Hey guys,

Family tradition for as long as I remember is making good Cuban coffee with Cafe Bustelo and stovetop espresso makers. My roommates and I bought a Bialetti 6-cup espresso maker that was making really good Cuban coffee, but lately the coffee is coming out too watery. Our brewing method remained the same, filtered water up to the valve mark in the chamber, Bustelo packed pretty tight and to the top, medium to high heat (around 6-7 on our stove), and of course mixing the first bit of coffee with sugar to achieve the Cuban 'espuma'. Recently, the coffee that is brewing becomes really watery and bland after brewing out about half of the water. Sometimes it sputters but I've been able to remedy this by lowering the temperature of the stove and getting it off the stove before the point where it gets watery. I don't know what to do about this, I've already brewed around 8 brews of coffee trying to alter it, but it all comes out tasting like watery hot sugar water. What do I need to do? Any tips would be appreciated. I want to stay using Bustelo coffee so changing the grind and its coarseness is out of the question. Thank you guys.

Probably got a can of old coffee there, so things are running through the basket quickly.
I'd suggest packing more coffee into the basket if you can, or even grabbing a fresh/new can of Bustelo as that will probably solve things.

While it's been years since I've had Buestelo in the house, it was my gateway into home brewing, after experiencing it at a Cuban co-worker's house, often, from a tiny Krups "espresso" machine.

If the second can is doing the same as the first, then it's possible that they've adjusted it to a coarser grind.
In that case, try to find a tamper that'll fit inside your basket and pack even more pre-ground coffee inside it.

I have a 3 cup version and Bustelo - this is my routine for a nice potent brew - I like to compact the coffee in the basket using moderate pressure - coffee should be level or slightly convex at the top (you don't want the puck moving around inside the basket so it has to be full) - an old protein scoop fits the basket, or any similar flat, round object will work. Place a wet aeropress filter on the underside of the top half of the moka pot (it covers part of the seal, and air will leak a little, but that's ok). Fill base with hot water, protect your hands from hot base (i use an oven glove) and screw both sides together as tight as possible. Place on high heat until coffee just starts to emerge. Keep heat about 8/10 but control heat to the pot directly by constantly removing and placing pot on heat source so that coffee flows out slow and consistently. This works the best for me rather than just letting it sit on the heat. Once you get 2-3 ounces, you're done. Wouldn't wait until the base runs out of water and starts bubbling/spitting coffee out the top. My 0.02 Good luck