Moka Pot
The moka pot, "Caffettiera" in italian, is a stove top coffee maker and the most common method of coffee brewing in Italy. It was invented in its classic design in 1933 for Alfonso Bialetti and was manufactured as Moka Express (made of aluminium) in the postwar era.
The classic espresso pot works with about 1 bar pressure, special models such as the Bialetti Brikka can produce up to 2 bar pressure. Although the coffee is brewed with pressure the end result is not an espresso - for the pressure and other factors necessary for espresso brewing are too low.
Recommended coffee for Moka Pot
Not surprisingly, the Italian Espresso coffees are best suited for the preparation of with the moka pot.
Grind Level for the Moka Pot
The grind for espresso maker is somewhat finer than that for but not as fine as the .
Good guidance for the right degree of grinding:
Does the coffee taste thin the grind may be too coarse, Does the coffee taste bitter/burnt the grind may be too fine
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Brewing ratio for the Moka Pot
Use the amount of coffee necessary to fill the basket. The size of the moka pot is given in "espresso cups" and the quantity of water (in the boiler) precisely matched to the quantity of coffee in the basket.
Coffee brewing with the moka pot
1. | Pre-Heat Water
Use preheated water (not boiling) - you speed up the brewing process. This step is not mandatory, but Moka Pot experts did report positive changes in taste.
2. | Fill up the boiler with water
Fill the boiler with water, stop shortly under the valve.
3. | Grind coffee
Freshly ground coffee is the best way to improve the taste. Please make sure that you use the right grind level (see above).
4. | Fill the basket with coffee
Fill up the basket with coffee , smooth the coffee to a flat and even surface but do NOT press the grind.
Tip: In our experience, some coffees swell up more than others and thus may press too strongly against the filter during the brewing process.
Should your coffee taste bitter or burnt try to use 1-2mm less coffee (from the rim of the gasket). Thus the coffee has more space to swell and water can penetrate (and extract) evenly.
Another possibility is to use a coarser grind (should you grind yourself).
5. | Screw on the top of the Moka Pot and put it on the stove
6. | Heat on a low flame
On a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high) we recommend a heat setting between 3 to 4.
In our experience, ceran hobs pose an exception: you can and should use a higher heat setting.
7. | Coffee Extraction
As soon as the coffee starts pouring out of the chamber, listen carefully until steam starts mixing with the coffee.
This is the moment to stop the extraction by taking the moka pot off the heat
8. | Remove Moka Pot from Heat
As soon as more and more steam appears, take the moka pot off the heat, the residual pressure will still extract some coffee.
You can stop the extraction immediatly by using a wet, cold towel wrapped around the boiler. This will reduce the heat (and the pressure) and thus stopping the extraction.
9. | Pour the coffee and enjoy!
Taste Characteristics for the Moka Pot
The taste depends, as always, on the and .
In general the coffee has a more intense taste than the .
Coffees that we can personally recommend to begin with are:
Cleaning and Care for the moka pot
Clean your moka pot after each preparation, rinse and clean the bottom (boiler) with a sponge - as well as the screen and the filter. Aluminium moka pots: DO NOT USE the dishwasher!!!
Important: remove coffee residues also from the seal, they can damage the seal in subsequent cooking sessions and become rancid.
Video Coffee Preparation with Moka Pot (German)
We made a small tutorial video for you