How to Make Coffee with a Stovetop Moka Pot
I grew up understanding the difference between ‘everyday coffee’ brewed in the stainless steel percolator and ‘real coffee’. My grandmother made the first for my mother and her friends. It was, to quote my mother, an acquired taste. I know now that it was an acquired taste because, frankly, percolators make terrible coffee. When we were at home alone, my grandmother made real coffee on top of the stove with a moka pot. I never had to acquire a taste for this coffee. It was rich and dark and flavorful, a symphony on the tongue. As a little girl, one of my favorite breakfast treats was Nana’s moka pot coffee poured over my cornflakes with the milk.
A moka pot is a three part metal pot that you use to make coffee on top of your stove. Fully assembled, it is shaped like an hourglass. The bottom part holds the water for your coffee. The middle part is a metal filter that fits between the top and the bottom pieces and holds ground coffee. When the water in the bottom part of the moka pot heats, the steam is forced up through the grounds in the filter into the top pot, where it condenses into a liquid again. You can find moka pots in nearly any department store or supermarket for far less than you’ll pay for them through a specialty coffee shop. If you want the best, though, Bialetti makes several different models in 100% culinary grade stainless steel. Most moka pots that you’ll find in supermarkets are made with aluminum, which can affect the taste of the coffee.
Coffee brewed in a moka pot can be a heavenly experience – or it can be a huge disappointment. There is an art to making coffee in a moka pot that includes the amount of water, the amount and grind of the coffee, the compactness of the coffee grounds in the filter and the heat of the water used to brew it. It is possible, however, to make excellent coffee without any acidity or bitterness in a moka pot if you follow a simple procedure.
First, keep your moka pot scrupulously clean. Coffee flavor is the result of extracting oils naturally found in coffee beans. Those oils cling to any surface that they touch. Disassemble the moka pot after every use and clean the filter and top pot, being sure that you clean the underside of the top pot. Every few weeks, run some vinegar through the moka pot as if you were brewing coffee to get rid of any mineral deposits left behind by hard water.
Before you use your moka pot for the first time:
Follow the directions below using spent coffee grounds or inexpensive coffee that you don’t mind wasting. The first pot of coffee you brew in this should be thrown away. The intent is just to clean the machine out before using it for the first time.
To Make Coffee in a Moka Pot
Unscrew the top part of the moka pot and set it aside. Take out the filter basket.
Fill the bottom part of the moka pot with water to the pressure gauge line.
Drop the filter basket into place and add a heaping tablespoon of finely ground coffee for every three ounces of water in the pot. Do not tamp the coffee. The coffee will expand when the steam is forced through it, effectively producing its own tamp.
Screw the top part of the moka pot into place.
Put the pot over low heat and wait. It will take about five minutes for the coffee to finish. You’ll know that it’s done by the throaty sound of the coffee sputtering.
Pour into an espresso cup and enjoy.
November 16th, 2007 at 10:37 am
I am VERY new to all of this & got myself a coffee grinder, beans & a stove top unit…a couple of things should there be any ground coffee in the funnel section when the coffee has finished going up the spout into the top section (hope you know what I mean)I really hope I am doing all this correctly, I just made my first coffee & it was So So (which everyone tells me usually is YUCK) I going now to attempt my second. Here’s hoping you can help & am doing something right (fingers crossed)maybe less coffee grounds……Well off I go & hoping to hear from you soon. PAT
December 1st, 2007 at 11:34 pm
Great, simple explanation on how to use a Moka pot. We used one while staying in Italy for several weeks this year and bought a pot at a store at home. This was a help in making great coffee. Even better: pour a little of this espresso coffee in a big cup and added hot milk. Can you say latte?
December 20th, 2007 at 9:00 am
why is it that after i have gotten the espresso…there ain’t any crema…help please??
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Hi Jo,
Its hard, from what I hear, to get crema with a Moka pot. I have gotten it on a few occasions, following some tips I read online.
1. Use fresh coffee. The older the coffee the less chance you will get a good crema.
2. Use the right temprature. If your coffee comes shooting out of the spout, your water is to hot. If the water is just bearly dribbling out of the spout, turn the temprature up a bit. Better slow than fast though.
You still wont get a thick crema, but there will be some.
I just got my Moka pot as a Christmas gift to me this year. It has taken a bit of trial and error, but I think I am getting it down. The last cup I had was difinately better than the first.
Enjoy
February 12th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
the moka pot is not really designed to make a crema. the brikka pot by bialetti is a moka pot with a special valve to make cream. it’s still not a perfect cup but gets you closer to real espresso than the moka.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:58 am
I was struck by something quite funny here…. My wife’s relatives in in Genoa Italy were ready to rip the Moka pot (with my arm still attached) away from me when I went to rinse the pot in the sink. They NEVER even rinse it! Wash it? No, only when you use it the first time. Instead they let the residue build up into a layer inside the top part of the pot. They claim that it is key to the great taste. I loved it, even if I couldn’t stand to look at the pot. I think the Genovese water added quite a bit of character also.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:23 am
We just got into Rome yesterday and this morning I made coffee for the first time using the instructions from this page. It came out wonderfully! Thank you so much for your clear, concise directions.
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:54 am
I have had a Vev vigano stove top coffee maker for at least 15 years. I only clean it out once a week with soap. Since this morning the bottom part which holds the water has a very strong metallic smell and therefore has made the coffee undrinkable. I have tried putting vinegar through it a few times but the smell is still as strong. The last 3 years we have lived in a city with very hard water. What has happened to my coffee maker and does anyone know if I can fix it? Up until today it has made the good coffee since I was given it.
