How to make coffee with a moka pot (Italian cafetière)

The moka pot, also called an Italian cafetière, is the Italian kitchen’s coffee maker: water in the base, ground coffee in the basket, and steam pressure pushing the brew up into the top chamber. It asks for very little, but the little it asks for matters. Here is a routine to start from; where your pot’s instructions differ, follow them.

The pot

Moka cups are small. As a guide, allow about 150 ml from a three-cup pot and 300 ml from a six-cup pot. Buy the size you will fill every time, because the basket is designed to be filled level. The classic aluminium Bialetti Moka Express does not work on an induction hob; the Moka Induction, with its steel base, does, as do the stainless-steel Kitty and Venus. The Brikka Elite has a weighted valve; its product page describes a denser, more espresso-like cup in about half the time. All of them are on the Bialetti brand page.

The grind

Start with coffee ground for a moka pot: coarser than espresso, finer than cafetière. Very fine grounds can restrict the flow. The simplest route is the Caffè Vergnano 100% Arabica MOKA tin, which is ground for the moka pot; the Original tin, the Gran Aroma ground pack and the Women In Coffee tin also list the moka pot among their uses on their product pages. If you buy beans you will have to grind them yourself (we do not grind to order), a little coarser than you would for espresso. The FAQ has the grinding answer.

The dose

As a guide, about 15 g for a three-cup pot and about 30 g for a six-cup pot: the basket filled level and not pressed down. Do not tamp the coffee; compacting it can restrict the flow. Follow your pot’s basket-fill instructions. If the coffee is too strong, add hot water; choose a smaller pot when you want less coffee. An estimate at a typical dose. Your machine, grind and recipe will move it. More in How much coffee to use.

Water and heat

Fill the base with water to just below the safety valve, never above it, or as your pot’s instructions say. Fit the basket, level the coffee and screw the top on firmly. Start on a low to medium heat; on gas, keep the flame under the base. When the coffee starts to flow, listen: as the flow turns to a gurgle, take a conventional moka pot off the heat. Follow the maker’s instructions for your model; the Brikka’s differ.

Cleaning

Let the pot cool before opening it. Rinse it with water and dry it, and follow the maker’s instructions on detergents and the dishwasher, especially for aluminium. Check the gasket and the filter plate for wear and replace them as the maker advises. If nothing comes through, or the pot leaks steam at the join, take it off the heat, let it cool, then check the parts against the manual.

Which coffee

Start with a coffee whose product page lists the moka pot among its uses. In the Vergnano range the 100% Arabica MOKA tin, the Original tin, the Gran Aroma ground pack and the Women In Coffee tin all do; each product page carries the roastery’s own profile and a strength scale. The Coffee Finder asks how you brew and narrows the range to a few coffees.

Reviewed 27 September 2026.