The Best Stovetop Espresso Maker For Strong Coffee At Home

One of the easiest ways to make a great cup of coffee at home is with the stovetop espresso maker or moka pot. Originally introduced in Italy as an easy home solution to the espresso machine, stovetop espresso makers remain popular in many homes.

Things to Consider Before Buying A Stovetop Espresso Maker

The stovetop espresso maker, also known as moka pot or Bialetti has been around since the 1930s. The pot was designed to mimic espresso coffee at home and at one time, as many of 90% of Italian households owned one of these pots.

The moka pot, or to give it its full name, the macchinetta del caffè (translating to ‘small coffee machine’) was invented by an Italian called Luigi De Ponti who then patented the design for Alfonso Bialetti of the Bialetti Company.

Folklore says that De Ponti came up with the idea of the stovetop espresso maker while watching his wife do the laundry in a primitive washing machine that involved a bucket over the fire and a tube containing soapy water! Even today, this classic moka pot (the Moka Express) is still one of the bestselling stovetop espresso makers available.

Technically, a stovetop espresso maker or moka pot does not make espresso. This is because a stovetop espresso maker operates at between one and three bars– usually one to one and a half – of pressure, while a true espresso machine uses nine bars or more of pressure to brew espresso. It is this higher pressure that produces espresso shots with more of an aerated crema.

Although a stovetop espresso pot cannot produce a brew with the depth of texture and flavor than an espresso machine can, it will still produce a thick and strong coffee though with a half decent crema. It also costs much less than an espresso machine!

There is more of a risk of under- or over-extracting coffee when using a stovetop espresso machine though, so you will need to be prepared to experiment and practice to get the grind and brewing technique right.

Some coffee aficionados will only buy a stovetop espresso maker that has been made in Italy, but it can be harder nowadays to source pots made in Italy as many are outsourced and manufactured elsewhere.

Cup Capacity of Stovetop Espresso Makers

It is important to know that a stovetop espresso maker measures its capacity in espresso rather than regular cups. This means that a two cup pot will brew two ‘shots’ of espresso. If you just want to brew for yourself, then a smaller espresso maker – two to three cup - should be fine, but if you regularly need to brew for more then consider a larger pot such as a six cup capacity.

A stovetop percolator will usually measure in ‘regular’ cups though, so it is worth double checking what the capacity is in fluid ounces as well as cups.

Aluminum and Stainless Steel Stovetop Espresso Makers

Espresso makers are often made from aluminum as it is lightweight, a good heat conductor and will not rust. The original Moka Express stovetop pot was made from aluminum as when the fascist regime was in place in 1930s Italy, aluminum was easily manufactured as Italy was a good source of the bauxite ore needed to make aluminum. At this time there were also strict controls imposed on imports of materials such as other metals into Italy. 

Aluminum will work best on a gas stove, and if you do have an electric stove, then always double check to see if the aluminum model you are considering will be suitable. As aluminum is a softer metal it is more prone to denting and cosmetic damage than a steel model.

As there are a number of health concerns around the use of aluminum in cookware, some manufacturers have responded to these by now making stainless steel models which are also non-corrosive. Another advantage of stainless steel is that it can usually be used on any type of stovetop, including induction.

Some stainless steel is also dishwasher safe but if you do place it in the dishwasher, it should always be dried thoroughly after washing to minimize the risk of rusting. Aluminum stovetop espresso makers should never be placed in the dishwasher as they will soon dull and start to pit from the salts in the dishwasher detergent.

As stainless steel is usually much longer lasting than aluminum, stovetop espresso makers made from stainless steel will usually cost more than aluminum.

How a Stovetop Espresso Maker Works

A stovetop espresso maker contains three chambers. The bottom chamber is the cold water reservoir, the middle chamber is the cradle and filter for the fresh coffee and the top chamber contains the spout and is where the finished coffee is poured from.

When using, the bottom chamber is half filled with water (never above the level of the safety valve) and then the ground coffee is placed in the cradle or middle chamber which screws in between the top and bottom chambers.

