Expert Tips on How to Make Coffee With a Moka Pot and Have It Taste Perfect

The small gestures that repeat almost automatically every morning, the anticipation of the unmistakable "gurgle," the irresistible aroma that fills the house, and finally, the most anticipated moment of all: enjoying it, slowly or quickly depending on how much time we have. Coffee made with a moka pot is much more than a simple daily energy boost: it's a true art, to be prepared with the right care and then savored as if it were a precious domestic ritual.

To make a perfect moka pot coffee, we enlisted the help of Vincenzo Sansone, owner of Caffè Sansone in Naples, one of Italy's finest coffee shops, who guided us step-by-step through the process. The result is an aromatic drink with an intense, flawless flavor, just like the one you get at the bar (or even better).

How to Make Good Coffee at Home With a Moka Pot

To make good coffee with a moka pot, it's essential to start with excellent, top-quality coffee. There are two main varieties: Arabica, with a delicate, slightly acidic, and highly aromatic flavor, and Robusta, which is more astringent, strong, and bold. Personal preference plays a key role in making the final choice, but the ideal is to start with the beans and use a coffee grinder to grind the coffee powder shortly thereafter.

To obtain a balanced coffee, the grain size is essential: coffee for the moka pot should be ground to a medium grain, finer than for filter coffee (American coffee), coarser than for espresso; for the latter, the higher pressure—about 9 bar—requires a layer of more finely ground coffee. "The grain for the moka pot should be similar to fine salt, but not impalpable," Vincenzo Sansone tells us.

If the grind is too fine, the coffee will become compact, the water will struggle to pass through, and we'll risk having a burnt, bitter-tasting coffee; if it's too coarse, the water will pass through too quickly, and the coffee will be watery and poorly extracted. The right grind, however, ensures a complete and flawless extraction. It's necessary to use filtered or bottled water with a low fixed residue: limescale and chlorine weaken the aromas and could alter the final flavor of our drink.

Some say that the water should be hot to reduce extraction times and thus avoid a bitter or metallic-tasting coffee. Is this actually true? "Both hot and cold water are ideal for proper extraction," Sansone explains, "the important thing is that the parameters have a low fixed residue." By heating it, we will ensure that even the minimal amount of limescale present evaporates, and therefore it might be preferable, but this is a nuance that only the most expert can grasp.

Once cleaned and thoroughly dried, we can fill the boiler of our moka pot: the water must be poured up to the level of the safety valve, or slightly below, but must never exceed it; the coffee in the filter must never touch the water below, an important aspect for the correct functioning of the appliance and to ensure that there is no excessive pressure.

At this point, fill the funnel filter with ground coffee: never press it down with a teaspoon, but level it by tapping it lightly on the work surface. Avoid making a "mound" of coffee grounds; this prevents over-extraction, which would make the coffee very bitter and heavy. If added in the right quantities, you'll obtain a drink with a sweeter, more balanced flavor profile.

But what's the optimal amount? "About 11 grams of ground coffee per 100 grams of water," our expert continues. "Even moka pot coffee has its own brew ratio (the ratio between the weight of the ground coffee and the amount of water used for extraction, ed.), so you can experiment according to your personal taste, adding more or less coffee if you like it stronger or weaker."

Once the coffee has been poured into the filter, close the moka pot and place it over a very low flame, making sure the burner does not exceed the diameter of the pot. The lid should always be kept open during extraction to prevent the coffee from burning. Once the coffee has filled half the server, or upper chamber, it should be removed from the burner. Removing the pot before the bubbling sound occurs eliminates the volcanic phase, which extracts the most bitter and astringent components of the coffee.

Before pouring the coffee into the cup, remember to stir it thoroughly. "This will help all the aromas blend together, and finally, you can fully enjoy this magical moment." But can we add a teaspoon of sugar before sipping our beloved "black gold"? A quality coffee, well-roasted and extracted, has its own balance and natural sweetness, which doesn't need to be sweetened. If, when tasting it, I only perceive a strong bitterness, it means that "there was a problem in the production or in the making of the coffee itself," concludes Sansone.

Mistakes to Avoid and Tips for Making Great Coffee

To make a truly respectable moka pot coffee, you need to pay particular attention to a few aspects: first and foremost, the quality of the ingredients, meticulous maintenance of the moka pot, and the choice of water. Here are some tips and tricks to follow religiously:

• As our expert Vincenzo Sansone reminds us, any advice is of little use if you don't start with excellent quality coffee. Ideally, use beans and a grinder to grind them into a powder just before brewing. If, however, we're short on time and prefer a ready-made powder, make sure it's ground quickly, which is essential for preserving the coffee's aroma and flavor.
• The right water can make all the difference: cold, but not refrigerated, or preheated; the important thing is that it's filtered or bottled with a low fixed residue. It's best to avoid excessively hard water, whether tap or bottled, which is too high in mineral salts. Limescale and chlorine can over time cause the moka pot to malfunction and alter the final taste of our beloved cup.
• Don't underestimate the maintenance of your appliance: if it's not cleaned properly, residue and rancid grease will build up on the walls of the moka pot, spoiling the coffee with each subsequent extraction. It should be washed with a neutral soap, a natural degreaser, or with water and vinegar. "Rinsing it with running water isn't enough," suggests Sansone;
• How can you prevent your coffee from tasting burnt? Always remember to set the burner to low heat, so that the extraction process occurs gradually and smoothly, and remove it from the heat source before the unmistakable "gurgling" sound. For gas-fired coffee makers, make sure the flame doesn't exceed the diameter of the moka pot;
• Once all the coffee has come out, we stir it well with a teaspoon before pouring it into the cups: this will blend all the flavors (we can do this in the server itself or in a separate jug). And now all that's left to do is fully enjoy our little ritual.

Can You Get a Cream on Top?

A moka pot coffee as creamy as the espresso you get at a bar? "These are two completely different extractions, so you'll never get that creamy consistency you get at a bar," Sansone tells us.

The crucial difference is the pressure: the pressure of the coffee machine at the bar works at an atmospheric pressure ranging from 9 to 12 bar, therefore very high, while that of the moka is generally lower (1.5-2 bar), sufficient to push the water through the filter, but not powerful enough to obtain that stable and long-lasting hazelnut-colored cream typical of espresso at the bar.

However, to obtain a more persistent foam, it may be advisable to choose blends that contain a good percentage of Robusta, a variety richer in oils and fats than Arabica, able to emulsify more easily at low pressure.