What can I say about this espresso maker when I have to compare it to the Alessi stovetop espresso makers! Not much. This stainless steel espresso machine or maker is very below average and the price paid tells it like it is. There are several stovetop espresso makers and many are so-so, some are even bad, and a few are very good or even fantastic.This particular one is not one I can categorize as good, great much less fantastic. The box it comes in has an Italian flag at the top of it. But believe me, it is not made in Italy. It’s not even made in Europe. Would you believe in China? I doubt the Chinese people even know what espresso is much less how to appreciate it. If they did, they would not put something this cheap and tawdry on the market and place it in a box with the flag of Italy on it.The stainless steel is very thin and flimsy. Stovetop espresso makers need to have a very sturdy body of thick stainless steel in order to withstand years and years of high heat when sitting directly on a burner. I am not going to wait around for even a year to see if this espresso maker lasts six months much less a year. A great espresso maker is made to last a lifetime if handled correctly and not left on the burner so as to boil all the water out of the pot. I know from experience, believe me. I did that to the best espresso maker and had to purchase a second one for that very reason. Had I done that to this espresso maker, I feel the steel would have melted. Well, not really, but something close to that.This six cup maker lacks a way to cut the amount of coffee down to a three-cup maker and that should be part of any six-cup espresso maker. It’s not a fault as much as an option given to the buyer that allows him or her to make that choice.For some odd reason, I really thought I could taste the steel in the espresso. I know I could not, but there was something in the taste that did not ring true. If I was supposed to have one, my box did not come with a tamper—the little piece of metal that packs the espresso grounds tightly so that the water passes slowly through to make it very rich and bold. Maybe it was an oversight or just not included which there should have been one. It’s a must with all stovetop espresso makers.Finally, as hinted above, the espresso was too weak and watery for my taste. This probably due to the lack of the piece of equipment that tamps the espresso grounds tightly into the holder so that the water that passes through the grounds does so very slowly to made it strong and bold. It’s what gives espresso its unique flavor and body.I found this espresso maker to be very flimsy, cheaply made and not worth the money the buyer is being charged for it. As such, it is a very poor quality espresso maker and the end result, the espresso itself, is of very poor quality and not worth the time spent brewing it and the money spent buying the espresso coffee grounds.Cannot on any level recommend this product.