How to Use a Moka Pot

Before you start

A moka pot brews coffee by heating water in a sealed lower chamber until steam pressure pushes it up through a bed of grounds and into the top. The pressure is far below what an espresso machine makes, so moka coffee is not true espresso, but it is strong, dense and aromatic. It is the everyday coffee maker in many Italian homes and a base for café con leche and other milk drinks.

Bitter, metallic moka coffee usually comes from the same few mistakes: starting with cold water so the grounds cook on the stove, using heat that is too high, tamping the coffee, or letting the pot sputter until the end. This method fixes all four. Start with hot water, fill the basket loosely, use medium-low heat, and stop the brew as soon as the stream turns pale and foamy.

Ingredients

• 15 to 17 g (about 3 tbsp) whole coffee beans — for a 3-cup moka pot; medium to dark roast
• about 150 ml (5 oz) hot water — filled to just below the safety valve

Method

1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Grind the coffee a little coarser than espresso but finer than drip, roughly like fine sand.
2. Fill the bottom chamber with hot water up to just below the safety valve. Never cover the valve.
3. Fill the basket with coffee until it is level with the rim, then wipe off excess with your finger. Do not tamp or press it down; a packed basket blocks the flow.
4. Set the basket into the base, wipe any grounds from the threads, and screw on the top chamber firmly, holding the hot base with a towel.
5. Put the pot on medium-low heat with the lid open. Coffee should begin to flow within a few minutes as a slow, dark, steady stream.
6. When the stream turns light honey-colored and begins to bubble and sputter, take the pot off the heat immediately. This usually happens when the top is about three-quarters full.
7. Stop the brewing quickly by running the base under cold water or wrapping it in a cold, wet towel for a few seconds. This keeps the last, bitter extraction out of the coffee.
8. Close the lid, stir the coffee in the top chamber to even it out, and pour right away.

Tips for success

• Match the coffee amount to the pot. Moka pots are designed for a full basket; under-filling makes weak, uneven coffee.
• On a gas burner, keep the flame smaller than the base so it does not heat the handle or scorch the sides.
• Wash the pot with hot water only and dry all parts well. Scrubbing with soap is not necessary for stainless pots, and aluminum pots discolor with harsh detergents or the dishwasher.

Substitutions

Medium-dark roast

Light roasts can be good in a moka pot but tend to taste sour. Use water just off the boil and grind slightly finer.

Hot water start

Starting with cold water works but takes longer and exposes the grounds to heat for several minutes, which often adds bitterness.

Variations

Moka latte

Pour 60 ml of moka coffee into a mug and top with 150 ml of steamed or frothed hot milk.

Sweetened foam (cremina)

Beat a teaspoon of the first coffee with 2 tsp sugar into a pale paste, then stir it into the finished pot for a light foam.

Troubleshooting

The coffee tastes burnt and metallic

The heat was too high or the pot ran until it gurgled dry. Lower the heat, stop as soon as the stream lightens, and cool the base.

Coffee spurts violently out of the spout

Heat is too high. Turn the burner down so the coffee flows in a slow, steady ribbon.

Nothing comes up, or only a trickle

The grind is too fine or the coffee is tamped. Use a coarser grind, fill loosely, and check that the gasket and filter plate are clean.

Coffee leaks from the middle seam

The pot is not screwed tight, there are grounds on the threads, or the rubber gasket is worn. Clean the threads and replace an old gasket.

Storage

Drink moka coffee right away; it does not hold well on heat. Dry the pot fully and store it unassembled so the gasket can breathe and no stale smell builds up.

Safety notes

The base and handle get very hot, and the pot is under pressure while brewing. Use a towel or mitt, never open the pot while it is on the heat, and do not block the safety valve.