So last Saturday I bought a cheapo ceramic moka pot (cups and plates included), which made so-so Italian coffee. It turned out that the upper ceramic portion was glued together with the lower aluminum portion of the pot, and after three runs on the stove it unglued, leaving me with with quite a mess to clean in my kitchen.
I went to the department store where I bought it, exchanged it for a Bialetti Moka Express and bought a set of proper espresso cups. I came back, threw away the first brew and then... wow! What a coffee! Huge thanks to Mr. Moo for his detailed procedure and indications. I still have dial in the crema, but it's far better than most espressos I've ordered in restaurants or coffee shops.
BTW, nice write-up about the Moka Pot here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennif..._b_744350.html