How to brew in a moka pot?
Want to learn how to use a Moka pot? Keep reading for proper instructions.
Many people have not heard of this tool until they visit Italy or another country in which it is used. Yet, once you taste the flavor and the overall experience of coffee from this type of pot, you will want to make it yourself.
With the Internet age, it is now possible for individuals to enjoy this type of product around the world.
The key is learning how to actually use a Moka pot. Perfecting the process can help you enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee whenever you want.
Generally, a Moka pot is a small coffee pot. It will typically have eight sides to it. Some of the best are Italian-made. They are typically found in older kitchens, especially in Europe. And while a traditional piece is an option, most people will purchase a new Moka pot to use at home. In short, this is the ideal pot to make your espresso in.
When you do, you will enjoy a full-bodied, dense espresso. There is no use of expensive or fancy equipment. This traditional form of espresso-making creates a truly authentic experience for anyone enjoying it.
A Moka pot is a basic tool. It does not require electricity to run. It does not require complexities associated with coffee shop systems. Rather, it can be very easy to use once you learn the proper method.
In order to make use of a Moka pot, you have to own one. Again, simplicity is the key here. Several companies make them, but not all will provide the same quality. It is possible to find several sizes. Choose those making just a few cups of coffee at a time for the best results. Consider:
Now that you have your Moka pot, you will want to use it. Reading through any manufacturer’s information (especially if you buy a higher-end model) is important. Then, gather your coffee. Keep in mind the quality of the ingredients you use is just as important. Aim for those coffee beans you already know and love. Or, select a traditional Italian roast. Again, quality matters.
Most of the time, your Moka pot will require you to add about 20 grams of coffee. Of course, you should have freshly ground coffee to add to this (invest in a coffee canister to keep it fresh). Fine quality matters here. You want to have the smoothness of the espresso you desire. You do not need (or want) to use an over-the-top espresso grind here unless that is what you desire.
Next, boil water on the stovetop. Once it reaches a boiling point, you will then need to pour it into the Moka pot. Aim to fill the bottom half of the pot – up to the area where it narrows towards a neck.
You want to ensure this water is hot – right after the boil starts – to get the best overall results.
Next, most Moka pots will have a small filter basket. Usually, it is a metal basket. You will need to add your coffee grounds to this area. It’s also important to understand coffee-to-water ratios here.
A scoop or two in it is all that is necessary.
Do not pat down the coffee. You want it to be loose. Instead, shake the edges of the basket. This allows the coffee to settle down evenly. Once filled, place the basket on top of the Moka pot base. Most will screw into place.
The spout or top portion of the Moka pot is then put in place. Most versions simply will screw right onto the filter basket. To do this, hold the base with one hand. Turn the top portion only to tighten it. Remember, the water is hot and can burn you easily. You do want to be sure it is tightly closed.
It is now time to actually heat the coffee. To do this, place the Moka pot directly on a stove burner. As noted, the best options are to use these on an electric stove, but others do well with a gas stove.
Turn the fire up to medium heat. You do not want to rush this with high heat. It will burn the pot and the coffee.
Once on the burner, the Moka pot goes to work. The water at the base reaches a boiling point. When this happens, it creates steam. When this happens, steam will push the water through the coffee. Over a few minutes, the upper chamber fills with rich, dark coffee.
You can watch this to learn a bit more about when it is ready by taking off the lid. However, it can be dangerous.
Keep in mind these tips. If you notice there is bubbling, but it is a slow, rolling bubble, you need more heat. Turn it up slightly. On the other hand, if you see rapid bubbles and explosions of liquid, your heat is too high.
You will need to leave it here for a few minutes. You will know it is done when the Moka pot begins to whistle or a small hiss sound escapes. This means the water is now coffee.
There are a few things to keep in mind.
First, it can take practice to get just right. And, you may like your coffee a bit stronger than others. The key here is to practice with the amount of coffee you use, the heat you use, and the length of time it cooks.
Variations can also occur due to the actual size and type of pot you purchase.
Preheat the water. Bring kettle water to a boil and remove from heat.
We do this to keep the temperature of the moka pot from getting too hot and cooking the coffee, imparting a metallic taste.
Grind your coffee on a drip coffee setting, about as fine as table salt. You need enough coffee to fill the filter basket, which is about 15 to 17 grams (or about 2.5 Tablespoons) for a 4-cup Bialetti moka pot.
Add the heated water and fill to the line in the bottom of the brewer.
Insert the filter basket into the brewer bottom.
Fill the basket with coffee, slightly mounded, and level the surface off with your finger. Brush away loose grounds on the top edge of the filter basket.
Screw the top and bottom together. Use hot pads and don’t over tighten.
Put the brewer on the stove, use moderate heat and make sure that the handle is not subjected to heat. Leave the top lid open.
The coffee will begin to come out and you will hear a puffing sound and see a rich-brown stream that will get progressively lighter in color. Once the stream is the color of yellow honey, remove from heat source with hot pads and close the lid.
Wrap the bottom of the pot in a chilled bar towel or run under cold tap water to stop extraction.
