The moka pot (caffettiera moka, or simply la macchinetta) is Italy's iconic stovetop coffee maker—an octagonal aluminium pot invented by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933 that brews coffee by passing boiling water, pressurised by steam, through ground coffee, producing a strong, rich, concentrated coffee that is the daily coffee of Italian homes. While espresso belongs to the bar, the moka belongs to the kitchen—it is found in 90% of Italian households and is so emblematic of Italian domestic life that the original Bialetti Moka Express (with its Art Deco octagonal design and the moustachioed 'little man' logo) is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The moka pot works on a simple principle: water in the bottom chamber is heated on the stove; as it boils, steam pressure (about 1.5 bars—far less than an espresso machine's 9 bars) forces the water up through a funnel of ground coffee in the middle chamber, and the brewed coffee emerges into the upper chamber. The result is not technically espresso (no crema, lower pressure, different extraction) but is nonetheless a strong, full-bodied, intensely flavoured coffee that Italians love. The ritual of making moka coffee—filling the bottom chamber with cold water to the valve, loading the funnel with medium-fine ground coffee (without tamping), assembling and placing on low heat, listening for the gurgling sound that signals completion, and pouring immediately—is a daily domestic ceremony that begins every Italian morning.
Stovetop aluminium pot—water, ground coffee, steam pressure (~1.5 bars). Fill water to the valve. Fill the funnel with coffee—don't tamp. Use low-medium heat. Remove from heat when gurgling begins. Pour immediately. The daily home coffee of Italy.
A new moka pot should be 'seasoned' by running 2-3 batches of coffee through it and discarding them—this coats the aluminium with coffee oils. Never put a moka pot in the dishwasher. Starting with hot water in the bottom chamber reduces the time the coffee grounds are exposed to heat, producing a less bitter result. The gasket (rubber seal) should be replaced every 6-12 months. Bialetti remains the gold standard, though Alessi and other Italian manufacturers make excellent versions.
Tamping the coffee (the moka doesn't need or want tamping—just level the grounds). Using high heat (causes bitter, over-extracted coffee). Letting it gurgle too long (remove from heat at the first sustained gurgle). Not cleaning properly (wash with water only—never soap, which strips the seasoned oils). Using the wrong grind (medium-fine, not espresso-fine).
Jonathan Morris, Coffee: A Global History; Touring Club Italiano, Italian Design