Brewed coffee
Moka pot
Strong and a little bitter, somewhere between drip coffee and espresso.
- Coffee ≈ 50 ml
- About 50 ml
A stovetop pot. Steam pressure builds in the base and pushes hot water up through the coffee into the top chamber, so what comes out is closer to espresso than to drip.
| Ratio | 1:7–1:10, coffee to water, fixed by the pot |
|---|---|
| Recipe | Basket full, water just below the valve |
| Milk | None |
| Serve in | Small cups. A “3-cup” pot makes about 130 ml. |
| Time | About 3–5 min on the stove |
| How strong it tastes | High |
How to make it
- Fill the base with hot water to just below the safety valve.
- Fill the basket with medium-fine coffee and level it off without pressing down.
- Screw the top on, holding the hot base with a towel.
- Heat on medium-low with the lid open until coffee starts to flow.
- Once it turns pale and starts to sputter, take it off the heat and run the base under cold water.
Tip: Starting with water from the kettle means less time on the burner and a less burnt taste.
Common mistake: Waiting for the big gurgle at the end. By then it’s burnt, so take it off as soon as it starts to sputter.
Variations
- With hot milk: a homemade caffè latte
- Bialetti Brikka: a valve that adds a foam layer
At a café
You won’t see one in cafés. It’s a home brewer, and most Italian kitchens have one.
Moka pot vs. espresso: Espresso brews at about 9 bar. A moka pot manages a fraction of that, so it’s less concentrated and doesn’t make real crema. See the espresso
You’ll need: Moka pot, kettle and grinder.