Step one

Preheat the water using a kettle or a pot. If you use a pot, it’s preferable that’s only for water. Avoid using a pot where you cook or brew other infusions, like tea.

Using hot water helps to obtain a smoother cup of Moka pot coffee, with a sweeter taste. If you prefer to skip this step, your coffee might taste burnt.

Still, I have another trick for you, so you can experiment with it.

Step two

Pour hot water into the bottom half of your Moka pot and fill below the valve. Consider your Moka pot’s water capacity. Mine can hold a bit more than 250 milliliters (8.4 ounces), so I use about 2 tablespoons of coffee (18 grams).

I use a digital scale for brewing coffee, which I recommend.

If you ask me about the best brew ratio for Moka pot coffee, I can tell you that I prefer something between 1:12 and 1:15.

Warning: The Moka pot will heat quickly, so be careful while handling it.

Step 3

Before inserting the basket, fill it with coffee and give it a shake to settle the grounds. Then place it into the bottom chamber.

Clean loose grounds from the filter basket and avoid tamping your coffee grounds, it won’t only ruin your coffee taste but it could be dangerous too!

Step 4

Screw the bottom and the top together. Remember to use a towel or mittens to protect your hands while handling the bottom compartment.

Avoid pushing the handle while screwing, because it can break easily. Actually, it’s pretty common to find intensive Moka pot users who have broken their handles making this mistake.

I grab the Moka pot at the top, trying not to exert too much pressure.

Step 5

Add a bit of water to the top of the Moka pot. A few drops are more than enough.

With this trick, you can try to brew coffee without preheating the water and it shouldn’t taste burnt.

Water prevents the top of the Moka pot inside from getting too hot. Usually, freshly ground coffee heats at the top while the rest is brewing, which leads to an undesirable burnt taste.

Using hot water to fill the lower compartment works as well, because it reduces the time that coffee grounds are exposed to heat.

I combine both tricks because I prefer a smooth and sweet taste in a full-bodied cup of coffee. If you prefer some bitterness in your cup, choose among these two tricks and you’ll be fine.

Step 6

Place the Moka pot on the stove set it to medium heat. Keep the handle out of the fire’s reach.

While some can know when coffee is ready by listening to a hissing sound, I prefer to watch my coffee carefully. I live in a noisy city, so it’s impossible to notice it.

Once the coffee starts to brew, it won’t take too much time. You can play with the heat here. As I prefer a full-bodied brew, I use low heat.

Remove the Moka pot from the stove once the coffee stream acquires a light golden color.

Step 7

Serve all your coffee at once. Let it rest a bit, as it will be very hot.

As you taste your coffee, you won’t find any undesirable bitterness.

If you follow all the steps in this guide, your coffee won’t get burnt. First, because you won’t let coffee grounds too long heating inside the filter basket, and second because you will stop freshly brewed coffee from burning in the top compartment.

A final piece of advice, if you don’t serve all coffee at once, let your Moka pot rest in the water.

If you liked this guide, you could enjoy my article with some helpful tips.

Hopefully, you can find some friends to share it with, as well!

Acknowledgments and Credits

Johanna Baricot is the amazing photographer that made possible the beautiful picture series that come with this guide.

You can find more of her work on her Instagram: @baricotfoodphotography. Additionally, she writes about food styling photography in her blog: https://www.foodstyling.baricotfotografia.com

Nadia Bachir helped me with some tips too. Nadia is a great Venezuelan barista working in Panama and she has become notorious thanks to her impressive artistic skills with coffee.

Most of her followers know her as Nani and she’s definitely among my favorite influencers. You can follow her on almost any Social Media you can imagine, but I prefer her Instagram: @naniartt

Verónica Fagundez shared valuable tips for this guide too, although she isn’t that much into the coffee.

I shouldn’t need to say this, but if your coffee still tastes bad it isn’t the responsibility of any of them.

Neither mine.

Probably you just bought bad coffee! ????