Using the simple and stylish Italian Moka Pot, you can prepare perfectly brewed coffee in mere minutes. Moka Pot coffee is lauded for its espresso-like qualities, providing a hit of java with a smooth body and strong flavour. Follow our handy step-by-step guide and learn how to use a Moka Pot here.
Grinder
Moka Pot
Scales
Kettle
Coffee beans
The Moka Pot is an iconic piece of coffee-making kit hailing from Italy. First invented in the 1930s, it takes its name from the city of Mocha, Yemen, which for many decades was considered a mecca for quality coffee.
The tool consists of a bottom chamber for hot water, a coffee filter basket, and a top chamber where the brewed coffee collects. It works by forcing the heated water through the coffee basket, pressurised by steam. Moka Pot coffee is often compared to espresso, for its density and smoothness — but it doesn’t require an espresso machine.
Moka Pots come in a range of styles, but are traditionally made with aluminium to resemble a small, eight-sided kettle with an hourglass shape. Nowadays, there are various different configurations available to suit different types of stovetop, from gas to induction.
Any freshly ground coffee can be used in your Moka Pot. We recommend grinding your coffee to a medium to medium-fine consistency, and not tamping your grounds. This is to allow the pressurised hot water to pass through easily and extract a consistent brew. If you’re not sure what beans to use, give our handy coffee quiz a try to be matched to one of our many exciting roasters.
We recommend using around 30g of freshly ground coffee in standard 3-cup Moka Pot, or multiplying this amount up if you’re using a larger piece of kit. Moka Pots can typically be purchased as 1, 3, 6, 9, or even 12-cup sizes. Each setup is different, however, so you may need to experiment with the exact ratio to figure out just how strong you like your Moka Pot coffee.
You should use hot water just off the boil in your Moka Pot, with an approximate temperature of 90°C. This is so you can brew your coffee quickly, but without overheating or spilling out any hot water. Some choose to heat their water up from cold in the Moka Pot, but this isn’t recommended as it risks ‘cooking’ the grounds and producing a bitter-tasting, metallic brew.
Ideally, you should allow Moka Pot coffee to brew for 3-5 minutes, though the exact length of time will depend on your setup and the heat of the water when you add it to your pot. If your water is just off the boil, this should provide enough time to brew a well-extracted, consistent cup, ready to serve.
To make use of your spent coffee grounds, you can add them to your compost bin, food waste or general waste. Spent grounds are a great ingredient to add to compost as they help to break down organic waste and improve your soil quality — a win-win!
