and to help the seal? That was my thinking. But it didn't work.I am not sure what to do about this problem. Maybe as the threads smooth out and naturally wear in, the leaking will stop. Maybe it will get worse.That being said, the coffee this thing makes is delicious. I use a dark espresso from New England Coffee Roasters. Fill the basket to the top, about 4 tbsp. Level it off and brew. It took me about 6 minutes on medium high heat to full brew. Split into two mugs with 1 tsp of sugar each. Such a smooth cup of coffee.I've used percolators before and didn't like them. The coffee always burns. That wasn't the case with this. I am guessing since the coffee separates from the heat once it reaches the top vessel, it solves that issue. It can only get so hot after all and when it does it moves upward away from the heat.I am coming from an espresso machine. I have limited counter space and ditched my espresso machine for this. Is this as good as espresso? I would say, possibly. They are two different types of coffee after all. You don't get that delicious crema with a moka pot. Is an espresso snob (I used to be) going to like this as much as their espresso machine? No. They need to justify spending $1000+ on their equipment. Have you seen those guys on the espresso sub reddit? It's an espresso circle jerkI went to espresso over drip coffee because I like dark, strong, toasty coffees. I've never found a drip coffee that did it for me. My espresso machine was very inexpensive. $200. And it made a fine drink. I honestly believe that a moka pot comes really close to an espresso. At least as far as smoothness and having a strong flavor. I mean I am no coffee scholar. Just as a normal coffee drinker who needs something better than a drip coffee (opinion) I would never go back to an espresso machine or drip. I've tried it all. French press, pour over, Aeropress, drip, espresso and even Keurig. A moka pot is a great setup for me.Coffee is very subjective though. And all it takes is too much grounds or a poor grind or too much heat and you end up with a bitter cup. I can nail a great cup consistently with a moka pot. And a cuban style preparation is the bomb.I would caution against lifting the lid while the pot is on the heat and actively boiling. It makes a mess and you could possibly burn yourself. Remove it from the heat for about six seconds first if you must look inside. Which you sometimes need to do. Learn from my mistake.And they aren't joking about moving the pot to the edge of the burner with the handle hanging away from the heat. It gets wicked hot. And you risk melting it. But it won't be a problem if you just get in that habit. I use my smallest burner. Which is something you should do anyhow. Don't use a burner that is too big for your pot.I would also caution against leaving the coffee or the grounds inside for too long. All it takes is a couple hours and the acid could weird up the aluminum. You probably wouldn't have to worry about this with steel but you do with aluminum. When you pour all of your drink just knock the grounds into the trash and rinse everything quickly. This thing is easy to clean and the grounds come out nicely with a sharp knock on the trash can.I really like this pot and depending on the leaking issue, I don't foresee having to upgrade to anything expensive. Such a good deal for such a great cup of coffee. One of my better purchases.