Love a great cup of strong coffee? Here’s how to make a smooth, bold brew: the Moka Pot! This stovetop espresso maker makes a dark, intense cup that’s somewhere between espresso and very strong coffee. It’s very easy to use, either for your everyday coffee or to make “espresso” for homemade coffee drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and more. Here’s how to use a Moka Pot!
What’s a Moka Pot?
The Moka Pot is a stovetop coffee maker used to make espresso-like coffee. It uses boiling water to force steam through the coffee grounds, so the coffee bubbles up into the pot versus percolating down like in brewed coffee. The Moka Pot was invented in 1933 by an Italian engineer, Alfonso Bialetti. It’s manufactured by the Bialetti company, so some people simply call it a “Bialetti.”
Does the Moka Pot make espresso or coffee?
The Moka Pot is the best known stovetop espresso maker, but it doesn’t actually make espresso. It’s a very strong coffee that’s similar to espresso, but it’s not quite the real thing. It doesn’t get the foamy crema on top like a true espresso, and lacks the richness in flavor. It also brews in larger quantities than a typical espresso shot. In fact, Moka Pot coffee is closer to an Americano than espresso. Why isn’t it espresso? The Moka Pot only gets to 1 to 3 bars of pressure when it forces the water through the coffee grounds, versus 9 bars of pressure like an espresso machine. But the flavor is so close, you can use Moka Pot coffee as a stand-in for espresso in espresso drinks like lattes, iced lattes, and more. Are you an espresso connoisseur? Your best bet is a countertop machine. Go to How to Make Espresso at Home.
Ingredients and tools to get started
Ready to learn how to use a Moka Pot? Here are the ingredients and tools you’ll need:
Dark roast coffee: It’s best to use dark or espresso roast coffee with this method. (The Chemex is a better method for light and medium roast.)Filtered water: Filtered water has the best flavor (we use this filtered pitcher for our coffee). Coffee grinder: You’ll want a fine grind here: espresso grind or just slightly larger. An electric burr grinder is a great tool for the job.Food scale: It’s nice to have a digital food scale to weigh out the coffee and water. Moka Pot: This 6-cup Bialetti Express Moka Pot is the standard size and makes 2 5-ounce cups of coffee.
How to use a Moka Pot
Ready to make Moka Pot coffee? The process is quick and easy: it takes under 10 minutes. Here’s what to do: When you’re done making the coffee, wash out the Moka Pot with warm water and dry it thoroughly before reassembling.
Ways to use Moka Pot coffee
What’s the best way to use Moka Pot coffee? You can drink it straight up, or use it for coffee drinks! What’s the ratio to swap for espresso? Use 5 ounces (10 tablespoons) Moka Pot coffee to stand in for a double shot of espresso (2 ounces). Here are a few ways to use it:
Iced coffee: Use it instead of cold brew in Iced CoffeeCafe au lait: Make it for French cafe au lait or Spanish cafe con lecheIced latte: Swap out the espresso in an Iced LatteLatte or cappuccino: Use it to make a Cafe Latte, Cappuccino or Flat WhiteMacchiato: Top it with light foam for a MacchiatoMocha: Use it as the basis for a chocolaty MochaDirty Chai latte: Swap out the espresso in a Dirty Chai LatteCocktails: Use it for a Espresso MartiniAffogato: It’s great to make the classic simple dessert, an Affogato
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