Broken Bialetti :(

For all of my fellow Bialetti-Lovers out there...don't forget about MAINTENANCE! Bialetti's are like a fine motor vehicle...a Rolls Royce of coffee makers. They require love and attention, and regular maintenance. They cannot be washed with soap and water and they must be thoroughly rinsed after each brewing session. Also, about every six months the rubber gasket should be replaced (I haven't replaced mine in almost 5 years!!!). You see, most people think that the Fabulous Bialetti has only 3 parts-- but really it has 5 (as you can see from the photos). The rubber gasket is supposed to be smooth and white, connecting and sealing the filter into the top part of the coffee contraption. In my injured delirium, after pouring my espresso, I put the Bialetti back on the hot burner...and walked away! Twenty minutes later my mom said, "Cailin, do you think your coffee is done?"...SHIT! After it cooked down I opened it up and the gasket was pretty much melted to death. Just like my busted knee sparking growth- it took a melted gasket for me to FINALLY order some replacements!! Unfortunately my larger 9-cup Bialetti started to bite the dust this same week-- the handle breaking clear off! Now I have to handle it with oven mitts!!

So- a word of advice to all of you stovetop espresso fanatics: order some replacement gaskets! They are only about $1.99 to replace. And one more thing... to extend the quality and life of your gasket (as well as percolating a SMOOTH espresso as opposed to an acidic one), make sure that the stove is on a Med to MediumHigh- NOT HIGHER. You damage the gasket and you rush the percolation process which makes for a shitty cup of coffee.