Review on Taylor Ng 30028 Bellman Stovetop by Todd Wigfall

Before I start, let me be clear: this machine makes the best coffee I've ever had. I've been using this machine for about four years now. and I'm happy to report that it's holding up great. I don't follow his instructions to start brewing coffee at around 2 bar, but do 4-4.5 bar instead. The coffee is good and frothy - while "real" espresso needs to be brewed at 10+ bar, this machine's 4.5 bar seems to be enough. Below are some pros and cons. Pros: - good coffee, good foaming - very durable, high quality body - stainless steel so if you're into aluminum then this is great - sensor allows you to taste different coffee strengths/flavors. - very practical and needs little cleaning; This is good for me because if it were easy (like the capsule machine) I would be drinking coffee all the time. Disadvantages: - practical, therefore not easy to clean. While this is a plus for me, it may be a minus for others - care must be taken when working. For example, if you open the valves but leave it on the stove, the water will evaporate completely and the silicone seals will burn. Or if you don't close the lid tightly, the pressure can push the seal out from above and the water "explodes". It happened to me - it's good that the water was already cool when he hit me in the face. - The shape is ugly (but the construction is solid) so this machine doesn't look like great Italian art. part that some other espresso machines have) - plastic on the handle, taps (okay bakelite, a bit more heat resistant) and worst of all the pressure gauge! If you use this over a gas fire, the heat will melt the "glass" of the gauge very easily, so use caution. - Can't easily control water temperature and pressure - You can, however, add more or less water to the tank (and apply Boyle/Charles' laws). UPDATE (after 5 years of use): Pressure gauge broke after 5 years and showed zero pressure. Instead of ordering a part I just bought an Omega sensor and installed it myself (very easy process). I still use my car every day.