This post is a complete guide for how to make coffee in a Moka pot. I also have an opinion about the best Moka pot on the market.
Moka pot coffee is having a moment right now, and I’m all about it. Coffee brewed this way has a simplicity and a complex flavor that can be achieved in such a little pot on your stovetop.
I fell in love with Moka pot style coffee 10 years ago when a friend of mine made me a cup. I was floored at the richness of the coffee. What amazed me was how espresso like this simple percolator style coffee maker was able to perform.
I’m going to share the Italian Moka pot’s history with you, how to make coffee in a Moka pot, and some other goodies.
Let’s dive in.
What Is a Moka Pot?
What is a Moka pot, you ask?
A Moka pot is the Italian favorite for home brewed coffee. The name “Moka” comes from the Yemeni city of Moka. An Italian inventor brought the first Moka pot to market in 1933. The percolator system uses pressurized hot water to force steam through the coffee filter basket to produce a rich espresso like coffee that has been a hit ever since.
The Moka pot was popularized by the brand Bailetti when they started the iconic coffee maker’s mass production for at home use. Bialetti is also another name for a Moka pot due to the popularity of the brand.
The simple brewing system makes espresso like coffee attainable to home brewers around the world. The brewing method gained massive popularity around world War 2 as more foreign troops were stationed in the Italian area and brought the coffee style back to their home countries.
The Moka pot was especially embraced by Australians post WW2.
It remains one of the more popular coffee brewing methods in the country.
How Does a Moka Pot Work?
Okay, so you know what it is, but how does a Moka pot work?
I mentioned briefly that a Moka pot is a percolator style coffee maker, but let’s look into the brewing system a bit more in detail. Here’s a diagram of how a Moka pot works for brewing coffee:
As you can tell from the above diagram, the water is heated in the lower chamber to create a pressurized system that forces the steam through the coffee grounds. This process results in the steam extracting the coffee from the beans and then is forced into the upper chamber resulting in the final brewed coffee.
The final cup of Moka pot style coffee is a rich, thick consistency coffee. Some people compare it to an espresso. The brewing method is simple and easy to use if you have the right tools and pay a little attention to the detail.
Here’s how to make coffee in a Moka pot at home. It’s my own recipe.
How to Make Coffee in a Moka Pot
Moka pot coffee can be fantastic if done right. If you don’t follow these few simple steps,
Moka pot coffee can be terrible. Following a couple of guidelines and fiddling around with your recipe will result in brewing some of the richest coffee you’ve ever had in your own home.
If you have a brand new Moka pot, make sure to rinse it out with water to remove any impurities that might have coated the insides. I will talk later on about how to clean your Moka pot.
These directions are for a gas stove. If you have an electric or induction stove, please feel free to adjust to your needs.
Equipment Needed to Brew Moka Pot Coffee
- Moka Pot Brewer
- Burr Coffee Grinder
- Whole Coffee Beans (preferably a darker roast coffee)
- Electric Kettle
- 1-2 Kitchen Towels
- Kitchen Scale or Measuring Spoons
Here’s My Recipe for Moka Pot Coffee:
Getting everything ready:
Preheat a kettle with water. Bring enough water to boil to fill to bottom of the release valve. Preheating a Moka pot will ensure that you don’t actually cook the coffee grounds, which would result in an over extraction.
Grind your coffee (preferably a dark roast) to the consistency of a fine table salt. Be sure not to grind to an espresso grind. You’ll want to end up with about 17 grams (2.5 tablespoons).
Fill the bottom part of the Moka pot.
Place the filter basket into the bottom of the Moka pot.
Fill the basket with your fresh ground coffee beans. Make sure they’re slightly mounded. DO NOT PACK THE GROUNDS INTO THE Basket. This is not an espresso maker; please remember this.
Brush away the loose grounds on the edge of the basket.
Using a towel or potholder, screw the top onto the bottom of the Moka pot. Be careful not over to tighten the lid.
Actually brewing the coffee:
Place on the burner. Turn your heat on to a low flame and position the handle away from the flame. I found that offsetting my Moka pot a bit to the right solves this problem.
Leave the lid open. This is where the fun part begins, I promise.
As the water starts to boil, it will push the coffee through the spout in the top of the Moka pot. You’ll see a creamy brown stream start to extract into the top of the Moka pot with a puffing sound. This stream will start to become lighter in color.
When the stream becomes a lighter color (think honey colored), remove it from the burner and close the lid.
Run the bottom of the Moka pot under cold water to stop the coffee extraction process. This will prevent over extraction and stop any metallic taste that can be the bane of bad Moka pot coffee. Be careful not to burn your hand. The bottom of the pot is hot.
This is a fail-safe Moka pot coffee recipe. You can enjoy this rich, creamy coffee black or add your favorite sweetener or creamer. I usually add a splash of my favorite almond milk vanilla creamer.
