I Tested 13 Moka Pots to Find Which Ones Made the Best Cup of Coffee

Moka pots are the one coffee-making device I always wanted to love, but even as a coffee enthusiast, I never did. Though I owned one for years, it was relegated to the back of my kitchen pantry, collecting dust. Yet it’s an iconic piece of kitchen equipment with a recognizable silhouette, and nearly every Italian-American friend that I knew growing up had one in their kitchen.

Sadly, I had associated moka pots with a dark, bitter brew that tastes nearly burnt. But with a refined approach, the moka pot can actually yield a rich and full-bodied brew that is neither bitter nor burnt. And having the right moka pot for the job matters, too. Using an updated brewing technique that I’ll share more about below, I tested 13 different moka pots to find which ones made the best cup of coffee.

The Winners, at a Glance

This iconic moka pot, with its octagonal base and body, is a classic coffee maker for a reason. It’s easy to use, with parts that screw on and off easily. The wide top and light silver colored interior make it easy to see into, allowing you full visual control over how you brew the coffee. In terms of strength and flavor, the resulting rich cup of coffee sat comfortably between a cup of brewed filtered coffee and a shot of espresso.

Similar to the Bialetti, this moka pot was intuitive to use and brewed a flavorful cup of coffee without any bitterness. The larger handle was especially comfortable to hold while pouring coffee. 

This sleek-looking moka pot heated up quickly and had one of the fastest brewing cycles. The stainless steel material also meant it was compatible with induction stovetops.

Though it costs significantly more than the other moka pots I tested, the Alessi is a beautifully designed device that you could proudly display in your kitchen. It also makes an excellent cup of coffee. The Alessi has a latch that releases via the handle, which makes it significantly easier to assemble than screw-together moka pots.

The Tests

• Traditional Moka Brew Dark Roast Test: I used dark-roast coffee and brewed a cup using the traditional method of filling the pot’s bottom with room-temperature water, adding medium-fine ground coffee beans into the filter, and then heating the pot on the stovetop. I timed how long it took to brew a cup of coffee. I then let the coffee cool slightly and tasted it to evaluate the results.
• Modern Brew Dark Roast Test: I used the same dark roast and brewed a batch using a method by James Hoffman, a world barista champion and pioneer in the third-wave coffee movement. I poured boiling water into the bottom of the moka pot. Then I added medium-fine grounds in the coffee filter cup, distributing the grounds with a needle distribution tool. I placed a damp Aeropress paper filter under the top part of the moka filter. Once the moka pot was assembled, I brewed the coffee, making sure to adjust the heat to the lowest setting so the coffee brewed at a slow and steady speed. I then poured the coffee out of the moka pot, let it cool, and tasted it to assess the results.
• Modern Brew Medium Roast Test: I used the same James Hoffman brew method as above, but with a medium-roast coffee from a local specialty roaster. I then let the coffee cool and tasted it to see the results.
• Modern Brew Medium Roast Test Without Aeropress Filter (Winning Moka Pots Only): I used the James Hoffman Brew method without the Aeropress filter to see if that made a difference in the final brew.
• Cleaning Test: After each test, I cleaned the moka pot thoroughly by hand to see how easy it was to disassemble and wash.

What We Learned

Moka Pots Do Not Make True Espresso

Despite the claim that moka pots are stovetop espresso machines, moka pots are really stovetop coffee makers that brew a strong cup of coffee. Espresso is made by extracting coffee through high pressure. Typical espresso machines use nine bars of pressure to quickly extract a shot of espresso, a concentrated form of coffee, yielding a 1:2 ratio of coffee to water.

But moka pots do not create anywhere close to this amount of pressure when they brew. They use steam pressure to move the hot water through the coffee grounds and up into the top chamber of the moka pot. YouTube coffee educator David Maurice actually installed a pressure gauge on his moka pot and found that the pressure is usually one to two bars of pressure. (He uses his pressure gauge to try to keep the pressure on the lower end, at 0.75 to one bar, for optimum extraction.)

The resulting cup of coffee brewed in most moka pots usually has a coffee-to-water concentration ratio of 1:10, though this can vary depending on the moka pot design and the coffee beans used. This ratio is stronger than a typical filtered cup of coffee, like a pour-over or drip coffee with a 1:15 ratio, but weaker than a shot of espresso.

Because a moka pot brews a more concentrated coffee, it’s a good base for making a milk-based coffee drink like a latte (using a milk frother) or an iced latte. You can also add some hot water to it to make a moka pot Americano, or just drink it by itself as an extra-strong cup of coffee.