August 30th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Naver — NEVER NEVER NEVER — scrub your moka pot clean. Just rinse it under water. Period. And don’t assemble it after cleaning because this will trap moisture and make the inside of the pot fa schifo (look it up). Seriously, even the Bialetti company advises not to scrup the pot. So don’t. You won’t be sorry. [PS: Mark has it right]
August 30th, 2008 at 3:15 am
PS: always use bottled Italian water if you want a more authentic taste. Hai capito?
September 8th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Tom,
I didn’t quite clearly understand your comment. Are you saying we should clean our pots with nothing else than water?
November 17th, 2008 at 12:13 am
I bought the Bialetti model a couple months ago and now have some hard water buildup in the bottom compartment. How do I use the vinegar to get rid of this? Do I just pour it through each part to rinse, or do I actually use the vinegar and heat it up just like I would to make coffee?
November 17th, 2008 at 4:04 am
Andre…. sorry so late… yes. You have understod correctly. Water only. Never ever use soap. Think of it as you would seasoning a heavy pan or griddle. I received this advice (instruction) from a close Italian friend many years ago. It works.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:07 am
PS: everybody (AY — LISTEN UP!!)please chill out about maintaining the most brilliantly clean moka pot in the world. WATER ONLY>>>>>NO VINIGAR<<<
November 18th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Hi guys
Was wondering what the best coffee to use is? Im new to this and Bialetti didnt say to use fine ground or not, was told this will block the filter?
November 19th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Andrew — use Illy Moka grind. Or if your coffee purveyor grinds beand for you, ask them to grind it for a moka pot. If they don’t know what you are talking about then they don’t know what they are doing. The grind is different than espresso grind. good luck.
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Thank you so very much for all the great help on how to use my pot correctly! I wish the box had come with some instructions. Does anyone know how they use this moka pot in Spain? Do they just add hot milk to some of this when they are done? I know their coffee was great in Spain!
January 21st, 2009 at 3:18 am
Use soap and water. Seasoning is for cast iron, where you use saturated oils that don’t easily spoil. The key to great tasting coffee is freshly roasted and ground beans, not rancid old coffee oil.
January 22nd, 2009 at 4:00 am
Mike, I disagree. I got my information from more than one Italian in Italy and, importantly, from Bialetti itself, the inventor and manufactirer of the Moka pot. If you have a better source of information, please tell me, as I would like to know. Thanks.
February 12th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
We are having a problem, wondering whether anyone can help. We made great coffee in a Bialetti for 2-3 years and then it stopped working. The water boiled and escaped through the top but didn’t condense. The apartment smelled great but we didn’t have anything to drink. We just tried replacing the Moka and are having the same problem with the new pot? Have we got the heat too low? Too high? Is the grind of the coffee to fine? What could be wrong?
February 13th, 2009 at 6:10 am
The only way I make my coffee is with a Moka, and when I have found the water not condensing and rising through the filter correctly, the problem has always been the rubber seal that separates the lower and upper halves. This seal will often get stray grinds on it and when the two units are assembled for brewing, enough of them will compromise the air tight integrity. My recomendation – ensure the seal is clean and smooth and fits securely on the upper screen from the top unit. If no water is flowing through the grinds, you may have too fine a grind and/or tamping the grounds too tight. Fine grounds packed tightly will effectively make a barrier which the water will have a tough time rising through. This is the joy of coffee made not only in a Moka, but other methods. A little trial and error with small adjustments and you will find what works.
Get your method “dialed in” and enjoy!!
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I just fried my Moka pot this AM. After having a lovely cup… I inadvertantly turn on the burner again and walked away. It now smells like bong water. I’m replacing the gasket and metal filter, but what else should I do? I don’t want to drink bong water coffee.
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I have 1, 3 and 6 cup espresso stoves. It is trial and error at first. I always use filtered water from my Brita Water Jug to soften the water and remove the hard minerals. Lets not forget, almost 99% of a cup of black coffee/espresso is water! It helps to have consistent quality of water. The shop I buy my beans from grind them specifically for use with my stove pot. I store my coffee in an air tight container, and keep them in the fridge as it keeps the freshness for at least an extra week or two. As for brewing, use a low heat, depending on the size of of the stove and the amount of fluid it’ll take between 3- 4 minutes (on gas). As fot getting a crema: you can get a small one but keep the heat low to increase the extraction time through the coffee and pour your espresso/moka early. So long as you use a low heat you can keep the lid of your stove pot up and watch the coffee come out so you know when to pour – but like I said, its trial and error.
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:37 pm
This might be a crazy thing to state/ask, but when I use my Moka pot I don’t get the “kick” of caffeine like I get when using my Mr. Coffee. Am I being CRAZY or what? I love the taste, but need more kick! (I use the exact same coffee in both.)
