Moka Pot

The moka pot makes something close to espresso on an ordinary hob, and it has done since 1933. Get three things right, the grind, the heat and the moment you take it off, and it is the best value serious coffee in the house.

Coffee: Fill the basket level, no pressing
Water: To just below the valve
Grind: Fine, like table salt
Time: 5 minutes on the hob
Temperature: Medium heat, off before it sputters

Best for: Espresso strength without an espresso machine. Small, dark and serious, and the pot lasts a lifetime.

You will need: Moka pot, finely ground coffee, hob, kettle (optional), a tea towel

Coffee for the Moka Pot

Ground for this method, so the grind is already right. Or beans, if you have a grinder.

Sin City Roast
Dark Chocolate · Spice · Pepper
Indian Robusta · Sumatra
Intensity 10/12

~~£11.10~~ £9.43 (Save 15%)79p a coffee
£8.88 on subscription · 74p a coffee
4.9 (55)

Supercharger
Brownie · Chestnut · Spice
Arabica, with Robusta added for punch
Intensity 12/12

~~£8.00~~ £5.60 (Save 30%)47p a coffee
£6.40 on subscription · 53p a coffee
5.0 (23)

Intense Roast
Hazelnut · Malt Loaf · Spice
Brazil · Central America · India Robusta
Intensity 9/12

~~£8.00~~ £5.60 (Save 30%)47p a coffee
£6.40 on subscription · 53p a coffee
4.9 (55)

Supercharger Espresso
Brownie · Chestnut · Spice
Brazil · Central America · Colombia · Ethiopia
Intensity 12/12
- 10
- 36
- 40
~~£4.95~~ £4.21 (Save 15%)42p a coffee
£3.96 on subscription · 40p a coffee

See all Espresso Style Coffee

How to make it

1

Water in the base

Unscrew the pot and fill the bottom chamber with water to just below the little valve. Never above it: the valve is the safety release. Hot water from the kettle is a good habit. It cuts the time on the hob, so the coffee sitting in the basket does not cook before the brew starts.
2

Fill the basket, do not press

Drop the funnel in and fill it to the top with finely ground coffee, about the texture of table salt. Level it off with a finger. Do not tamp it. A packed basket is the reason a moka pot spits or refuses to come up.
3

Screw it together, medium heat

Wipe stray grounds off the rim, screw the top on firmly with a tea towel if the base is hot, and put it on a medium heat with the lid open. High heat forces the water through too fast and burns the coffee. Patience here is the whole trick.
4

Watch, then listen

After a few minutes coffee starts to rise into the top chamber, dark and slow at first. When the stream turns pale and honey-coloured and the pot begins to gurgle, take it off the heat. Everything after the gurgle is bitter steam.
5

Stop it dead

Run the base under the cold tap for a couple of seconds. It stops the extraction where you want it and saves the last of the coffee from over-cooking. Give the top chamber a quick stir so the strong first pour and the lighter last pour mix.
6

Pour, then clean while it is warm

Serve it short, or top up with hot water or milk. Rinse every part with warm water and dry it, no soap and no dishwasher: the aluminium takes on a seasoning that soap strips out. Change the rubber gasket when it goes hard or the pot starts to leak at the join.

If it tastes wrong

What you taste	What to change
Bitter or burnt	Heat too high, or it stayed on past the gurgle. Medium heat, lid open, off the moment it sputters, cold tap on the base.
Weak or watery	Grind too coarse, or the basket was not full. Fill it level to the top and go one step finer.
Spits and splutters from the start	Too much heat, or the coffee was tamped. Lower the flame and never press the grounds.
Nothing comes up, or it leaks at the join	Grind too fine and packed, a blocked filter plate, or a tired gasket. Coarsen slightly, clean the plate, replace the gasket.

The kit

Bialetti Moka Pot
~~£42.00~~ £33.60 (Save 20%)
Bialetti Induction Moka Pot (Black)
~~£66.00~~ £52.80 (Save 20%)
Moka Pot Starter Pack

~~£78.00~~ £62.40 (Save 20%)
Dolce & Gabbana® Blue Mediterranean 6-Cup Bialetti Moka and Stirrer Gift Set

~~£260.00~~ £208.00 (Save 20%)
Email me when it's back

See all Moka Pots

Common questions

What grind do I need for a moka pot?

Fine, like table salt, and finer than our standard ground coffee, which is milled for a cafetiere or filter. Whole beans and a grinder give you the right texture. Too fine clogs the filter plate; too coarse gives a thin cup.

How much coffee should I use?

Fill the basket to the top and level it off. The pot is designed around a full basket, so there is nothing to weigh. Just do not press it down.

Which coffee works best?

Darker roasts. The moka pot pulls hard and fast, and a light roast turns sour under that pressure. Soulmate was built for the moka pot and espresso; Dr Jones is the crossover if you also own a cafetiere. Supercharger and Intense Roast are the classic dark shots.

Should I start with hot water in the base?

Yes, if you can. Cold water means five or six minutes on the hob with the coffee sitting in a heating pot, which cooks it before the brew begins. Hot water from the kettle gets you to the brew in half the time. Use a tea towel to screw the pot together.

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