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Quick recipe (Italian moka pot)
- Start with hot water: boil water in a kettle, then pour it into the base up to just below the safety valve. This shortens contact time with the metal and prevents the “cooked” taste.
- Grind: medium-fine, like sea salt with a few finer particles. Finer than drip, coarser than espresso.
- Coffee: fill the basket level. Do not tamp. The screw-down lid creates the pressure you need.
- Heat: medium, not low. Lid open so you can watch the brew.
- Stop here: when the stream coming up the spout turns from dark brown to light honey, pull the pot off the heat. Do not wait for the sputtering noise. By then you have over-extracted.
- Wrap and run: wipe the base with a damp cloth to stop residual heat from cooking the coffee further. Pour and serve.
- Cleaning: rinse with hot water and dry. No soap. Coffee oils season the pot and improve every brew.
For more no-power brewing methods (French press, cowboy, pour-over), see our guide to brewing coffee without electricity and our French press primer. For full step-by-step detail and the troubleshooting most guides skip, read on.
I grew up watching my grandmother make two kinds of coffee. One was the everyday coffee, brewed in a stainless steel percolator she pulled out when company came. My mother called it an acquired taste, which was a polite way of saying it was bad. The other kind, the one she made for herself on the stove every morning, came out of a small aluminum moka pot. That coffee was rich and dark and so good that my favorite breakfast trick as a kid was pouring a splash of it over my cornflakes with the milk.
I bought my own first Bialetti Moka Express, a 3-cup, at a kitchen-supply place in 2009 for $19. I followed the instructions in the box, made three weeks of undrinkable coffee, and almost put the pot in the donate pile before a friend who’d grown up in Naples spent twenty minutes in my kitchen showing me what I was doing wrong. Eight years and one rubber gasket replacement later, that pot still lives on my stove. The recipe below is what his grandmother taught him (and turns out is more or less how my own grandmother had been doing it all along), with a few additions from the long comment thread on the original version of this article, which a lot of Italian-trained readers had real notes on.
What a moka pot actually is
A moka pot is a three-part stovetop coffee maker invented in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti in Italy. Fully assembled it looks like a small hourglass. The bottom chamber holds water, the middle is a funnel-shaped filter basket that holds ground coffee, and the top chamber is where finished coffee collects after the brew. Heat the base; pressure builds; water is forced up through the grounds into the top.
What comes out is not espresso. Real espresso requires 9 bars of pressure; a moka pot produces about 1.5 to 2 bars. What you get instead is its own category: stronger and more concentrated than drip or French press, with body and intensity that approaches espresso without the crema. In Italy it is the everyday home brewer. In the US it is almost forgotten outside of Italian-American kitchens and a small specialty-coffee revival. It deserves better.
Pick the right moka pot
- Bialetti Moka Express ($30 for a 3-cup, $40 for a 6-cup) is the standard. Aluminum, octagonal, made in Italy. The 3-cup brews about 4.5 oz / 135 ml of finished coffee (enough for two small Italian-style cups); the 6-cup brews about 9 oz / 265 ml. Buy the size that matches the number of cups you actually drink at one sitting, because a moka pot brews best when the basket is full and matched to its water capacity.
- Bialetti Brikka ($55) is the Moka Express with a pressure-regulating valve in the top. It produces crema, which a standard moka pot does not. If you have a real espresso machine, skip the Brikka. If you do not but want the closest stovetop approximation to a crema-topped shot, this is the one.
- For an induction cooktop, you need the Bialetti Venus or Moka Induction line in stainless steel. Aluminum moka pots are not magnetic and will not heat on induction. The Venus is also dishwasher-safe, which most aluminum moka pots are not.
You will see arguments that stainless steel moka pots make cleaner coffee because aluminum is “porous” and absorbs flavors. The Italian tradition is the opposite: aluminum is the traditional material, food-grade aluminum is safe (the cancer concerns have been studied and rejected), and the slight seasoning effect of coffee oils on aluminum is considered a feature, not a flaw. Buy aluminum unless you have a specific cooktop or dishwasher constraint that requires steel.