We do this to prevent the coffee from developing a metallic taste. The idea here is to get a relatively small amount of coffee which is very concentrated and rich.
Historically, moka pot coffee has been very bitter, which puts it at odds with the goals of specialty coffee. However, we’re discovering new and better ways to brew this style of coffee, and we’re learning to love it again.
Whether you’re just beginning to learn about moka pots or you’re a seasoned veteran, this Ultimate Guide To Moka Pot Coffee is going to be packed full of valuable information from a specialty coffee perspective.
Read: What Makes Specialty Coffee Special?
My goal is to empower you to brew the best moka pot coffee you possibly can, so if that sounds good to you, let’s jump in!
The Moka Pot is a stovetop coffee maker that was created by inventor Luigi De Ponti for Alfonso Bialetti in 1933. This new, art deco coffee maker was adopted very quickly all over Italy.
People loved its ability to bring commercial espresso-like coffee to the average home (you have to remember that espresso was weaker during this time).
By the late 50’s, the Moka Pot could be found all over Europe, and North America, North Africa, and the Near East were beginning to take notice of the brewer as well.
Read: The Difference Between Light, Medium, And Dark Roast Coffee
Now, there are dozens of Moka Pot companies and many styles of this brewer, but Bialetti, the original moka pot company, still stands strong. Their original and iconic Bialetti Express is still one of their best sellers.
Let’s walk through the basic construction of moka pots:
The stainless steel or aluminum body is designed to withstand the heat of hot stoves and resist damaging rust. A water chamber at the bottom of the device holds the water while it’s heated.
Directly above the water chamber is a coffee basket. This basket holds the grounds and features tiny holes on the bottom, allowing steam to rise and extract things (like oils, acids, flavors) from the coffee grounds.
Directly above the basket is the filter screen that allows the brewed coffee to rise (but not the grounds), via pressure, through a funnel, out a spout, and into the upper chamber.
Read: Should You Store Your Coffee Beans In The Freezer?
Here’s the magic of the moka pot.
Since the water is heated in a (mostly) sealed environment, a lot of pressure is created. This pressure shoots up water vapor to the grounds, which initiates the brewing.
And it doesn’t stop there. The pressure still forces the liquid coffee up through the funnel. When it spills out into the upper chamber, it’s no longer pressurized, so it just fills the chamber calmly.
This pressurized brewing technique brews very strong coffee. In fact, it’s typically a bit more than twice as strong as normal coffee, made at a 1:7 coffee to water ratio or so (normally, coffee is made at around a 1:16 ratio).
It’s strong enough to sip on lightly like espresso, enjoy with steamed milk, or cut with hot water for a bigger, less intense drink.
However, this element of pressure has generated a huge misunderstanding.
Despite being known as “stovetop espresso makers”, moka pots do not make true espresso.
Read: What Is Espresso?
Espresso is created when hot water is forced through fine coffee grounds at an incredible 8-10 bars of pressure. This intense pressure can only be generated by real espresso machines.
The moka pot generally creates 1-2 bars of pressure. That’s more than humans can generate manually, but nowhere close to a real espresso machine.
So, while it’s still very concentrated coffee, it’s not quite espresso. It doesn't pass the crema test (it’s not enough pressure to form very fine crema).
Still, flavor-wise, it’s pretty close. Many people probably wouldn’t know that it’s not espresso, and you can still use it to make espresso-like drinks.
Top with steamed milk for a cappuccino or latte or mix with hot water for an americano. Even if it’s not 100% authentic, if you enjoy how it tastes, who cares?
Read: Can The Aeropress Make Espresso?
Moka Pots are fairly straightforward to use and brew a rich and intense espresso-like coffee. The aluminum or stainless steel construction is sturdy, durable, and easy to clean.
They all come with a safety release valve that will release if too much pressure builds, and can easily be used on most stoves. The construction is fairly simple as well, making them affordable.
However, there are a few weaknesses to consider. They can be a bit finicky and difficult to figure out at first. Also, the coffee can easily become very bitter if you’re not very careful.
Do you want an affordable way to make espresso-like coffee? Then get yourself a moka pot and save yourself several hundred dollars by not buying a big espresso machine.
Do you want to brew actual espresso? You’ll need to look into more expensive espresso machines. There’s no shame, though, in going the less expensive route with a moka pot.
Read: Blades VS Burrs: What Is the Best Type of Coffee Grinder?
Do you enjoy rich, intense coffee that you can use a variety of ways? Great! Go ahead and get yourself a moka pot.
Do you want a no-learning curve brewer? Eh. This one’s not super hard, but it takes a bit of time to learn. It’s probably the easiest way to get espresso-like coffee, but there is a learning curve.
If you think the Moka Pot is a right fit for you, let’s move onto some pre-brewing considerations.
Fresh Coffee is a no-brainer. Coffee beans, when at peak freshness, can have fascinating and rich flavors that blow minds - like blueberries, pine, or cane sugar.
Sadly, those flavors decay after only 2 weeks after being roasted. Ground coffee only has 30 minutes - sad!
