Moka Pot

The stovetop veteran. Loud, strong, beloved.

Italy’s kitchen icon since 1933. Steam pressure pushes water up through the coffee. Strong, like espresso’s country cousin.

Ratio
1:10
Grind
fine
Temp
stovetop
Dose
18 g
Water
200 g
Time
5 min
Difficulty
easy-ish

You'll need

Steps

  1. Fill the base. Hot water up to the valve. Starting hot means less time cooking the grounds: less bitterness.
  2. Add coffee. Fill the basket with fine coffee. Level it off. Don’t tamp — tempting, but this isn’t espresso; pressure needs a path.
  3. Assemble & heat. Screw together (use a towel, base is hot). Medium-low heat, lid open, watch it.
  4. The gurgle. When coffee flows honey-colored then starts to gurgle, cut the heat. Run the base under cold water to stop extraction.

Bold, bittersweet, heavy, with a dark chocolate air. Not much nuance; plenty of comfort. Take it off the heat before it sputters, or it tastes of burnt rubber.

The lessons behind it