Bialetti Express - Recent Questions, Troubleshooting & Support - Page 3

If the bottom is screwed too tight on the top, you could try to warm the with hot water and cool the bottom with cold. This could help to expand the top and make it easier to unscrew.

the safety valve on the lower boiler chamber is there to release pressue in case too much prssure builds up in the pot when brewing. If youy have an 11 mm wrench you can take it out and clean it by pulling on the outsidepart, there is a little knob that may be grabbed by a tweezer, gently pull it out, it is spring tensioned, and run water in the opposite end, Chances are some coffee grounds particles got in it and it is not seating good. after cleaning put a few drops of olive oil in it , the inside part. Should seal better and still funtion as a safety valve. Or you can leave it in place in the pot and just pull on the outside , flush with water and then put a few drops of olive oil in it. While you are at it, put olive oul on the threads, olive oil film and the the rubber seal and add a little to the rubber button on the top valve.

Try turning down the temperature. Also make sure there is no coffee left around the edge of the joining surface. This worked for me.

of course you should have it otherwise it can't build up pressure

There is a line inside the water compartment, look for the rectangles that go from the bottom up in the walls, there is a line above them... that is the level for gas stoves, for electric ones just put a little more.

vinegar and water, the white crystals is just calcification build-up from the water.

I think of a diagnosis for the rubber gasket:
With a water ink marker pen mark all the circle that should be in contact with the rubber gasket. Then screw it to the normal operating position and unscrew it and see if the marker ink is evenly transfered to the rubber gasket, if not, you might need to buy a gasket and replace it.
Also you might test the correct "plainess" of the screw edge by doing the same procedure but instead of screwing the lower to the upper sections, just lay the marked surface against any well even and plain surface as a window glass or mirror.
The water based ink is not permanent nor toxic, and can be washed with any soap or detergent.

You cannot wash aluminum items in a diswasher with phosphate based detergent. You'll corrode the aluminum. Best practice is to handwash any aluminum items. Phosphate over time will also etch your glasses, so I suggest always using a non-phosphate detergent - look for Seventh Generation or similar "Eco-friendly" detergents - it will save your glassware too.

The same thing happened with mine. Try replacing the screen cup, which can get dented and create gaps for steam to escape. The other trick when using a new gasket is to brush a little cooking oil on the screw threads, tighten it down pretty hard, and use a high flame. It's really hard to undo for a while, but after a half dozen times the gasket has expanded enough so that you don't have to do this.

This happened to me, too....the gasket needs to be broken in so that it seals properly, which will happen once it's been used several times. In the meantime, just tighten the pot together extra tight and that will help to seal the gasket properly. After several uses, you won't have to tighten it so much and can go back to how you've always done it. I hope this helps!!

I just had this same problem and after reading this blog I went downstairs, tightened the pot down more and it worked! I usually don't tighten it this much, but will continue to tighten it down hard until the gasket is broken in. Thank you sooooooo much!!!

Yep, load of suggestions. Moka are quite difficult to use if you are not used to them:

Try cleaning the filter. It may be clogged after brewing in the wrong way.To clean, remove rubber gasket, remove filter disk from upper part of the Moka, and clean it.
The gasket must be replaced if there had been overheating. In that case the gasket looks stiff, melted, and the moka may drip water from water container sides while brewing.
If gasket looks Ok, leave it.

Ensure that water level is BELOW the valve, if water is covering the valve, there will be no space for air chamber before reaching coffee, and you get only steam. If there is water getting inside the coffee basket before pouring coffee, then water level is too high.

Put coffee until you reach more or less the edge of container basket. DO NOT PRESS coffee, or you will get a strong bad-testing coffeee or only steam.

About the flame, use a small hob, with flame staying below the base of the water container. A technique is keeping flame lower while reaching boiling point, then putting it up when the moka starts brewing. I suggest just keeping a well heating flame on a small knob and ensuring that the flame is staying below the base of the moka.

Ensure that the coffee mix is not too fine-grinded, even if Italians use often electric coffee machines in moka, it may result more difficult to get a brew out of thin-grinded coffee.
Percolated machine coarser mixtures will give a milder brew, but they are easier to use. Mokas brew like Lavazza are the best.

If that still does not do the job, try doing a couple of brews with water only, then do a coffee brew following hints above.

Extra hint: to get the best brew use purest possible water. Use Arabica blend for a fuller taste.

Let me know if the moka is finally working, in that case please do not forget to accept the solution.

All the best.

Ginko.

The bottom. Do not fill past line.

To replace the valve and have it repaired may not be worth it. Just buy a new one. Repair cost could be expensive, since it does not function well (rarely froths).
We cannot be sure as to its usability.

could it be that the gasket is oversized and it covers the small holes ?

dip the top part upside down in warm water, make sure the bottom doesnt warm up, the material from the top will expand and comes loose from the bottom, it might need powerfull hands anyway good look

Flame is too high and the top is not screwed tightly enough to the bottom. Also make sure there is enough fine ground coffee in the funnel.