The Traditional Moka Pot Brew Method Leads to Burnt Coffee

Remember when I thought moka pot coffee always tasted burnt? That’s because I always brewed it using the traditional method, where I put the moka pot on the stovetop with cold water and heated it. This extended heating time meant I was heating the coffee grounds as well. The longer the moka pot sits on the stovetop, the more the coffee is going to taste overcooked and burnt.

The Modern Moka Pot Method Brews a Better Cup

The modern brew method that James Hoffman talks about in his YouTube video starts with freshly boiled water. It should not be so hot that it burns the coffee, but not so cold that it takes forever to heat up. Here’s how to do it.

After adding hot water, you add medium-fine ground coffee (slightly finer than you would use for a pour-over, but coarser than espresso) to the filter basket, filling it up to the top. Don’t tamp it down like you would for an espresso shot; just fill it up to the level top, sweeping off any excess with a knife or your finger, like you would when measuring a cup of flour at a friend’s house (because you use a kitchen scale when you bake at home, right?). Then place a paper Aeropress filter on the bottom portion of the top piece of the moka pot and assemble all the parts. 

Place the moka pot on the stovetop over low heat and watch the pot with the lid open as it brews. Once coffee starts pouring into the upper chamber, lower the heat even more to ensure that the coffee comes out at a slow and steady pace. If you need to, remove the pot from the heat to slow it down. You can also use a diffusion plate to help regulate the heat. If your stovetop has burners of different sizes, this is the time to use the smallest, least-powerful one.

Once the coffee is done brewing, it’ll start to sputter. Remove the pot from the heat, close the lid, and immediately pour it into a mug to prevent it from overheating, which can result in a burnt taste. You’ll be rewarded with a sweet and rich cup of coffee.

And though this method uses a paper Aeropress filter to help keep some of the powdery silt from the brewing, I tested the winning moka pots without the additional filter, and the coffee was still superior to the traditional method. They just had a bit more body to them with a little residual silt at the bottom of the cup.

Moka Pots Are Imprecise

Unlike the pour-over, where you can account for the weight of the beans and water you add, moka pots are less precise. The filter basket is meant to be completely filled with grounds so water can properly flow through the coffee. If you only partially fill the basket, water will flow through quicker, leading to under extraction.

But coffee beans can vary drastically by density, with light-roast beans weighing more than dark-roast beans, as the more you roast a bean, the more brittle and less dense it becomes. For instance, the Bialetti Moka Express filter basket held only 24 grams of dark-roast beans but 30 grams of medium-roast beans, both ground to the same fineness. Had I tested with light-roast beans, I can only assume I would need to use even more coffee.

This means coffee strength can vary per bean. If you buy the same beans over and over, this isn’t a problem. You only need to brew your moka pot a few times with those beans to understand what sort of brew you’ll get. But if you like trying different beans (which I do), just know that each time you swap to a new bean, it’s a bit of a gamble and the resulting brew might be radically different in strength from the last batch of coffee you made. 

Because moka pots are designed to brew stronger cups of coffee, and there’s no precise way to measure the beans other than volume, larger filter baskets are better. They ensure there’s enough coffee grounds to adequately brew a cup with appropriate strength.

The Interior Color and Design of the Moka Pot Made a Difference

Using the more modern method means watching the coffee as it brews with the lid open. You need to watch the funnel as the coffee spills out, and lower the heat to control how fast the coffee brews. Though you can do this with any moka pot, the ones with a wider opening at the top and a light-colored interior were much easier to watch and regulate the flow of coffee.

Narrower pots, like the London Sip, Alessi, and Bialetti Venus, were harder to see into. Pots with darker interiors, like the MiiR New Standard Moka Pot, also made it more challenging, as there was less contrast between the dark coffee and the metal.

Exterior Moka Pot Design Also Made a Difference

Moka pots come in a larger range of sizes and designs. While the traditional shape of the Bialetti moka pot, with its angular octagonal body, is iconic, it’s practical as well. The flat walls on the base and top of the moka pot help you grip each piece as you screw them together. This was especially important when I used the modern method where I poured hot water into the base. Screwing the top half on required me to grip the bottom with a towel or oven mitt. Smooth-bodied pots, like the London Sip, were harder to hold onto.

Wider bases sat more securely on the stovetop and were less prone to being knocked over. The design of the burner grates on gas stoves can vary a lot. A wider moka pot base, like that of the Alessi, can accommodate grates with larger openings better than those with a small base, like the MiiR. 