March 6th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
HELP! I recently bought an inexpensive stainless steel 4-cup Vev Vigano stovetop from an Amazon camera store merchant. I thought it was a little weird to come from a camera store in Brooklyn, but they were the only ones who had this older model in stock. The pot box was pretty beat up, not so surprising since being an older model they might have had it on the shelf for a long time. The pot itself looked new enough. I’ve made several cups now following the instructions it came with, and the above instructions which are pretty much the same. I threw out the first few cups as recommended, but I still can’t make coffee that’s even drinkable! Just how many cups are necessary to finally get good tasting coffee? I use Britta filtered water and have even tried illy dark roast. I have a Capresso burr grinder and set it a little coarser than regular espresso grind. Presumably a $100 conical burr grinder knows what it’s doing. The instructions that came with the pot said to soak it with baking powder and water before the first use, which I did, and based on the comments here might not have been such a good idea. I’ve also rinsed it with vinegar a couple of times. As someone else said, I get MUCH better results from my dirt cheap Mr. Coffee steam espresso machine using the same coffee. I bought the Moka pot hoping to get a little more intense brew, since I use the Mr. Coffee as my regular daily coffee machine, brewing about 6 oz. at a time. I’ve loved this little Mr. Coffee steam machine, but it has all-aluminum parts, and I wanted to switch to stainless steel without spending a fortune. I think I’ve followed instructions close enough, and I’ve read all the helpful comments on this site. So what is going wrong?
March 10th, 2009 at 12:29 am
Chloe don’t lose hope…….. you should be able to get a decent cup after fewer than 6 tries. I strongly reccomend that you get illy moka grind (pre ground) coffee. It is ground especially for a moka. Unless you are a pro, or can get great coffe ground for you (such as La Colombe)there is no way you will be able to match their consistency. Throw out your grinder!
One final thing: no more vinigar! Please see my posts above: you should not wash the pot after use, just rinse it. Also, I highly reccommend the Bialetti Brikka — it is hands down the best moka pot around.
Good luck.
March 10th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Mandy: yes, you are crazy. Just kidding. Seriously, if you are using the same coffee for a Mr. Coffee and a moka pot, one has to be way, way off. I recommend illy moka grind or, if you can get it, La Colombe “Nizza” — but only if you can have it ground professionally for a moka pot.
Throw out your Mr. Coffee!
March 16th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
im absolute new to this.. but from my understanding, is the “Never-wash-the-pot” only apply for classic aluminum moka pot?
because Al moka pot is the one that have bad metal taste, so the build up residue can create a layer between the Al and your coffee. so since stainless steel don’t have this problem, we should wash it without problem??
on bialetti US site’s care&warranty section, it says do not put in dishwasher. BUT on the package of bialetti’s own stainless steel moka pot, there’s a sign that show OK in dishwasher.
http://www.bialetti.it/files/catalogue/attachments/musa.pdf
so i guess these care “no wash” instructions were aimed at classic aluminum pots only. uh? uh?
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:11 am
Aluminum pots will need to be seasoned. Rinse after each use without soap. Do not scrub. However, if you let it sit for more than a week, the coffee oils will go rancid and you’ll need to scrub the pot out (no soap!) and reseason it by brewing a 4-5 batches and tossing the coffee.
The bottom part just holds water and doesn’t get covered with coffee oils. Water and vinegar can be used to clean it if the calcium build up gets too bad.
June 9th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Not cleaning your Moka pot is a good way of making nasty coffee. If you care about the taste of your coffee, clean out the old coffee residue from your Moka pot, and use – Heaven forbid! – soap. Otherwise, you are getting a lot of rancid coffee oil in your brew.
Or you can cling to your superstitious beliefs. Whatever works for you.
June 9th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Rob where did you get your information? My sources are Italians in various parts of Italy and my own experience. Anyway, I prefer the rinsed (not rancid) residue of coffee past to the residue of soap present. I suggest people try each method and judge for themselves. Ciao all…..
June 10th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Ps. Jeff Banks is correct.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:27 am
I’ve been experimenting with the moka for a couple months now and I want to share some of my discoveries. I was not washing, only rinsing the moka after use as recommended, but I only drink coffee once or twice a week and I was frequently getting awful sour coffee. I decided to try cleaning all the old coffee residue off with a wet paper towel and the next brew was fantastic. I think this means that the residue that is traditionally supposed to be left on was turning rancid from sitting in the cupboard for a week, like jeff said. So, if you use it infrequently its probably best to wipe it clean after use, no soap, no vinegar, just water. Maybe if you use the moka daily, like most italians do, you can get by with just rinsing.
Also, since I don’t go through coffee very quick I choose to get whole beans and grind them myself, as needed, with the ‘chopper’ grinder. I do this because I figure the whole beans will keep longer than if I have them all ground at the store. True, the home grinder is not very consistent but it works. I try and leave the grinds just big enough to not pass through the metal filter. If I grind them at the grocery store, would I use the french press setting or a little finer?
I can’t find any illy moka grind or La Colombe where I live right now and have just been using somalian and ethiopian dark roasts and when done right, they both turn out delicious. Has anyone experimented with any other types of beans or roasts in the moka?
Can someone explain the difference between the aluminum and the steel varieties? I currently have an aluminum one, should I switch to steel?
Any corrections to my logic or answers to my questions would be appreciated. I am new to the coffee world and am just starting to make sense of some things.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I have enjoyed reading the comments from this article but, having spent many many hours, with some help from my Sicilian friends, trying to perfect a good Moka coffee I thought I might add the following comments. Excuse me for my somewhat lengthy post!
” Coffee roast
Try and persuade your local coffee roaster to make a REALLY dark roast from his/her Moka blend. It should be a shiny, oily black colour on its surface (the shine may appear only after a few days). If you crack the bean open, it should be black or almost black on the inside.
