If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive espresso maker that doesn't take up much countertop space and is highly portable, then the Moka pot may be a good choice for you. The iconic Italian coffee maker can brew a delicious, strong tasting espresso to give you your morning coffee fix.

You can purchase the stovetop espresso maker in various sizes depending on how many cups you want to brew for and they all follow the same brewing technique. People often struggle to create a non-bitter tasting cup of coffee when using the Moka pot so I've put this guide together to help you get a great tasting espresso from your stovetop espresso maker.

Equipment Needed

Grind Size

For your store top espresso maker, you will need a grind size somewhere in between espresso and filter coffee. This is quite a wide range however after you brew your coffee you can adjust your grind size depending on the brew time and taste.

Technique

Cleaning

Cleaning your stovetop espresso maker is very important to ensure it stays in good condition and you don't get any build-up of old coffee grounds affecting the flavour.

After you brew your coffee, rinse the coffee grounds out of the basket and wash all sections of the Moka pot with warm water. Remember to remove the rubber gasket and filter as this often gets a lot of coffee residue build-up. Use a washing up pad to wipe away any marks left from the coffee until it's clean.

When putting your Moka pot back together to store in your cupboard, don't screw the top part on too tight as this can damage the gasket. Just screw together loosely and put away for your next use.

If you follow these steps when using a Moka pot, you should be able to brew a delicious tasting coffee without any bitterness. If you do find that your coffee tastes bitter, you should check your Moka pot is clean and doesn't have any old coffee residue, or adjust the grind size to taste.