Bialetti Moka Pot.

The Bialetti Moka Pot is one of our favourite ways to make coffee and it’s great for home users. The coffee you make won’t be quite as strong as the espresso from a top grade espresso machine but it is much stronger than coffee from a percolator or coffee from a French press and it has great flavour and a lovely texture if you make it right. 

Coffee for two

I particularly like the six cup Moka Pot because it makes the perfect amount of coffee for two good cups, one for you and one for someone else. It’s called a six cup but by that they mean six small expressos. To be honest, three espressos from a Moka Pot is like a good double espresso from an espresso machine, so if you want a good strong cup of coffee, the six cup Bialetti will make two.

Get the grind right

There are a few things you can do to make the Moka Pot even better. The first thing is to get the grind right. As always, freshly ground coffee is always going to taste better. The fresher the grind the more aromatic the coffee, always. Don’t grind your coffee too fine. It should be somewhere between the coarse grind that’s best for French press and the very fine grind that suits an espresso machine. Dreambeans medium grind is perfect for a Moka Pot.

Always fill the basket to the top. Fill it full but don’t tamp it down. You want the basket to be full but not compressed. Fill the base of the pot with water and screw the two sections together.

Stovetop coffee maker

Set the pot on the stove top at a high heat. You want the water to heat quickly. When the pressure of the steam in the bottom water forces the water up through the coffee and into the “jug” part.  When the Moka Pot starts to Gurgle at the end of the process, remove it from the heat. Some people run the bottom of the pot under a cold tap to avoid bitterness but if you are using Dreambeans Coffee, this isn’t necessary as there is no bitterness in the coffee. 

Make sure your Moka Pot is clean too. I have heard people say that you shouldn’t clean your Moka Pot but that you should let the coffee staining build up as much as possible to “season” the interior. Whereas it is true that a seasoned teapot makes great tea, the staining on a coffee pot does not. On the contrary, build up of old, burnt-on coffee can cause bitterness in the taste so be sure to clean your Moka Pot regularly but handwash only, never put it in the dishwasher. 

I think that one of the reasons that the Bialetti Moka pot isn’t as popular as it should be, is because it has a tendency to amplify any bitterness in some coffee. If you are using Dreambeans coffee in a Moka Pot, you have nothing to worry about. There is no bitterness in any of our blends so there is nothing to amplify. You can make a great cup of coffee on your stovetop using one of these simple little devices. 

Parts and spares are available

The gaskets are replaceable and it’s a good idea to have a few spares on hand. It’s pretty easy to leave the Moka Pot unattended on the stove and if you leave it for too long, it can cause the gasket to crack and perish. 

A Bialetti Moka Pot is an easy and expensive way to make delicious coffee at home. It’s quick to make and it’s easy to clear up afterwards. We love the coffee it makes. All the Dreambeans Blends work well in a Moka Pot but Rising Tide is our current favourite.

Pat McArdle