I have been lucky enough to find a very, very friendly local roaster. However, even if you do manage to luckily find a roaster as friendly and malleable as mine, it may require some coaxing and perseverance before you get him to make such a dark roast as the above, as non-Italian coffee roasters are often not used to such dark Italian roasts. But this is the roast you will need for a genuine Italian Moka coffee
” Grinder machine
Whilst I absolutely agree on everything else with Tom, on this one point I have to disagree. For really good fresh coffee you will definitely need a good coffee mill. But DON’T get one of those cheap grinder/blenders. Go for a quality burr grinder. Personally, I invested almost 300 Eur (420 USD) for a Rancilio Rocky Doserless (SD) machine. But it was worth every cent!
However, you will need to find a method to remove the residue of coffee grind from the exit hole as quite a bit sticks in there. With a 1-cup pot, more than half the quantity (?±3g) remains stuck in this area. This doesn’t matter if you are making large quantities, but for smaller quantities the proportion is enough to adversely affect the flavour??â€rancid coffee from the previous day’s grind mixed up with the fresh coffee.
My method was to permanently remove the plastic chute, catch the coffee grinds in a cup and use a small piece of balsa-like wood (65 mm long by 8mm wide by 2.5 mm thick) to scoop out the residue. This method is very effective.
” Grind
Choose the finest grind you can obtain without it acquiring a bitter taste. The moment it begins to taste a little bitter, it is too fine a grind. This is a question of trial and error and will also need to be regularly readjusted downwards as your burrs wear.
” Water quantity
Now this will surprise many people. I have found that the water level should be somewhat less than the level of the safety valve. This really does improve the flavour of the coffee. The safety valve level is 50 ml (cc) per cup, e.g. 300 ml of water for a 6-cup pot. But I have found that it is better to use 40 ml and NOT 50 ml of water per cup, e.g. 240 ml of water for a 6-cup pot. You don’t believe me? Compare both methods and taste the result!
” While brewing??¦
Leave the lid open. Yes, true! I don’t know why but all Sicilians do this. Put an upside-down teaspoon over the funnel to stop the coffee spitting all over your kitchen.
” Brewing time
Take the pot off the gas at the exact moment it starts bubbling. Earlier, and you don’t get that tang to the taste. Later, and the taste turns bitter and nasty.
” Cleaning the pot
Tom is 150% right!! Rinse your Moka pot with water only!
Any person, whoever you are and however knowledgeable you might claim to be, who chooses to clean your pot any other way is ignoring what ALL native Italians will tell you (as well as incidentally what the manufacturer Bialetti states politely but plainly on its instruction leaflet) and therefore, not wishing to mince my words, is just plain WRONG!
NOW FOR THOSE WHO WANT AUTHENTIC ITALIAN STRENGTH COFFEE:
” Grind quantity
Exact quantity of coffee grind is of critical importance. I use a traditional set of scales (the only TRULY accurate method of weighing that I know of). For finer measurements, I find that one of MY paper clips weighs about 0.4g (I even have chopped a paper clip in half to make a 0.2g weight for even finer measurements). However the weight of your paper clip will presumably vary according to the make.
My current preferred quantities:
1-cup pot: 5g
3-cup pot: 12g
6-cup pot: 21g
” Aeration
Do you, like me, have a problem with a nasty tar-like taste when brewing with large quantities of coffee grind? Well, try this tip which I learnt from two Sicilian friends.
With anything larger than a 1-cup pot, aereate the coffee grind in the coffee pot tank by pricking/punching with a small tool like a pointed handle end of a teaspoon. It will loosen and therefore render the coffee grinds more porous (while paradoxically reducing their volume). This aerating is one of two tricks I use for getting rid of that nasty tar-like taste
” Gas-level
And here is the second trick: With all pots larger than the 1-cup pot, I find it necessary to put the flame at the maximum level without exceeding the edge of the boiler.
Those are my two tricks. Do you know another method? If so, please, please let me know. I’ll be REALLY interested.
SICILIAN COFFEE:
” Sicilian coffee is delicious! So what is their secret? Easy-peasy! They add sugar to their coffee. Yes, true! All Sicilians do this, without exception. Personally, I add a level teaspoonful of brown cane sugar per cup and add this in the upper part of the pot before putting it on the gas. Stir when it has brewed.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Help please – I have moved house and my Moka is too small to fit on the new (old) gas hob. Can anyone tell me where I could find something which would allow me to balance it safely? Thanks in advance…
June 30th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Lorna: if you go to Italy, you will find a special ring that you can put over your cooker gas ring that is a kind of reductor??â€it makes your ring smaller. Over there you can get them anywhere. Over here in Belgium (where I live), you can get them too (in any shop that sells cookers) but the whole process is a lot more complicated. They will want to know the serial number of your cooker. Groan! I, like you, have a very old gas hob with no serial number. So I eventually got mine in Italy.
S.P: Very, very interesting! You make an air of being a modest beginner, but actually sound quite an aficionado??â€or maybe a born natural. I must try that idea out on my 6-cup pot. Sounds as if we lot might be able to learn a thing or two from you!
July 1st, 2009 at 12:03 am
S.P: Sorry, I forgot to say. The original aluminium pots were designed for the gas cooker. The stainless steel ones are designed so they can be used on an electric cooker (tho’ can also be used on gas cooker without problem). I’ve also been told by my Italian friends that you can put the stainless steel models in a dishwasher. So perhaps you can use detergent with these? I’d need to check on the latter with my Sicilian friends. Both are good. However, I think I heard somewhere that some Italians prefer the coffee taste from the aluminium ones. But I’m not sure on that last point…
July 6th, 2009 at 1:10 am
No one answered Mandy’s question about the caffeine “kick”. I too miss the caffeine high so is it true less caffeine?
