I’m a Barista—Here’s How I Came to Love My Moka Pot

The moka pot is an essential staple of every Italian family’s home, but here in the US, many don’t give it its proper praise. Instead, it’s often relegated to our camping gear bin. But what I’ve come to learn over the past two years is what every Italian family already knows: The moka pot, with patience and a couple of small tricks, brews a delicious cup.

How I Came to Love My Moka Pot

Bialetti Moka Express Espresso Maker

$45 at Amazon $40 at Williams Sonoma $38 at Target

When I was younger, I outright hated moka pots. The coffee they made was close to espresso, something I had not yet come to appreciate, and the texture was often mealy, chalky even, with grounds ending up at the bottom of the cup. 

But during the pandemic, bored and momentarily out of my regular barista job, I started to read stories and watch videos about people and their coffee makers. Eventually, I stumbled upon a very grainy video of someone instructing viewers to heat the water before putting a moka pot on the stove to brew. They also suggested keeping the coffee grind on the coarser side. I had a moka pot in my cabinet, so I tried this new technique and was amazed at the results: The final cup was rich, flavorful, and with a much-welcome smooth texture. I was hooked from then on.

Why Moka Pots Are Great 

The great thing about a moka pot is how easy it is to use. All you need to do is put boiling water into its base, fill the basket with semi-fine ground coffee (not too fine or there will be sludge at the bottom of your cup!), and set it at low heat until the pot begins to lightly hiss out steam. Boiling the water first is essential; if you boil it on the stove in the pot itself, it overcooks the coffee before it’s finished brewing. If you want to be extra careful, take the moka pot off the stove just before the spout bubbles and run cold water on the base—this stops the heating process and ensures a balanced—not burnt—brew. 

A moka pot also brews an incredible base, much like espresso, for at-home milk coffee drinks. If it’s hot out, I love to brew a moka pot, fill a glass with ice and milk, and pour the coffee over it for an iced latte. Also, if you have a French press, you can use it to make the froth for a cappuccino by heating some milk on the side and using the French press like a plunger to make the foam. (A milk frother also works, of course.)

If I just want a cup of black coffee, I add a splash of hot water to the brew. Sometimes moka pot coffee can be fairly acidic and bitter, but a little water helps mellow out a lot of those strong flavors and makes a very pleasant alternative to a pour-over.

FAQs

Do moka pots make espresso?

While the coffee is quite strong, it’s not espresso. Espresso means “pressed” in Italian and refers to the high amount of pressurized water being pushed through the fine grounds, resulting in a highly concentrated coffee drink. While a moka pot does use the pressure of steam to push water through the grounds in the middle chamber, it’s not anywhere near the level of pressure used by espresso machines to make their namesake brew. It’s somewhere in the middle of a regular pour-over coffee and espresso as far as its strength.

What’s the best moka pot to get started?

We recommend almost any of the Bialetti moka pots. They are all really well made, and the originators of this coffee maker itself! The brand also offers a stainless steel version if you are concerned about aluminum.

Why We’re the Experts

• Cole Hersey was a full-time barista for five years and has been obsessed with coffee for more than a decade.
• He has come to enjoy using a moka pot for his daily brew.