The moka pot is an excellent choice if you’re looking for ways to up your home coffee brewing game. This Italian coffee maker, also known as a stovetop espresso maker, brews coffee with a strong, dark taste similar to an espresso. It’s also quite easy to use once you get the hang of it.
Why Choose a Moka Pot?
Why is moka pot such a popular choice of device for coffee makers? The man behind it was Alfonso Bialetti, who patented it in 1933. It uses steam pressure to force water through the ground coffee, resulting in a brew that's rich, robust, and full of flavour. Plus, the Moka pot is small, portable, cheap and easy to use, and for this reason alone it conquered the world.
Choosing the Right Local Coffee Beans
Everything starts with the beans. Our advice is to invest in fresh, local-roasted coffee beans to extract the best coffee out of your moka pot. Bean Smitten’s local beans will support your community and, in the process, ensure that your coffee is fresh. At Bean Smitten, we roast our beans weekly, which is why our beans are so fresh and have that rich aroma.
Always look for the roast level of your beans when selecting them. Medium to dark roasts – bordering on Italian style – work best in the moka pot because their body is richer, and their flavour is fuller. But know that you can experiment with different roast levels and see what you like best. Make the perfect cup of Coffee with our Brewing Guide
What You'll Need
Freshly roasted Bean Smitten local coffee beans
A coffee grinder (if your beans are whole)
Filtered water
A heat source (stove or electric burner)
Step-by-Step Brewing Guide
Grind Your Local Coffee Beans Start by grinding your coffee beans to a medium-fine consistency. The grind size is important as the taste might be too bitter or weak, aim for a grind that's slightly finer than drip coffee but coarser than espresso. If you're unsure how to grind beans, Bean Smitten also offers pre-ground coffee. Just let us know how you will be brewing your coffee, and we can grind it to your specifications.
Fill the Water Chamber Unscrew the moka pot and fill the base with filtered water, filling it just below the safety valve (don’t fill it higher than the valve, otherwise you’ll create a mini volcano). Using filtered water helps improve the flavour of the coffee because it’s free of impurities.
Add the Coffee Grounds Put the funnel-shaped filter basket in the lower chamber. Place the coffee grinds in the filter and gently tamp them down, or simply spread the grounds out flat without packing them down. A slap on the side of the basket helps.
Assemble the Moka Pot Screw together the top and bottom chamber and make sure it is on properly, so the water or steam does not leak.
Heat the Moka Pot Place the moka pot on a heat source. Keep the heat at medium, which will prevent the water from being boiled away too quickly. The higher the heat, the faster the boiling, which will also make the coffee taste bitter. As the water starts to simmer, the steam pressure will push the water through the coffee and into the top chamber.
Monitor the Brewing Process Watch the top chamber of the Moka pot during the brewing process. The last ingredient to be added is water, so you know the coffee has begun to fill the top chamber when you hear a hissing or gurgling sound. When you hear a steady stream of coffee flowing through the Moka pot, drop the heat to low. When the top chamber is almost full and you hear the last drops splutter out, it is ready to be removed from the heat.
Serve and Enjoy Give it a minute to cool slightly before pouring it into a cup, and then your coffee is ready to drink.
Tips for the Perfect Brew
Preheat the Water: A final tip to stop your coffee from going bitter is to make sure you preheat your water.
Experiment with Ratios and the Grind: A moka pot is capable of brewing anything from short espresso style drinks, to a full mug of coffee. Try varying the grind, amount of coffee and water to your taste.
Clean Your Moka Pot: Residues of coffee oils start building up. Make sure to clean the moka pot after each use but, don’t use soap
Why You Should Use Local Coffee Beans
In addition to mastering making coffee in a moka pot, our suggestion for achieving that perfect cup of coffee? Good quality beans. When you buy your beans from Bean Smitten, you’re buying local coffee beans which supports a business that values ethically sourced and expertly roasted beans. The merchants we use pay fair prices to the farmers and are transparent about where the beans are grown. The beans are also roasted locally, and several times each week. This freshness means a richer flavour profile for your cup every morning.
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