This might be a crazy thing to state/ask, but when I use my Moka pot I don’t get the “kick” of caffeine like I get when using my Mr. Coffee. Am I being CRAZY or what? I love the taste, but need more kick! (I use the exact same coffee in both.)
July 6th, 2009 at 3:18 am
Keith thanks for your thoughts……. by the way I agree with you regarding the grinder…… I’m just lucky enough to have access to a good caffe nearby where I can get a good grind, and Illy grind is better than I could ever do……. ciao & grazie
July 6th, 2009 at 3:20 am
Luana, I did answer Mandy in March as follows:
tom Says:
March 10th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Mandy: yes, you are crazy. Just kidding. Seriously, if you are using the same coffee for a Mr. Coffee and a moka pot, one has to be way, way off. I recommend illy moka grind or, if you can get it, La Colombe “Nizza” ??†but only if you can have it ground professionally for a moka pot.
Throw out your Mr. Coffee!
July 6th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Tom: I KNOW almost everyone in Italy buys their coffee from the supermarket (amazing!!), but I personally believe that there can be nothing to compare with beans fresh from the local roaster and ground just before brewing. Plus my having complete control over the grind setting with a high quality grinding machine in order to get my own preferred grind (90 different settings on the Rancilio Rocky, would you believe!!!). Having said that, I have never yet been able to find Illy Moka Grind in the shops over here so have not been able to test out my views with the Illy brand. I can get Illy Espresso Grind but the resulting taste is frankly really YUKKY in a Moka Pot.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Correction to last sentence in above post:
“…**I find** the resulting taste frankly really YUKKY in a Moka Pot”
Taste is obviously a very subjective thing, and one man’s poison can be another man’s meat.
July 18th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I have a 9 cup bialetti coffee pot, that needs a new gasket, my problem is I don’t know if it’s aluminum or stainless. I would like to order a new gasket, but I see there is a difference between the two. I can see that it has st/c3 inside and underneath st/f1, can you tell me what it is. thanks
July 18th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
I just returned from a study trio to Italy, and since I miss the amazing Moka coffee I made there, I have been trying to achieve something similar back at home. I have learned a great deal from this post!
About the caffeine in Moka-brewed coffee, the coffee I made was stronger than the espresso I am used to, to my surprise. I struggled to not drink too much.
My efforts to replicate the delicious brew have led me to focus on the grinding process. I was spoiled by the locally-roasted “moka grind” coffees in the supermarket. Out of the package, the grounds were almost like wet sand, a bit clingy and damp. I think that was the effect of the “oils” mentioned here, although it would dissipate in a week or so and the grounds were like dry sand. I don’t like the taste of Illy, but there is plenty of good coffee out there. I think I can get better results than I have if I grind it properly.
I find the Moka pot brilliantly designed, but it does have its weak points. My first one quickly lost its handle end to an errant gas flame. If your pot doesn’t fit on your burner, one option is a pot like the Richard Sapper pot for Alessi–its flat bottom is wider than the rest of the pot. It is expensive, and I think it’s made of steel, but it’s a great design, and might be worth considering as an alternative to a Moka extender piece.
On the washing issue, I can vouch that my housemate practically leapt across the room to stop me from using a soapy cloth on the pot. (L’acqua, s?¬, Sapone no!) But the pot was used every day.
Finally, those who can grind their own coffee to spec may be interested to know that one of the best specialty Italian coffees can be bought on Amazon.com–Giamaica Caff?© of Verona. Happy brewing!
July 28th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Perhaps someone here can give me a few pointers. I have recently bought a Bialetti Moka Express, inspired after having a wonderful moka pot experience (also with a bialetti moka express) while visiting a relative. I have used my moka pot numerous times now. First, I washed it and boiled water in it without any coffee. Then I made a batch with coffee and dumped it. After that, I made another and didn’t notice any bad flavour. However, after this, every batch I’ve made has tasted metallic to me! I have used my junk coffee to make several batched to season the moka pot, not rising afterwards, and today I thought it was well seasoned enough, and used my good espresso beans, but still it tastes metallic! Is there some better way to season my pot? I feel like most of the aluminum flavour is coming from the bottom chamber, as it smells the most metallic to me, and the coffee never goes in there. I tried pouring the coffee into the bottom chamber and letting it sit there, in hopes of seasoning the whole thing!
Any pointers? I am thoroughly disappointed with my moka pot so far… but I know it’s more capable than this!
July 29th, 2009 at 1:29 am
How do you clean it?
July 29th, 2009 at 2:50 am
I’m sure I know less than some other contributors but… It sounds like the trouble started after you boiled water in the pot. Poking around on the Internet (google) I found that people say boiling with half water half vinegar will clean mineral deposits so I would try that, or at least wipe with a vinegar dampened cloth and rinse thoroughly.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:41 am
… Or maybe the taste comes from the junk coffee?
Incidentally, I wanted to update my post above and recommend chicco d’oro coffee. It’s what I drank and loved in Switzerland. I am also getting good results with a hand cranked burr mill called Spong which I bought on eBay for $40. Granted, I grind for a 3-cup machine so it’s not laborious. Am still fine tuning but I was thrilled with the first cup. I figure the first Moka coffees were ground by hand… P.S. I use a ground size a little finer than french press.
