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Jan 03 - 2019
Best Moka Pots for 2020 (AKA the Stovetop Espresso Maker)
This strange old-fashioned vintage espresso brewing machine looks like it would be more suited in a museum rather than on your kitchen countertop, but don’t let looks fool you.
Moka pots have been brewing strong coffee and ensuring that old school coffee drinkers are fully caffeinated since the early 1930s. They have been known by many names throughout the years, some like to call these small metal pots stovetop espresso makers, percolators, Bialetti’s or simply Italian coffee makers.
What you call these compact coffee brewers makes little difference. They all do one thing, and one thing well, they produce a thick, strong tasting coffee with an impressive firm crema that’s on par with any of the best espresso machines.
If you’re on a budget and are still yearning for a strong, rich coffee, this compact brewing device can outshine those expensive large espresso machines in terms of “brewabilty” and cost per cup.
However, when it comes to buying a good Moka Pot, it’s worth noting that they do differ in terms of quality, especially if you want a consistently great-tasting cup of coffee with a show stopper crema. Some pots can’t handle the repeated pressure and being taken continuously apart and put back again for cleaning.
Luckily, I have done some of the leg work for you, and I’ve put together a handpicked collection featuring some of the best stovetop espresso makers for 2020 and beyond.
Quick Summary: The Best Moka Pots
What is a Moka Pot?
If you’re new to making coffee in a Moka Pot, you might be wondering how the hell does this thing work? Sure, it looks pretty simple from the outside, and once opened, it only contains a few parts, but for a novice, it can take a bit of practice to master.
Coffee brewed in a Moka Pot isn’t technically an espresso per se, why? It comes down to the amount of pressure. The best espresso is brewed at about 9-bar, whereas the Moka Pot can only generate up to 1.5-bar of pressure.
So, in laymen’s terms, an espresso made with on a stovetop Moka Pot is going to be less concentrated or not as rich. I would say the coffee brewed is somewhat in-between an espresso shot and a strong filter coffee, with a consistency of Turkish coffee.
Most Moka Pot’s typically have three parts, which are all tightly screwed together to form a sealed, airtight, pressurized container. You have the water chamber (where cold water is added), a funnel-shaped filter in the center of the Moka Pot where the ground coffee is placed, and the chamber at the top of the pot where the final brewed coffee is collected.
How Does the Stovetop Espresso Maker Work?
Operating this coffee brewing device is relatively simplistic.
Cold water is added to the bottom of the pot, and it’s then heated on your stovetop, as the water chamber heats steam is then produced. As the pressure builds inside of the lower chamber form the resulting steam, it then pushes the hot water through the filter and then up into the top chamber.
The water hits the ground coffee and then soaks the grounds, the coffee grounds expand, and as the pressure continues, the top chamber will fill with freshly brewed “espresso.” All of the best stove-top espresso makers I have used typically give out a gurgling sound once done, which means that the espresso is now ready for drinking.
Once you hear this “gurgling sound” turn off the heat because if the pot is left on the heat for too long, you’ll have a bitter, burnt tasting coffee. If you want a full step-by-step brewing guide on how to use the Moka Pot, make sure to read my complete guide here.
