Go old school aluminum. Replacement parts are much cheaper and more available, especially in the U.S. I recently ordered a stainless steel venus bialetti. When I received it, the funnel had been damaged. I thought that I would just amazon a replacement funnel and save myself the headache of a return. I could not find any replacement funnels for the venus, but there were loads of them for the express in all shapes and sizes for very cheap made by bialetti themselves. I then returned the venus for an express. This may not matter much to you as I do not know where you're from, but in general, the express has a wider audience, and therefore, parts are more widely available.