July 31st, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I am just getting into espresso after a period of not drinking coffee, after growing up in a family where guests were offered, not just coffee, but espresso, percolated, filtered, rich roast, mild roast, all hand ground, of course (Don’t get me started on the tea options). I have a pot I got some time ago, as it happens, in Sicily, aluminum, that seems to still work fine. I was wondering though, about making just one cup in a 4 cup pot? Does this harm the pot, or affect the taste of the coffee? It seems fine, but maybe I don’t know what I am missing by not putting in the full 4-cup dose. However, I really don’t want to get into heating up cold coffee.
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I think that the problem was either
A) I just needed to be a little more patient and give it some time to season better
or
B) The junk coffee was giving it a bad taste.
It’s wonderful now… after about a week of enjoying my moka pot, I made drip coffee this morning and it was nothing in comparison. I am never going back. I did clean it using soap, before ever using it (which I now know is a BIG no-no) so it’s possible that that was ruining the flavour as well. Either way, all is good in the world of coffee once again! What a relief… and thanks again for the suggestions, I will keep them in mind for any future probelms… although hopefully there wont be any, as I have told my whole family NOT to touch my moka pot, and especially to not clean it.
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
And in response to LUCY:
I’m fairly new at this, but as far as I have read, it is best to use your moka pot to its full capacity. The coffee turns out better if you fill it up, otherwise the water doesn’t flow through the coffee grinds properly. However, if you’re satisfied with the results, there is no reason why you can’t continue to do so.
Another option is to buy a 1-cup or 2-cup moka pot, and use the 4-cup for when you have company.
A better option yet is to make all 4 cups, and save whatever is leftover, put it in the fridge to chill it, and make iced coffee/iced latte with it… deeeelicious on a hot summer day.
Good luck.
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Thanks Lauren. Nice thought about the iced coffee, which I do actually like when I am somewhere hot. Unfortunately, I live in the West of Ireland. Today, as for the last week, it has been raining incessantly and blowing a gale. I have the central heating on. I am, however, thinking of upgrading to a 2-cup Brika, which seems to be the real McCoy, though I would have preferred it in stainless.
August 8th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I didn’t see an answer to the question about boiling out the pot by forgetting about it on the stove. I just accomplished the same thing with my venerable Bialetti moka pot by failing to fill the bottom chamber. I have a new gasket and have rinsed out the system with baking powder and salt (works with burned out sauce pans), and then plain water. The first brew is bitter. Do I need a new pot, a new coffee basket, several more brewing cycles, or what?
August 17th, 2009 at 4:47 am
My stovetop doesn’t make bubbling noises any more – there’s just lots of steam, the coffee is often bitter or burned tasting and not very much comes out at the top – sometimes less than half of what should come out. The water that’s left in the bottom is often coffee – I’ve taken it apart and washed a few times…always just water, no abrasive anything – should I chuck it out – it’s stainless steel with a polycarbonate jug part…
August 19th, 2009 at 2:59 am
Maybe you need a new gasket? It sounds as if the seal between the top and bottom chambers is broken.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:52 am
hmm, ok thanks, I’m starting to think there was another gasket that hasn’t been on there for some time now, I think I’m going to buy a new one anyway…
August 29th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I just bought a 3-cup moka pot. Is it possible to make just 1 cup by putting in one third of the amount of coffee in the filter. or does the coffee basket have to be filled to the top?
August 29th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
No.
September 24th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Has anyone out there any opinions about Alessi stove top coffee makers? There seems to be a distinct lack of any reviews about them, given their price. Any comments gratefully received.
September 26th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I just got an aluminum Bialetti moka pot. I fell in love with the coffee in Italy while traveling there and tried for months to recreate that coffee. I finally realized that i needed to learn to make it like they do. I have made two batches, the first being too bitter and the second better. I did throw out the first brewed batch as directed. I am using Lavazza Creme E Gusto coffee, which indicated was ground for a moka pot. I am still practicing, but have a few questions for you experienced users. I have a flat top ceramic stove and would love some advice, if anyone has it, about things that may need to be done differently on this type of stove. I put the pot on medium heat but it takes at least 10 minutes to brew. Any info out there on using the traditional equipment on new appliances?
October 1st, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I LOVE my Bialetti 6 cup moka pot. Dreamy, really. I am mystified by one little thing. Everyone once and a while the pressure valve blows, SCREAMS rather and I can’t figure out what I have done wrong. Thoughts? Tips?
December 1st, 2009 at 2:41 am
I got a 3 cup Bialetti Moka Express on Ebay, its from 1972 but was still in its original box and brand new with lovely bakelite handle, I felt a little sad making the first cup of coffee in it – given it was completly unused for nearly 40 years ! and still as shiny as the day it was cast ! ..
If your pressure valve blows, could be a blockage in the top tube, or coffee packed in too tight – dont tamp a moka pot, maybe too high a temperature on the hob, or a dodgey pressure valve , maybe ? ( never heard of anyone with a faulty valve yet though )
December 12th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Sorry..me again,..does anyone out there have one of those Alessi 9090 moka pots,s ? I got one – again on Ebay for next to nothing compaired to the price of a new one – but its 30 years old and not so shiny any more,, I was wondering about the seal the handle makes when you snap it shut. On a conventional pot you screw it closed, so no matter how thin or ” used ” the rubber ring becomes, the seal stays the same because you allways put the same pressure on when you screw it closed. but the Alessi handle can never get any tighter as its fixed in the one position, so as the rubber seal becomes ” used ” to the clamping pressure maybe the seal might become weak , It has,nt happened to me yet as Ive only used it a few times – but if anyone out there has one of these, do you find you have to replace the gasket more often, than on a simple screw type pot ? The machine itself is a lovely looking design but I still reckon the screw design is more secure.
