How to Brew with a Moka Pot

The moka pot sits on a lot of Indian stovetops, and for good reason: it makes a strong, rich coffee that stands up beautifully to milk. It is also the method most often brewed bitter. A few small changes fix that.

The recipe

Step by step

1. Start with hot water. Fill the bottom chamber with water from a just-boiled kettle, up to just below the safety valve. Starting hot means the coffee spends less time sitting on the flame — the biggest single fix for bitterness.
2. Fill the basket — don't press it. Grind medium-fine and fill the basket to the top. Level it off with your finger. Do not tamp it down; that can stop the water flowing and over-extract the coffee.
3. Assemble carefully. Use a cloth to hold the hot base, and screw the top on firmly.
4. Low to medium heat, lid open. Put the pot on the stove with the lid up so you can watch.
5. Watch the flow. Coffee will start to rise, rich and dark. When it turns pale and golden and begins to hiss and sputter, it is done.
6. Stop it straight away. Take the pot off the heat and run the base under cold water for a few seconds. This stops the brew before the last, bitter part comes through.
7. Serve. Drink it short, add hot water for a longer cup, or pour it over hot frothed milk for a stovetop latte.

Fix your cup

• Bitter or burnt: lower the heat, start with hot water, and stop the moment it sputters.
• Weak or watery: grind a little finer, and make sure the basket is full and level.
• Coffee barely comes through: the grind is too fine or the coffee is packed down. Grind coarser and don't press.

Look after your pot

Rinse it with hot water after every use and let it dry fully before reassembling. Skip the soap — it can leave a taste behind. Check the rubber gasket now and then and replace it when it hardens.

With milk, CAIRN is our pick. The bold Liberica gives it the body to come through.