The grind is everything
Moka pot grind is medium-fine: finer than drip, coarser than espresso. Think table salt with a few finer particles mixed in. If you grind too fine (espresso-fine), the puck packs too tight, pressure builds too high, and the coffee comes out bitter and burnt with a metallic edge. If you grind too coarse, water rushes through, and the cup is weak and sour.
Pre-ground supermarket “moka” or “espresso” coffee will get you in the neighborhood. A small burr grinder will get you to the right spot every time. If you are using a blade grinder, pulse in short bursts and aim for the salt-grain texture by eye. As for the coffee itself, a dark Italian-style blend is the traditional pick. Many Italian moka blends include a percentage of Robusta beans, which northern European and American specialty roasters typically avoid but which contribute the body and bite that defines moka coffee in southern Italy. Hat tip to longtime reader Keith, who learned this from his Sicilian friends and shared the detail across multiple comments below.
The brewing technique that actually works
Most printed instructions tell you to fill the base with cold water and put the assembled pot on low heat. That works, but it leaves coffee sitting on hot metal for an extra five minutes and tends to “cook” the brew. The technique below comes from a comment by a reader named carter, who posted it in 2011, and is consistent with what modern moka enthusiasts and Italian baristas teach.
- Boil water separately in a kettle. While the kettle heats, grind your coffee (or measure your pre-ground).
- Pour the hot water into the base, filling to just below the safety valve. Do not cover the valve. That valve exists to release dangerous pressure if the pot ever clogs.
- Drop the funnel basket into place and fill it level with ground coffee. Do not tamp. The screw-down top creates the pressure you need; tamping creates too much pressure and produces bitter coffee.
- Screw the top on firmly. Use a folded dish towel; the base is hot now.
- Put the pot on medium heat with the lid open. Watch the spout.
- Wait. Coffee will start coming up the spout within 30 to 90 seconds depending on size. It will run dark brown.
- Watch for the color change. When the stream goes from dark brown to a paler honey color, the brew is finishing. The flavor in those last seconds is over-extracted and bitter.
- Pull the pot off the heat immediately when you see that color shift. Do not wait for the gurgling or sputtering sound. By the time you hear that, you have brewed for ten or fifteen seconds too long.
- Wipe the hot base with a damp dish towel to stop residual heat from continuing the brew. This is a 3-second move that meaningfully improves the cup.
- Pour and serve. Pour all the coffee from the top chamber promptly so it does not continue to sit on residual heat in the pot.
Cleaning and seasoning (the no-soap rule)
The single most counterintuitive moka pot rule, and the one that comes up most in the original comment thread: do not use soap on an aluminum moka pot. Rinse with hot water, scrub the basket and the top chamber with a soft brush if needed, and dry all three pieces thoroughly. Soap residue will work into the cast aluminum surface and contribute a soapy off-taste to every brew afterward. Every Italian I have talked to about this is emphatic on the rule.
Coffee oils season the pot over time, much like a cast-iron skillet. A new Bialetti will brew slightly metallic for the first three to five batches; that goes away as the pot seasons. If you only use your moka pot once a week or less, wipe the inside dry with a paper towel after the rinse, because old oils can go rancid in a damp pot left in a cupboard for days. That tip comes from reader S.P. in 2009 and explains a problem I had wondered about for years.
Replace the rubber gasket and the metal mesh filter every 1 to 2 years of regular use, or sooner if the gasket cracks or the filter clogs with coffee fines. Both parts are cheap on Amazon or any kitchen supply store and screw in by hand in under a minute.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
- Tamping the grounds. Almost every American moka pot guide says “do not tamp,” and almost every American then gently presses down anyway. Resist. The screwed-down top compresses the puck enough. Tamping creates too much pressure and brings out bitterness.
- Starting with cold water. Works, but produces a “cooked” cup. Always start with water from a hot kettle.
- Heat too high or too low. Too high: the metal scorches the coffee, and the brew finishes before flavors fully extract. Too low: the brew is slow and the coffee sits on metal too long. Medium is correct.