Buy freshly roasted coffee and grind it just moments before you brew. There’s no other way to preserve the fresh flavors of your beans.
Read: Why Fresh Coffee Is The Best Coffee
Choose the right size moka pot. They are sized so that a 1-cup pot will produce roughly 1 shot (1-2 ounces of intense coffee), a 2-cup will make 2 shots, and so on.
Keep in mind: you can’t half-fill a moka pot, so don’t buy a 6-cup thinking you can only make 3-cups worth every now and then. They really only work well when filled appropriately.
Use a consistent fine to medium-fine grind size. You shouldn’t go all out and use espresso-fine grinds. Those could clog the filter screen and generate a dangerous amount of pressure. Go for coffee that’s just a little finer than your average drip coffee grounds.
Remember that consistency is everything here. Inconsistent grounds will brew imbalanced coffee - and you’ll be sad. Only use a burr coffee grinder (skip past the blade grinders) for the best results.
Use delicious water that doesn’t have a very high calcium content. Your coffee is 99.9% water, so if you don’t like the taste of your water, you won’t like the taste of your coffee.
Read: Is Hard Water Destroying Your Coffee’s Flavor?
Pre-heat your water to reduce the amount of time the moka pot has to sit on the stove. This also reduces the risk of accidentally “cooking” the grounds while the pot warms up, which would damage the flavor and create a lot of bitterness.
What about the coffee scale? Normally, I suggest using a gram scale to measure your coffee and water. In this scenario, it’s not as important.
You want to fill the coffee basket with grounds and level it off with a knife. Then you want to fill the water chamber to the bottom of the release valve. It’s a pretty streamlined measuring process, so you don’t really need a scale to be consistent with Moka Pots.
Though, technically, bean mass will change between bags of beans, so if you really want to be precise (or only grind the exact amount of beans you need), go ahead and use a scale for the coffee beans.
Read: The Golden Coffee To Water Ratios
Now that you’ve considered these things, let’s move to the actual brewing (AKA, the fun part).
Collect your tools and ingredients before you begin.
For the purpose of this guide, we’re going to brew with a 2-Cup Moka Pot.
Grind enough coffee to fill the coffee basket all the way up at a fine to medium-fine setting. Take a knife and level the grounds with it. Do not tamp the grounds.
Fill the water chamber with boiling water up to the very bottom of the release valve. Do not cover the valve, or it won’t work in case of a pressure emergency.
Go ahead and throw a damp kitchen towel in the freezer.
Assemble the Moka Pot, making sure no grounds are on the ridges where the pieces screw together. Rogue grounds stuck here will prevent a full seal, which will damage flavor and balance.
Set it on your stove and turn it on to medium-low heat. If you can, place it on the edge of the burner to avoid the handle getting too hot.
Start a timer and relax. It could take 5-10 minutes before anything happens. If nothing happens after 10 minutes, turn up the heat slightly.
Eventually, coffee should start oozing into the upper chamber. This means the pressure is working and that the coffee is brewing. If it’s spurting and spewing, the heat is too high - turn that baby down!
When the coffee is about 80% of the way up to the spout (or it looks like golden honey), take it off the burner and put it directly onto the cold towel. Cooling the pot rapidly helps keep over extracted, bitter liquid from funneling to your coffee.
Pour and serve immediately. Enjoy!
If the coffee is too bitter, it means you over extracted from the grounds. Here are a few things you can try to extract less next time for more balance and better flavor:
Read: How To Taste Coffee Bitterness
If the coffee is too weak, it’s likely that the water vapor is forming channels in the grounds. So instead of extracting yummy stuff from all the grounds evenly, it’s only pulling stuff from a small section.
If water or steam leaks from the side, remove from heat immediately. You don’t want to take any chances with wonky pressure. When the pot cools, make sure it’s clean and tightly sealed.
Your grounds could also be too fine, creating a clog. Try a slightly coarser grind next time if the pot checks out.
If steam leaks from the release valve, you’ve got a little too much pressure and need to remove the pot from heat. Try one of these:
Giving your Moka Pot a good clean isn’t difficult at all. When the pot has cooled down (be careful, the metal will be very hot after brewing), disassemble the brewer and dump out excess water or grounds.
Give the brewer a thorough rinse with hot water. Use your finger to dislodge and grounds that may be stuck. Then, hand dry everything and set aside to further air dry.
Read: The Easy Guide to Coffee Bean Storage
Do not use soap or other chemicals. The metal body, as long as you let it dry completely before reassembling, doesn’t need soap. The dishwasher will strip it of its shiny surface permanently.
The Moka Pot is a fascinating and powerful coffee brewer. Despite the learning curve and the misunderstood mechanics, it’s worth exploring and learning to tame.
With one at your side, you’ll be able to make rich, balanced espresso-like coffee that you can enjoy on its own or paired with other ingredients.
And, of course, the best results always come when you’re using freshly roasted, specialty-grade coffee beans. If you’re not going to use the best beans you can find, you’re cutting yourself short before you even begin the brewing.
