Much to my glee, TikTok has rediscovered the joys of the Moka pot. Over the holidays, I noticed an influx of “how to make espresso with Moka pot” and “what is the Moka pot?” videos on my FYP. Usually, these declared a newfound, and unwavering devotion to the stovetop coffee-maker. “Not to be dramatic, but the Moka pot changed my life,” one TikToker user writes, while another popular phrase includes, “when your frontal lobe develops and you realize what good coffee is.”
Many of the pro-Moka videos also preach an anti-Nepresso agenda, usually citing the loftier price tags of the coffee machine brand. Instead, these creators say, you can reach for $30 Moka pots and Café Bustelo for the perfect cafe con leche, or else dive into the world of collectible tandem brew stovetop pots, or collectibles from brands such as Alessi and Dolce & Gabbana. Bialetti, however, has also acquired what The Times calls “soaring debt” (largely due to competition with capsule coffee machine popularity), and announced its imminent sale to a part Chinese-owned company, Nuo Capital, last week. Here’s hoping the influx of social media enthusiasm will help bolster the heritage brand’s livelihood.
all you really need is a moka pot tbh (especially from @Cafevello) ☕️🎄#coffee #moka #mokapot #espresso #diy #latte #christmas #fyp #viral
I’ve been a Moka pot devotee for about a decade. Occasionally, I crave the light, smooth brew and more generous volume of French press-brewed coffee. But there’s something about Moka pot coffee — the ritual, the pot design, that caramel-y finish as it drizzles out of the top chamber — that hits differently. As a 30-something person who has sustained herself on mostly Flaming Hot Cheetos and margaritas, I appreciate the lower acidic nature of Moka pot coffee compared to espresso (my go-to beverage is usually a faux Americano), and there’s something about glimpsing that little, glimmering pot on my apartment’s stovetop that transports me away from Bushwick, and into the gauzy Italian villa of Call Me By Your Name.
If all of this sounds cool but potentially overwhelming, I’ve broken down all the how-tos of Moka pots below, including the best Moka pot accessories, brewing tips, and decorative pots to put on a pedestal.
The term “Moka Express” was first coined by Italians Luigi De Ponti and Alfonso Bialetti in 1933. Today, the words “Moka pot” are ubiquitous for any similar stovetop coffee-maker, but, for my money, Bialetti remains the maestro of affordable and high-quality stovetop pots. As the Bialetti site explains, la macchinetta (or, little machine) blew up in popularity because it offered a comparable way to make the concentrated coffee and espresso from big, fancy espresso machines at cafes — which brings us to an important Moka pot clarification:
These darling devices don’t actually make espresso, which typically requires between 7 to 11 bars of pressure, which an espresso machine measures and adjusts with a brew pressure gauge. A Moka pot, by contrast, automatically uses about 1.5 bars of pressure to make coffee that has not-quite-espresso levels of intensity, but is still thicker and stronger than, say, a cup from your Bunn coffee machine.
I am a visual learner above all else, so let me save you some time with this 55-second Bialetti how-to Moka pot video. As you can see, the process is broken up into a few simple steps:
The above brewing steps are the essentials, but here are some other helpful tips for making the perfect Moka pot coffee:
The Bialetti Moka Express is timeless. Whether you’re looking for a new way to make coffee or taking your first steps into the world of Moka pots, this three-cup machine is both an absolute workhorse and a very affordable model.
If the Bialetti is my wife, the Alessi Pulcina is my mistress. Just look at its Bauhaus-worthy silhouette! It comes in a variety of sizes and with different handle color options (the classic black is also the most affordable at about $70), but there’s something about that deep, cherry red that pops so nicely.
Chrome dishware is having a moment, courtesy of the minimal-medieval revival trend, and this stainless steel double coffee-maker sure would look delightful on my kitchen shelf next to a stack of cookbooks. As the name implies, this device makes two cups of Moka pot coffee in-tandem — brewing them straight into your cups.
Dolce & Gabbana continues its quest to outfit our kitchen with its Baroque-inspired motifs, this time taking a breather from embellishing Smeg toasters and electric kettles to give us a selection of blue and red Bialetti Moka pots.
This induction plate is a new addition to my Moka pot routine, and it has made my life so much easier. The stainless steel plate is designed to more evenly distribute heat to your pot, and it’s a hell of a lot easier than schlepping out a cast-iron skillet. If your pot doesn’t fit your burner size, it’s a must.
A lot of folks swear by single-use paper filters for a better brew, as it reduces the seeping of oil and granules into the top chamber during the brewing process. Just place the filter under the filter plate, dampen with water, and voilà.