Finally, though it seems like a secondary consideration, the shape of the handle and the knob on top of the lid matter. Lids should flip up easily, and handles should be comfortable to hold without getting too hot. Wider handles that aren’t attached at the bottom are easier to hold. Smaller looped handles, like the one on the MiiR, only accommodated two fingers, which made them less comfortable when picking up and pouring.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Moka Pot

Look for a moka pot that can be easily assembled, with angled walls for easy gripping, a wide base, and parts that smoothly screw and unscrew. The inside coffee filter should be generous in size to accommodate more coffee grounds. Handles should be comfortable to hold without getting too hot. The moka pot should feel heavy and have thick walls, which makes for a more durable pot and more even heating. 

Our Favorite Moka Pots

What we liked: The Bialetti Moka Express was designed in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti, and it hasn’t changed since then. It’s such an iconic piece that it’s in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (along with the Chemex). The base and the body easily thread together without snagging or too much friction. The plastic handle is comfortable enough to hold when the Moka Express is hot. And the wide base fits comfortably on a gas stovetop with metal grates. The heavy-gauge aluminum means that the pot heats up evenly for a consistent brew.

The filter basket is 2.5 inches wide by 1.125 inches deep, which accommodates enough coffee grounds to create an ideal 1:10 ratio of coffee to water. The interior top part of the moka pot has a light silver color and the funnel has large holes on top. This meant I could see exactly when the coffee started brewing, allowing me to regulate the heat for my desired slow and steady stream. The resulting brew was a rich and full-flavored cup of coffee with complexity and minimal bitterness.

What we didn’t like: The thick walls meant it took longer to heat up than thinner moka pots, taking longer to brew a cup and requiring more stovetop babysitting. It is also not induction-compatible.

Key Specs

• Materials: Aluminum and plastic
• Weight: 1 pound, 7.5 ounces
• Height: 8.5 inches
• Base capacity: 10 ounces
• Induction-friendly: No
• Care instructions: Hand-wash each component by rinsing under running hot water. Do not use soap or detergents. Dry thoroughly. For a more thorough cleaning, use a descaling agent like boiling water with a little citric acid or diluted vinegar to remove scaling.

What we liked: This moka pot comes in a number of colors, giving it a more modern appearance. The bottom and top parts of the pot screw off and on easily, with the inner basket holding an appropriate amount of grounds to create a strong but not bitter cup of coffee.

The large handle sticks out from the body of the moka pot more than cheaper models like IMUSA or the Primula, and it’s very comfortable to hold. It’s slightly soft and grippy, with a thick buffer where it attaches to the body, which prevented my hand from getting too close to the pot. Like the Bialetti, the light interior color and funnel holes made it easy to watch the pot as it came to a boil and started to brew, allowing me to regulate the heat.

What we didn’t like: Like the Bialetti Moka Express, the GROSCHE Milano took a while to heat up and is not induction-compatible.

Key Specs

• Materials: Anodized aluminum and plastic
• Weight: 1 pound, 3.75 ounces
• Height: 8 inches
• Base capacity: 9 ounces
• Induction-friendly: No
• Care instructions: Hand-wash only

What we liked: Bialetti made my favorite moka pot, so it’s no surprise its Venus model is also excellent. Made of stainless steel, the pot’s mirror-shiny finish and sleek design looked just as handsome on the stovetop as it did sitting on my counter. The wide base makes the Venus stable on any stove, including induction. The durable stainless steel material is thinner,  heating up evenly and quickly, so the coffee brewed fast and didn’t burn. The large filter basket in the Venus ensured that the coffee came out balanced and strong. The wide handle was very comfortable to hold. And the entire pot could be assembled and disassembled easily.

What we didn’t like: The thin metal heated up quickly, which meant I needed to pay more attention to the brewing. The interior of the pot is fairly narrow, making it harder to see into as the coffee brews. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel and plastic
• Weight: 1 pound, 8.5 ounces
• Height: 7.75 inches
• Base capacity: 9 ounces
• Induction-friendly: Yes
• Care instructions: Hand-wash each component by rinsing under running hot water. Do not use soap or detergents. Dry thoroughly. For a more thorough cleaning, use a descaling agent like boiling water with a little citric acid or diluted vinegar to remove scaling.

