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The Bialetti is trusted brand of Moka pot, or stovetop espresso maker. It is made in Italy, the origin of the Moka pot.
If you have an espresso machine at home and ever wished you could take it with you on your hiking or camping trip, this one's for you. Forget pour-overs, drips or French press - the Moka Pot is the closest you're going to get to a real espresso.
What is a Moka pot?
The Moka Pot, or stovetop espresso maker, is a small coffee maker that uses steam pressure to force water through coffee grounds. The taste of the coffee is intense and bold and typically 2 - 3 times more concentrated than regular drip coffee.
Best Features:
- Produces a very near espresso like coffee taste superior to other manual methods.
- Costs a fraction of the price of a decent espresso machine.
- Perfect to use on a camp stove, no electricity is required.
Look out for:
- It is very easy to make bitter or unpleasant tasting coffee with a Moka pot if you don't know what you're doing.
- Use the correct size coffee grind - a medium grind which should be a little coarser than that used for an espresso machine.
- Choose the proper size pot for your needs.
Which size Moka pot should I use?
The Moka pot comes in various sizes ranging from 1 to 18 "cups", with one cup being equal to about one very strong espresso shot (40 - 50 ml or 1.35 - 1.7 oz). You will only need about one or two espresso shots per person and can make a taller drink by adding hot water or milk. Let's say you would like to make a cup (250 ml or 8.45 oz) of Cappuccino which will be 1 part espresso, 1 part milk and 1 part froth. You would then need about 80 ml (2.7 oz) espresso which means at least a 2 cup Moka pot for one person and a 4 cup for 2 people.
Here is a guide for which pot size you need depending on how many people you are:
Number of people | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5+ people |
Moka Pot size | 1/2/3 cup | 3/4/6 cup | 6/9 cup | 9/12 cup | 12/18 cup |
View this blog post for instructions on how to make great coffee with your Moka Pot.