espresso-quest update

several weeks ago, before i got strep, i was debating the merits of various stovetop espresso makers. the consensus seemed to be with the bialetti, however it arrived during the peak of my strep infection - not the best time for hot acidic drinks. i am better now and up to experimenting, but i have not yet quite found the magic secret. the first night, my mistake was that i was turning the burner up to high because i naturally equated boiling water with coffee making. i have since discovered that i am actually supposed to be using a med setting and allowing the magic properties of the coffee maker to make the boiling happen. i tried that today and lo! the water did boil although it was on med. it was amazing all in itself - but it was not great espresso. my next question is one that might seem a tad naive, but when they say add 'the coffee,' how much coffee are we talking about? one teaspoon per cup? per espresso cup? fill the area? use the force? i've been enjoying the experiments, but i think the final product is still on the weak side. my latest guess was 2 teaspoons for a 6 "espresso cup" maker. any kitchen baristas want to show me the way to caffeine heaven?