What we liked: Like the Bialetti Moka Express, the Alessi model 9090 designed by Richard Sapper is also in the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. The beautiful Art Deco-inspired moka pot differs from others in the way the top and bottom attach. Instead of screwing together, the handle detaches at the bottom and swings up, allowing the top part of the moka pot to be removed via a latch. This is especially helpful if you use the modern method of brewing and fill the bottom with hot water, requiring you to use a towel or oven mitt to hold onto the base. The Alessi model 9090 is also the only moka pot that came with an extra “reducer filter” top, which can be used to brew smaller amounts of coffee. 

The wide base makes the pot stable on all surfaces. And because it’s made of stainless steel, it’s also induction-compatible. The large handle stays cool and is comfortable to hold. And though the small triangular pour spout looks like it might dribble, it actually pours cleanly without any spills. 

What we didn’t like: There’s no getting around the fact that the Alessi 9090 is expensive. Beyond that, the narrow design of the upper pot makes it a little difficult to see how quickly the coffee is brewing. This makes it less beginner-friendly 

Key Specs

• Materials: 18/10 stainless steel
• Weight: 1 pound, 13 ounces
• Height: 8 inches
• Base capacity: 11 ounces
• Induction-friendly: Yes
• Care instructions: Hand-wash with mild detergent or plain water.

The Competition

• IMUSA Moka Pot: This inexpensive moka pot was thin and lightweight, and it felt cheaply made with a skinny, uncomfortable handle. The threads on the pot were tight and difficult to screw on and off. Heating was uneven due to the thin aluminum, and it was difficult to get the coffee to brew at a consistent and steady stream. 
• Coffee Gator: This was the largest moka pot that I tested. It was hard to regulate the flow of coffee as it brewed and the resulting cups came out tasting bitter and burnt.
• Primula Classic Stovetop Espresso Maker: This budget moka pot had a slightly smaller filter cup, which held less coffee grounds, resulting in a weak brew that tasted flat and a little bitter.
• London Sip Espresso Maker: Similar in style to the Bialetti Venus, the London Sip had the narrowest body of all the moka pots I tested. This meant it was difficult to watch and regulate the flow of coffee. The resulting coffee came out one-dimensional and weaker than others.
• MiiR New Standard Moka Pot: The coffee filter basket for this moka pot was one of the smallest ones that I tested, leading to a weak cup of coffee. The small handle loop only accommodated two fingers and was uncomfortable to hold. The spout also leaked and dribbled when I poured the coffee.
• Stelton Collar Espresso Maker: This brewer had the smallest coffee basket (18 grams) and brewed weak and bitter coffee. It also had a too-narrow base and heated unevenly. It appears to now be discontinued.
• Cuisinox Roma Stovetop Espresso Maker: Yet again, the filter basket for this moka pot was too small for a proper ratio, resulting in weak and bitter coffee. Its handle was made out of stainless steel and got hot during brewing.
• Zulay Kitchen Stovetop Espresso Maker: After multiple tests, this moka pot failed to seal properly and could not produce enough pressure to brew coffee.  
• Yabano Stovetop Espresso Maker: This moka pot also couldn't create a tight seal.

FAQs

How do you clean a stainless steel moka pot?

Most moka pots need to be washed by hand. It’s typically not recommended to use dish soap or detergent, as it can get trapped in the various parts of the moka pot. Instead, rinse each part with hot running water. For a deeper clean, use a descaling agent like citric acid or vinegar to remove water scale. Always check the instructions that come with the moka pot to see what the recommended cleaning method is.

Is a stovetop espresso maker the same as a moka pot?

Yes, a moka pot is often referred to as a stovetop espresso maker, though it doesn’t brew as concentrated a cup of coffee as a real espresso machine. Expect a stronger cup of coffee from a moka pot than you would get from an automatic drip or pour-over, but a weaker brew than from a stand-alone espresso machine with a pump.

Are moka pots induction-compatible?

Not all moka pots are induction compatible. A lot of them are made of aluminum, a material that won’t work on induction cooktops. If you are looking for an induction-compatible moka pot, make sure it is made of stainless steel, like the Bialetti Venus or the Alessi 9090 model, and that it says it’s induction-compatible on the packaging.

Why We're the Experts

• Irvin Lin is a cookbook author, recipe developer, food writer, photographer, and former barista. 
• He’s tested and reviewed hundreds of kitchen items, including pour-over drippers, and stovetop kettles. 
• For this review, we tested 13 different moka pots. Irvin brewed pot after pot of coffee with different beans and different methods. He is highly caffeinated at the moment and doesn’t require a lot of sleep.