The Moka Pot. Do you have one? Of course you do. It’s jammed in the back of your cabinet. Ashamed? That’s ok. Not everyone uses theirs and when they do it’s often a disappointment. Why is this?

The moka pot has its own place and time. These days that is. In some parts of the world, it’s still used daily. And that is excellent. Whatta device. Perfection designed into it from the beginning, it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. And there’s one to suit every occasion. Perfect from its inception in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti, its classic design is relatively unchanged, cosmetically as well as internally. Ah, Bialetti, synonymous with the moka pot. Legendary. Still remains one of the easiest ways to be an enabler and get someone into coffee.

You just have to practice with it a bit and get your technique down. Like with anything coffee worth doing. Cough…Nespresso…cough.

When should you break out your moka pot? When entertaining? Yes. You want a BIG pot of coffee instead of a couple shots of espresso? Sure! We all get there sometime. Why not use the one you have? The coffee you’ve made tastes burnt? Too strong? Weak & watery? All possibilities and all easy to fix. So where do you start?

The main thing to realize with the moka pot is it has its own grind setting. Between Coarse (French Press), and Fine (espresso). You have to dial it in, just like any other grinder setting. Trial & error, some mistakes, then write it down and you’ll never have to faff with that ever again.

But wait…there’s more. There’s also how much coffee to add to the basket. And to tamp or not to tamp, that is the question. But once you get those criteria down? Yeah, it all is just tasty from there. And you will have a device that is excellent to share with people. To travel with. To go camping with! That’s one of my favorite usements. Fantastic on a portable stove in the middle of nowhere.

The moka pot is its own thing. You can’t treat it like an espresso maker, you have to consider it a different animal than an Aeropress, or a French Press. Or even a Picopress. Just consider it a moka pot.

Once you get through tweaking the correct grind size, fill coffee up to the top of the filter basket, and give it only a lite finger tamp to level it all out. This is unlike any other basket there is and is a little fiddly to fill as you can’t lay it flat. Depending on your type of grinder, you might be able to place it in the forks that hold your portafilter in place, or most likely you’ll just leave the basket in the moka pot base and spoon in your ground coffee.

Whatever is easiest, and remember: making a mess is fine. It’s coffee! Next, grab the base of the moka pot and fill regular ‘ole tap water up to the little nozzle on the side. This nozzle is an important safety feature. It is the pressure release valve. Put in too much coffee? Too much water? PssssshhhhhhhHHHHHHHH the pressure release valve will do its thing and make sure your moka don’t explode and redecorate the ceiling. It is completely acceptable for the relief valve to activate. Fill water up only to the bottom of this valve.

Reassemble everything, twist it all into place hand tight, and it’s ready to place on the stovetop at medium heat. Do NOT crank the stove like you’re trying to boil water. It’s possible to scorch your coffee OR perhaps even melt your plastic handle a bit (um…speaking from experience). Definitely eyeball it as it is magical to watch. Better than watching paint dry, or grass grow, watching your moka pot sloooowly fill up with coffee really is excellent. And a necessity.

While there is an audio cue to let you know when it’s done (boiling noise), it is important to leave the lid up. Yes, for the viewing pleasure, but also so you know when coffee is done filling the main chamber, and ready to remove from heat.

Just plain cool to watch, resulting in either a pot o’coffee to share with your pals OR drink it all and get jacked yourself. There are even tiny, single-serve models (see top image) that are adorable, palm-sized, and get you your caffeine fix without being a 12 cupper.

The moka pot. Classic, simple, indestructible, and a delight to use. Use the one you have, or get one now and enjoy it forever…