- Waiting for the sputter. The sputtering noise means the water is gone and the brew is done. By then you have over-extracted the last 10 seconds. Pull off at the color shift, not the sound.
- Using soap. Covered above. Hot water only.
- Wrong-size pot. A 6-cup moka pot used to brew 3 cups of water will brew weak coffee, because the basket is sized for full capacity. Match your pot size to how many cups you actually want at once.
Troubleshooting
- Bitter, harsh coffee: over-extraction. You probably waited for the sputter or used too high a heat. Pull off earlier. If grind is espresso-fine, go coarser.
- Weak, sour coffee: under-extraction. Grind finer (closer to table salt), make sure you filled the basket level full, and check that your heat is high enough.
- Metallic taste: new pot still seasoning. Brew and dump three to five batches with inexpensive coffee. If the taste persists past 10 batches, check that you have not used soap; the residue takes several plain-water cleanings to lift out.
- Leaking from the middle seam during brewing: the rubber gasket is worn or misaligned. Unscrew, reseat the gasket, or replace it.
- Soapy or “off” taste suddenly appears: someone used soap on the pot, even just once. Brew and dump three batches of plain coffee to lift the residue.
- Cake-y bitter sediment in the top: grind is too fine and pressure is forcing fines through the metal mesh filter. Go a touch coarser.
Frequently asked questions
Is moka pot coffee actually espresso?
No. Real espresso requires 9 bars of pressure from a pump-driven machine. A moka pot generates about 1.5 to 2 bars from steam pressure. The result is its own thing: stronger and more concentrated than drip, with espresso-like body but without crema. Italians distinguish between “caffe” (moka pot) and “espresso” (machine) for exactly this reason.
What size moka pot should I buy?
Match it to how many cups you actually drink at once. A 3-cup brews about 4.5 oz / 135 ml total; a 6-cup brews about 9 oz / 265 ml; the 9-cup brews about 14 oz / 415 ml. The “cup” in moka pot sizing is an Italian espresso-style cup of about 1.5 oz / 45 ml, not an American 8 oz / 240 ml mug. A 3-cup Bialetti is plenty for one person who drinks one strong serving in the morning. A 6-cup works for two drinkers or one drinker who wants a larger mug filled with hot water or milk after brewing.
Can I use a moka pot on a glass or induction cooktop?
Glass-top stoves: yes, but you need a moka pot with a flat, non-warped base. Modern aluminum Bialetti Moka Express is fine on glass-top electric. Induction: no, unless the pot is stainless steel and explicitly labeled induction-compatible. Aluminum is not magnetic.
How much coffee does a moka pot use per brew?
A 3-cup uses about 15 to 18 grams of ground coffee; a 6-cup uses about 25 to 30 grams. Fill the basket level with the top of the basket walls. You do not measure water; the safety valve sets it for you.
Is aluminum moka pot coffee safe to drink?
Yes. Food-grade aluminum cookware has been studied repeatedly and is not linked to Alzheimer’s or any other condition at brewing temperatures. The Italian moka pot has been used for nearly a century without epidemiological evidence of harm. If you prefer steel for personal reasons, the Bialetti Venus line is the standard option.
How long does a moka pot last?
Decades. The body of an aluminum moka pot has no moving parts and no electronics to fail. The rubber gasket and metal mesh filter wear out every 1 to 2 years of regular use and are cheap to replace. I know households where a single moka pot has been in daily use for 30 years.
Can I make moka pot coffee with milk instead of water?
No. The bottom chamber is sized to generate steam pressure from water. Milk does not behave like water under pressure and you will likely scorch it onto the metal, ruin the seal, and damage the pot. Brew with water, then add steamed or warmed milk after the brew.
Why this article changed
The original version of this article ran from 2007 to 2026 and collected 171 comments along the way, many of them from readers who knew the moka pot far better than the original writer did. The version you just read is a rewrite that incorporates what those readers taught us: the no-soap rule (Keith and several Italian-trained readers), the 10-step modern technique (carter, 2011), the infrequent-user residue insight (S.P., 2009), and the color-not-sputter cue (Keith again, 2012). The original instructions to “fill to the pressure gauge line” and “wait for the throaty sputtering” were, in retrospect, the two biggest mistakes the article taught. If you ever printed those out and could not figure out why your moka pot coffee was bitter, this is why. The thread on this page is still open. If you have refinements, please add them.
