8259 Carioca Nero 12-Cup Espresso Maker

Great larger stovetop espresso maker for those who need a bit more quantity than traditional makers. Terrific ergonomics. Health-wise I also appreciate the fact that it's stainless steel instead of aluminum, given the increasing evidence of serum aluminum levels in our bodies (quietly building up due to everything from antiperspirant to nonstick cookware) being complicit in various nightmares like Alzheimers........... plus it makes superb espresso!

I bought the 12 cup model and am very disappointed in its quality. Fortunately I bought a used one that only cost a fifth of the normal price.It is almost as if the top and bottom halves were designed and made by two different companies. The bottom half is sturdy, heavy, well designed, and well made, but the top half is thin, flimsy, and badly designed. I have a 9 cup stainless pot from Maxware that is much better made. A major problem with most stove top espresso machines, including my Maxware, is that their bottom surface areas are too small. When the diameter of the bottom is too small, there is little surface area to contact with the heat source below, especially with a gas range. I liked that this one from Vev Vigano has a short base that is wide, for better contact with either a gas or electric range.The filter of my Maxware stainless pot is a separate piece on its own, which makes it very easy to clean, while this Vev Vigano has the screen fastened into the top section, which makes it much more cumbersome and difficult to clean out the grounds after use. It may sound like a minor issue, but having the screen always fastened to the bottom of the top half, means that grounds are always stuck all over the bottom of the top section, which fall everywhere when you unscrew the sections.The lid and its hinge are thin and cheaply made, so i expect the top will fall off after a short period of use and cleaning. As others have said, the lid is thin with a super sharp edge. Once the cheap hinge breaks, you could remove the black knob, so the lid might be used as a deadly throwing disc, like a Chinese Shuriken (Ninja Throwing Star).Buy the "Maxware Stainless Steel Stovetop Espresso Maker" or another instead of this pot.Even though I am disappointed in its design, I still gave this pot 2 stars because it makes excellent coffee. With milk heated in your microwave, you can make 3 or 4 large lattes at one time. I prefer latte made with milk heated in the microwave rather than steamed using an electric espresso machine with steamer. When you microwave the milk, you get hot milk, but when you mix hot steam and cold milk, you get a lukewarm mix of milk and water. Unless you are willing to part with lots of cash and counter space, an electric espresso pot cannot make more than one or two lattes at a time. If you are trying to make them for 4 people, the first two will be cold before you finish the next two. Even though I will still use my smaller 9 cup Maxware for my extra large and extra strong morning latte, this 12 cup Vev Vigano will be handy when I want to make lattes or espresso for company.The person who gave this pot a bad review because he said that the coffee boiled too long and tasted bad was completely wrong. He does not know the difference between an espresso pot and a peculator. If you have never used a stove top espresso machine, they differ from a percolator because the water in the bottom is heated until it boils, and then the steam is forced up through the grounds into the top "catch pitcher". The metal of the top section will get warm by heat transfer where the two parts fasten together, but the coffee in the top in the top is never heated after it passes once through the grounds. The water does not contact the grounds until the water begins to boil, and once it begins, the brewing is complete in just a minute or less. How long it takes the water to begin boiling will vary with your stove top, the size of the pot's bottom, and the initial temp of the water, but the grounds simply sit waiting until the water is boiling hot. By contrast, with a stove top percolator, it can take careful timing to get good cup of coffee without it tasting burnt, because the water and brewed coffee mix together in a single container and will pass through the grounds multiple times while boiling your coffee.

UPDATE- the handle broke!! And while I was trying to open it, it cut right through a thick silicone potholder and cut my hand yet again:( I absolutely HATE this pot! I have been using stovetop espresso makers for many, many years, and this is the absolute worst! In fact, it actually cut my hand! The edge is so sharp and the metal quality is so poor! The first one I ordered actually had a rust spot on the bottom - RUST! I sent it back and ordered another (the only reason I ordered again is this is the largest capacity maker on the market right now). I had the BEST 10 cup maker for several years, still worked great after years of daily use, brought it on vacation with us and accidentally left it there:( I am just so bummed that this was a the only replacement I could find... it is THE WORST! Poorest quality, makes awful espresso, spits, spatters and spills everywhere! DO NOT BUY this maker!

This is a great coffeemaker and works exactly as it should. We are on our second one because the handle broke off the first one after 3 years of use. The handle is riveted on and the rivets failed. I tried to get warranty information but could not find any and Amazon was unable to provide any. Be warned: if you use the handle to unscrew the bottom from the top, it will fail prematurely. It's a great temptation, because it's hard to get it apart after you make coffee and the handle makes it easier - but the torque on the rivets is too much and they won't hold.

I thought that I was reordering the same Vev Vigano pot that I had used for about 15 years before it giving out, but this turned out to be a cheaper replica. I don't know what the previous one was made of but it was heavier, sturdier. This one is light weight...it takes considerably longer to brew (about 16 - 17 minutes to brew at high heat), and it doesn't hold the heat as well. It feels cheap when you pick it up.It does make a good cup of coffee, so I'm not entirely unhappy with it...In terms of a typical coffee mug, it makes 2 1/2 mugs.

Love it. Get about 4 regular coffee mugs out of this 12 cup one. I own the 6 cup one too. I get 2 mugs out of that one. I drink my coffee w milk so some room in the mug is for 2 ounces of milk. There's no leakage. Well made

We previously got the same brand and it was wonderful but the handle broke off. This one is not the same quality the handle is plastic and there's some sort of coating on the interior so this is not acceptable to us. The reason we got it initially was because there was no plastic no nonstick Coatings like most coffee machines exposing you to a ugly chemicals. The quality has definitely gone downhill.

Workmanship is very fragile and poor quality