December 24th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I still don’t get when to take the Moka Pot off the fire. Any help here? If I take it off before the entire pot is brewed, it just stops brewing.
December 29th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Hello- happy holidays all!
I get a gross ,clear slime on the bottom of my al. moka, the coffee is “ok” lot’s of caffien, I’m so friggen wired and it’s 4 am!! – but what about the slime? i’ve been afraid to use this great machine. I wash it, with water adn a brush (it’s not an everyday moka) – I’ve looked everywhere adn found only questions about this experience, but no answers. – i’d love to read your thoughts and alleviate my fears, – and the clearish, gelatinous goo.
happy Holidays all!
A
December 29th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
OneDoubleShot:
I take my Moka pot off just at the moment it starts “spluttering”. This means the coffee has an edge to the flavour but doesn’t have that nasty bitter taste that comes from leaving it on too long when spluttering. Some people take it off just before it reaches the spluttering moment (but it is quite an art to judge when that moment is) because they don’t like that edgy, hint-of-bitterness flavour. It’s a matter of personal taste.
Adrian M:
(
I always get a residue of water remaining at the bottom, darkened by the coffee ground from the filter. This is normal. It’s the last bit that can’t (and shouldn’t) go through the filter. As for the slime, there you have me completely foxed! Sorry
PS Perhaps you’re talking about a kind of mould that can develop in the bottom pot?? This can happen if you store it for a long time screwed together. When storing it, I always leave it open to breathe, and place the filter bit upside down in the jug compartment.
December 29th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
OneDoubleShot:
Nice website that! I think I may learn a few tricks from your amazing recipes
January 1st, 2010 at 5:43 pm
I think my girlfriends filter is blocked. First sympton was that it leaking from the side. So I cleaned the rubber gasket. Now, it produce copious amounts of steam through the pressure release valve on the side, and a very small amount of coffee makes it into the upper chamber. Its a two cup steel Billati. Whats the best way to clean it. Its probably an accumulation of coffee and calc. I was thinking of vinegar. Any suggestions?
January 1st, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Sounds like you need to change the gasket. Don’t know where you can buy one in the UK, but this is where I get mine from over here on the continent: http://www.natarianni.fr/321-pieces-detachees-cafetiere-aluminium . And they take international orders as well. By the way, when you cleaned the gasket, did you clean the filter plate as well (the round metal bit that the gasket holds in place)? If the holes are bunged up, you can use a sewing needle to unblock them. Not ideal, but it does work. And you can use your bare fingernails to get the accumulated coffee and calc off. But then again, when you order a set of three gaskets, you get a new filter plate thrown in as well.
Imho vinegar, as with ALL cleaning agents, is a definite no-no.
Hope this helps.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:22 pm
General advice regarding cleaning. Ignore almost all the advice you find on the internet. Just follow the advice you get from all Italians. Which is: no vinegar, no nothing, JUST W A T E R.
January 28th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Tom is correct, never use soap in a Moka. It is vital to change the rubber ring when you are getting poor results. Always let it air dry after each use. Upside down on a towel is best. I use a scrub brush to scrub out the inside of the base if hard water spots appear. Mine is from Italy.
February 26th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
None of the people sternly warning not to use soap or vinegar actually has any empirical basis for this advice. Can we have less evangelism and more hard science please?
I don’t soap my pot in any case, but it often produces something best described as mine run-off. I suspect the highly porous unpolished aluminium walls of the base are leaching acrid compounds into the water.
My question is, are your people’s pots polished and shiny inside the base, where you fill it with water?
February 26th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
First, I would like to distance myself from “Tom”’s comments on Feb 26. He’s a different Tom. Its not me.
Second, I will answer his question: it is not shiny, it is dull.
Third, I will ask “Tom” to knock off the Alton Brown imitation. This isn’t a science class. The entire Italian Republic does not use soap. Basta.
February 27th, 2010 at 12:18 am
Thank you, *Tom (the first)*. I was just in the process of redacting my reply when up popped your response to our “alter” Tom. Here was my comment I was in the process of redacting:
“Tom, I fully concur with everything you’ve said up till now but I don’t quite get your point here. I am not a scientist and my Moka pot is not “polished and shiny inside the base” but every Italian I know (yes, I repeat, EVERY ITALIAN I KNOW!!) tells me I must NEVER (I repeat, NEVER) let soap touch the pot otherwise the taste will be seriously impaired. Why this is so I don’t know (Sorry!! I do have various scientific theories, but not being a scientist myself their value is probably zilch!!). Be that as it may, I have never particularly wished to sacrifice one of my precious Moka pots for the sake of a useless experiment to prove that they were (surprise! surprise!) right all along!!! Anyway, apparently you agree with them (see your posts of 30 Aug, 17 Nov x 2, Jan 22, Mar 10, Jun 9 & Jun 10).”
Btw I very much agree with Dina about air-drying the rubber seal. This is one thing I didn’t pick up from my Italian friends. But I have learnt from experience that if I hang up my gasket to dry, it dries properly leading to a more hermetic seal and so creates a greater pressure within the pot leading to a better brew. I should hastily add that I expect our Italian friends already know this and I
February 27th, 2010 at 12:19 am
…just didn’t have a chance to learn this trick from them.