Discussion 171
@Deleilan on Oct 13:
Great to hear your coffee’s getting better :)
I asked a friend who’s a keen Moka addict, and who learnt his addiction from an old Italian student room-mate from university.
He, like you, uses a Bialetti stainless steel (4-cup) pot on an electric cooker. It is not the ancient coil type like yours, but it is old. That is, it’s not ceramic but uses grey/black hotplates.
He puts the pot on the cold hotplate and then turns it on. After about 3 minutes, he hears a distinct and continuous sound coming from the Moka pot. At this point, he turns off the heat. A little more than a minute later, the coffee comes very gently and slowly out of the funnel.
Obviously, it’s taking a lot less time to brew than yours. Strange… Your older type of electric cooker, perhaps?? Sorry I can’t help more :(
Also Shantel’s suggestion is quite an interesting idea.
Best of luck!!
@Deleilan: To test the heat setting, you may find it useful to see how long it takes just to boil the water. You could pour a reservoir-full into a small saucepan, or put water in the reservoir and set it on the burner without the coffee or the top part, to see how long it takes to boil. (But keep an eye on it, and let it cool afterwards, carefully!)
My Italian housemate used to set his stove on the highest setting of his ceramic cooktop. It may not produce the flavor of a slower brew, and you will want to watch it so the coffee doesn’t boil (or boil off, and the seal melt into a sticky mess, as once happened to me -sniff-), but if I’m not mistaken, it’s just one variable in an overall equation. . . Good luck!
Great discussion.
I gave it another try, this time “aerating” the ground coffee and cranking the heat up almost to maximum. It took 15 minutes from the time I turned on the element, which is a long time when you’re gasping for your caffeine fix, but the result was pretty darn good coffee! Definite progress!
I’d be very interested in anyone’s tips for Julie (comment #93), since we both have to deal with those darn coils…
Julie:
As I understand it, the stainless steel Moka pots are specifically designed for electric cookers, eg. Bialetti Musa stovepot as Deleilan has.
See http://www.bialettishop.com/EspressoMakerMainPageStainlessSteel.htm
I hope they are. Keep us posted with your results… If my suggestions don’t work, perhaps someone else might have an idea. What’s the proverb about “many minds”?
Thank you Keith, I’m sure that your comments, tips and suggestions will be helpful! I’ll try combinations of all of them – I’m determined to make it work!
Hi Deleilan.
I HOPE my “aerating” suggestion works. It’s one approach. The other is to neither “aerate” nor tamp but to let the effect of screwing the upper part naturally compress your coffee grind. This latter method is the most common Italian method, the former another approach I learnt form two Sicilian chaps (among other things, it seems to intensify the flavour). To date, I have never found a genuine Italian who has recommended me to tamp. So far, I have only had non-Italians recommend I do this.
I shouldn’t worry about the position of the pressure valve. Each pot is different. My pressure valve is also between the logo and the handle, and this really isn’t important (and I get excellent coffee, by the way). As for the gap, this is perhaps due to the fact that you have a stainless steel pot (Musa) rather than the aluminium variety? Again, I wouldn’t worry too much.
Although I am guessing because I have no personal experience with stainless steel pots, maybe they are a bit slower than the aluminium ones so yes perhaps you could try raising the heat of your electric burner?
One other thing I forgot to say. The water level should come just up to the bottom of the safety valve. No higher and, in my opinion, no lower if you want the optimum taste.
Best of luck, and I just hope my comments are not completely useless… ;) Hopefully…
Anyone have tips for those of us with an electric stovetop (not ceramic, I’ve got those annoying coils)?!
Thanks for your tips!
I’ll try again, “aerating” the coffee grind this time.
I have an electric stove and put the burner on Medium. Maybe I should increase the heat?