How to Clean a Moka Pot
Cleaning a Moka pot is easy enough:
Once your Moka pot is cool to the touch, unscrew the top part and remove the basket filter. You can dump the used coffee grounds into your compost bin or trash.
Disassemble your Moka pot and rinse with warm water. Make sure to remove the filter that is snug with the bottom of the top part of the brewer.
Place on a drying rack or clean dish towel to air dry.
Never put your Moka pot in the dishwasher. This will cause a grey film to develop on your Moka pot. This can affect the integrity of the brewer and leave an unwanted metallic taste.
Never use soap on you Moka pot. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but a quick rinse with warm water will dislodge any coffee residue and doesn’t affect the pot. If you start to see a patina on your Moka pot, then something has gone wrong. Patinas are pretty but not good for your coffee.
The Best Moka Pot to Buy
What is the best Moka pot?
The choice of brand is personal.
But Bialetti is the gold standard for Moka pots.
Bialetti also comes along with a price tag. Another detail that can affect the price of your Moka pot is the size. Mine is a 6 cup but not a name brand.
So, it really comes down to budget.
I’m sharing with you the 3 best Moka pots that are all the same size but different brands.
One thing that is vital to a quality Moka pot is the material it’s made out of. You want one that is either constructed of aluminum or stainless steel. Various brands use other materials, but I don’t trust them to not brew a metallic tasting cup of Moka pot coffee.
One other thing to note — the below Moka pot options are ideal for gas or electric stovetops. There are options for glass or induction burners that seem great, but I don’t have experience with these burners’ styles. Please read the reviews for these Moka pots to read real time users’ opinions on them.
The Moka pot I use is no longer available. The ones on the list below are models I have used in the past or at a friend’s house that I absolutely adore.
The Classic- Bialetti 6 Cup Moka Pot
Bialetti is usually the first choice in Moka pots for most people. And for a good reason. Bialetti is the most popular brand of Moka pots for a reason. It’s my choice for best Moka pot.
The aluminum construction and fine craftsmanship are what Bialetti has built their almost 100 year old brand on. When you’re the inventor of a novel, quality coffee maker, you’re going to have a large market share.
This design is what all other brands strive to emulate and what all the others strive to be. Its simple construction and ease of use makes it perfect for anyone wanting to brew the beloved Italian styled coffee at home.
The only drawback is the price tag.
This Moka pot usually sells for about $35. If this amount is in your budget, then go for it. A lot of people think that Bialetti has struck gold in being the only Moka pot brand. This brewer won’t disappoint, but there are other options out there.
You can buy the Bialetti Moka 6 Cups Moka Pot on Amazon with free shipping for Prime Members. Make sure and check out their colors and size options.
Most Aesthetically Pleasing- GROSCHE Milano Stovetop Espresso Maker
The GROSCHE Milano is the prettiest Moka pot on this list. It comes in a variety of colors and sizes. It’s not much different than the Bialetti offerings, but something about the minimalist design speaks to my soul.
The Moka pot is made of aluminum, much like Bialetti’s, but you’ll appreciate some small improvements.
To start, the handle is made of a soft touch material that also helps avoid burning our hand when you remove it from the burner. This is one of the bigger complaints of using a Moka Pot.
The company has put in the time to research other Moka pots on the market and made small improvements to their design. This attention to customer’s feedback and needs shows. The GROSCHE is also slightly more affordable than the Bialetti. The GROSCHE Milano Moka Pot retails for about $25, depending on the store.
You can buy the GROSCHE Milano Stovetop Espresso Maker on Amazon.
Best Over All- bonVIVO Intenca Stovetop Espresso Maker
I want this Moka pot. It’s beautiful, well made, and a fan favorite among Moka pot users and popular websites. The Chicago Tribune lists the bonVivo Moka pot as their top choice for Moka pots of 2021.
The stunning design makes it something you want to leave out on your stovetop to elevate your kitchen’s vibe to something artistic. The durable stainless steel design makes this Moka pot ideal for easy clean up (it’s dishwasher safe) and ease of use.
There’s another winning detail in this Moka pot is the ability to use it on glass and induction burner stovetops. Stainless steel is scoring more and more points in the Moka pot market. This Moka pot is on my Amazon Wishlist. (B pay attention)
This Moka pot is going to set you back a bit more. Its price tag starts at around $50. If you aren’t looking for a price performer, this is the Moka pot for you.
You can buy the bonVIVO Intenca Stovetop Espresso Maker on Amazon with free shipping for Prime Members.
Conclusion
Now you not only know how to make coffee in a Moka pot. You also now know why Moka pot coffee and the Moka pot coffee makers are the darlings of the home coffee brewing world.
They’re easy to use, make excellent coffee, and they’re a lot more affordable than an espresso machine.
I’ve also listed 3 candidates for best Moka pot. I hope you’ll let me know what kind of experience you have with these Moka pots in the futurer.