March 4th, 2010 at 3:46 am
I have had my moka pot since at least 1969. It got me through my bachelor’s thesis. (I think I bought it at Zabar’s.) It still makes lovely coffee. I’ve changed the gasket several times, but everything else is original. I’ve had a catastrophe or two (forgetting to put the water in, leaving off the gasket). Each time I’ve brewed a couple of pots of baking soda (gentle, no residue) and water to clean the bitter burned coffee out. Water alone will not remove it. I’ve tried. You can’t make decent coffee with that disgusting residue in there. After a couple of coffee brews, the coffee is lovely again.
For Cafe Bustelo fans, I often use that with good results. I used to commute on the Cross Bronx Expresssway. Does anyone else remember the heavenly aroma from the Cafe Bustelo plant?
March 10th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Cast Aluminum is a relatively porous material; that is why a soap residue can build up on your aluminum pot if you wash it with soap, and also why a pot can be seasoned (so to speak) by brewing coffee in it. The same principle effects the kind of chinese clay pot that is only used to brew one kind of tea.
I came back to this great thread to write about the Alessi 9090 I have had for just over a week now. Like Lucie, above, I was curious about it and could find very little info. The hardest thing to do here will be to avoid talking about the aesthetics–or I will get carried away and lose credibility, so I’ll save that to the end.
Is this pot worth the money (cost in the U.S. is equivalent to five or so Bialetti moka pots); does it offer any advantages, or what defines this pot’s value?
I personally bought the pot partly out of curiosity, spurred on by the demise of my Bialetti pot. Distracted, I had put it on the stove without water. My first clue to this blunder was when the handle fell off (clunk) on the stove. Inside, the rubber ring was fused to the top. That can’t happen to the 9090. At worst, the ring could be melted off the steel. The handle is metal, so you won’t get a half-melted handle, either (as on my first Bialetti pot). In short, I expect the 9090 to last long enough to recover the expense.
About that rubber ring someone asked about: its purpose is to make a seal. Once you have a seal, compressing the rubber more won’t make a difference if the pressure doesn’t increase. Rubber performs very well in compression. For these reasons, I don’t think the clamp mechanism means replacing the rubber ring more often. (It might be harder to find an Alessi ring though.)
In use, this pot is a dream. The coffee holder stands up, so if you sleepily grind your coffee then need to put the holder down while you fill the base, you can. (At least on the tiny 1-cup model, which I have.) The pot snaps shut, and it makes quiet noises on the stove top; “ssssss” (boiling), a spitting sound while the coffee comes out, and “ssssss” when no more water will come up. A cap on the spout means you can leave the top flipped open without spatter on the stovetop. I dutifully used an inverted spoon on my Bialetti (on advice I found here) but I love not having to.
I plan to wash this pot with soap (unlike my aluminum pot which I just wiped) in order to switch between coffees. There are cheaper stainless steel pots, but I don’t like their looks much.
That brings me to aesthetics: The workmanship on the 9090 is stunning; you can see the turned edges of metal at the top, simply but elegantly done, and the traces of welding, etc. It looks like a machine, and in fact I will end by saying that what it really reminds me of is a musical instrument. Not just because it is nicely made of shiny metal but because what it feels like to use it is like you’re playing a little coffee tune.
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:10 pm
can moka espresso maker damage ceramic hob?
May 5th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Up till now I’ve had no problems and LOVE the coffee that the Moka pot in my apartment brews (I’ve been in Venice studying for a month and it’s been fine all this time). But yesterday evening I (assume) I did the same as usual but after only a minute there was an incredibly loud noise and the pot had basically sprayed coffee 5m in each direction! Luckily I wasn’t right by it…but am totallly in shock, cannot get rid of the splatters from the white-washed walls and my landlady is going to kill me. And obviously I don’t want this to happen again. Please please help! I assume there was a blockage but I’m so careful about drying it, not packing in too much coffee etc. Oh dear!
May 6th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Help with what? Cleaning the walls? Either your moka pot has no safety valve, in which case it fails, or you are not qualified to be operating drinks-making equipment, in which case you fail. I suspect the latter, since even without a safety valve it could only have exploded if you let old coffee become cement in the stem or jammed a marble up the spout.
May 6th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
As for dennis – yes, a moka pot can damage a ceramic hob… if you hold it by the handle and hammer it into the surface.
May 6th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Oh my God!!! (But you’re living in Venice—lucky you!!! I strongly suggest you ask an Italian friend. They know MUCH more about these things than we humble lot do
)
May 6th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Roger:
You could be a bit more gracious in the manner you make your comments. This is meant to be a FRIENDLY forum, and for God’s sake we can ALL make mistakes. Your points are logical and definitely valid, but your manner of expressing them is highly off-putting to put it mildly and certainly not in the spirit of this forum
June 19th, 2010 at 1:16 am
I scrubbed my new cheap stove top expresso pot, before usins as it smelled so bad . I actually disturbed the powder coating in the water part. Have I ruined my pot? No instructions came with the pot. And I have never used one. So I decided to do research here.
August 16th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Hi Annette,
If our pot had a white powder to the surface this is aluminum’s version of rust on steel! I believe it needed removing as it would have only come free and entered your coffee. With it removed and a few brews done and thrown away the surface should seal and no more dust forms.