There’s no leak, thankfully, and the pot is a brand new one, so the seal is in perfect condition. I did noticed that when the tank and upper part are screwed together, even very tightly, the gap seems wider than it should and the pressure valve ends up approximately between the Bialetti logo and the handle, at the “front” of the moka pot. The valve isn’t visible from that angle on the box or any of the photos I’ve seen on the web. I’m starting to wonder if I picked up a defective pot…
Additional comment: if there is a leak from the screw thread, and there still is after thoroughly cleaning, replacing and screwing tight, then you will need to replace your rubbber seal.
Hi Deleilan.
I have a 3-cup pot and it takes between 2¼ and 3¼ minutes to start coming out of the funnel so 20 minutes for a 4-cup pot is definitely odd.
Here are my suggestions for what they are worth:
1. Check the gas flame comes to the edge of the base of the pot.
2. DON’T tamp the coffee. Definitely a no no according to my Sicilian friends. To my mind, this could very possibly bung up the flow from the funnel. Rather, aereate the grind in the coffee pot tank by pricking/punching with a small tool like a pointed handle end of a teaspoon. If your coffee grind is piled up a bit high, it will reduce the total coffee grind mass, at the same time as (paradoxically) aerating it. This is a trick I learnt from a couple of Sicilian friends.
3. The seal: I would have thought that, if you don’t have coffee leaking from the screw thread (where the tank and the coffe pot screw together), there should be no problem. If however there IS a leak, remove and thoroughly clean the rubber seal, replace and SCREW TIGHT before putting the pot on the gas.
If none of this works, then I’m afraid I am stumped. :(
Hi–My guess would be that 1) you’re boiling more water, so it will take longer unless you turn up the heat; 2) the seal is imperfect for some reason. Hope that helps.
This site is incredible; I’m learning so much about coffee! Love it!
I recently bought a 4-cup Bialetti Musa to replace my 3-cup Bialetti Moka Express (I took very bad care of it and the bottom compartment got all rusty – mea maxima culpa). I’ve only used it a couple of times thus far, but it takes forever to brew. It’s not supposed to take 20 minutes, right? After the first try, I thought perhaps the coffee was ground too fine and got a coarser grind, especially for moka pots, but it took just as long. I’m not sure what else to try. Could it be because I tamped the coffee, or because I’m using the wrong temperature (medium)? Any help/suggestions will be appreciated!
Followup…
According to wikipedia, aluminum oxide is incredibly useful, and chemically inert (probably why aluminum is still a bit costly to refine). it’s an interesting read, actually – though mainly you’ll want to know that aluminum oxide is used in toothpaste, sunscreen, and many industrial applications for it’s hardness. Feel free to do more research, of course, but it looks fairly safe to pass through the stomach – safer than iron oxide, I suspect. don’t get it in your eyes though, it’s an excellent abrasive! :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_oxide
and the msds for it:
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/a2844.htm
Just to add to David’s comment, and be scientific…
Aluminum oxide (the coating that forms on untreated aluminum) is classed as a ceramic, and forms a layer which protects the rest of the aluminum (by keeping oxygen away from it). I’m letting you know so that you won’t have to worry about aluminum turning completely to dust on you. if if forms a layer, don’t scrub it too hard. – that’s the other reason for just wiping inside with water instead of scouring, I’m supposing. – I still need to find out if hot water helps or degrades the oxidizing process/ceramic layer of aluminum oxide.
Speaking of which… I think it’s time for coffee!
for good breakfast music check out http://www.ancientfm.com, music of the Renaissance!
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.
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.
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 :)
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 :( )
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.
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.
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!
can moka espresso maker damage ceramic hob?
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.
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?
…just didn’t have a chance to learn this trick from them.
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
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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?
OneDoubleShot:
Nice website that! I think I may learn a few tricks from your amazing recipes ;)
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.
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
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.
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.
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 )
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?
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?
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.
No.
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?
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… :)
Maybe you need a new gasket? It sounds as if the seal between the top and bottom chambers is broken.
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…
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?
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.
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.