Once the espresso maker is placed on the stovetop, the water at the bottom begins to heat and as this causes pressure in the form of steam to build up in the chamber, the hot water is forced up into a funnel that ends at the base of the cradle which contains the coffee. As more hot water enters this middle chamber through the funnel, the ground coffee absorbs the water and expands – building up pressure.

Once the coffee grounds have been fully saturated, the hot water (now coffee) passes up through a filter to prevent the grounds from passing through and into another funnel in the top chamber. Once you hear the characteristic sputtering noise, this tells you that all of the water has now passed through the coffee and into the top chamber and the espresso is now ready to pour.

Using a Stovetop Espresso Maker

Before drinking espresso from a new stovetop espresso maker, you should always discard the first two or three brews, rinse well and then you can use it.

To make the most of a stovetop espresso maker, you should grind your coffee at home. Aim for a grind that is slightly coarser than that for an espresso machine and a little finer than what you would use for drip coffee.

When you add your grounds to the cradle/filter, always fill it right up to the top, but never over the top - even if you do not want to brew that much. Also wipe around the lip of the filter with your finger to remove any loose grinds and ensure a better seal. There is much debate around whether to tamp or not, but on today’s pots, tamping can increase the risk of bitter coffee as well as causing too much pressure to build up inside the pot.

As with brewing any coffee, filtered water is always better and depending on the type of pot, you can add hotter filtered water to the reservoir (carefully!) instead of cold as this will knock a few minutes off the brewing time.

Never fill above the safety or pressure release valve on the side as this needs to be able to allow excess pressure to escape if the espresso maker is not brewing properly on the stovetop. If steam does release from the safety valve when using, remove the espresso maker from the heat immediately. Check the grind is not too fine; otherwise next time you use it, try it on a lower heat setting.

When you replace the top chamber, onto the coffee cradle, avoid the temptation to screw it on too tightly – just firmly tighten it.

Once you place the stovetop espresso maker on the stovetop, turn it so the safety valve is pointing away from you and once the burner is on, hang around to make sure the heat is not damaging the handle or there is too much pressure building up inside the pot. An espresso maker should always be on the smallest burner possible and when using a gas stove, do not allow the flames to burn up the side. The best temperature to brew at is between 194°F and 205°F (below boiling point) with the burner set on low or medium low.

If coffee starts sputtering out of the top of the espresso maker before brewing is complete, this is often a sign that the heat is too high.

Once the stovetop espresso maker makes its distinctive gurgle it needs to come straight off the heat as otherwise the coffee will overheat and develop a burnt taste. If you are able to remove it from the heat slightly earlier than the gurgle, you can actually eliminate extraction of the last portion which is always the most bitter part of the coffee.

You can either use your finished espresso brew in espresso-based drinks such as lattes. If you want to make a latte, just add your frothed warm milk to the espresso. Otherwise, you can mix it half and half with water to make an Americano-style drink which is not as strong as drinking it straight from the pot.

Caring for Your Stovetop Espresso Maker

After every use, give it a good rinse under the tap and ensure that all of the grounds are cleared from the filter. It should then be dried properly. Don’t forget that you can add waste coffee grounds to your compost pile as they are a rich nitrogen source!

The gasket and the filter that prevent grounds from entering the brewed coffee will need replacing occasionally, so when choosing a stovetop espresso maker, look for one which you know you can easily find replacement parts for.

If a stainless steel pot is stained, you can use some cold water and baking soda to clean off the stains or brew it up with a solution of two parts cold water and one part white vinegar. After letting the pot sit for 15 minutes, you can drain the solution and rinse it thoroughly before re-using for coffee.

When cleaning an aluminum stovetop espresso maker, it can just be washed in warm water, the use of stronger detergents may taint the aluminum and therefore the coffee. Avoid using anything abrasive to clean the pot with as this can damage or discolor the aluminum. If a white deposit forms in the base this is natural oxidization of the aluminum – often caused by it not being dried properly after use. You can use warm water and white vinegar with a gentle dish scrubber to remove these stains.

If you have fully dismantled your aluminum or stainless steel stovetop espresso maker for a deep clean, then always make sure it is properly dry before re-assembling and if you will not be using it for a time it is always better to store it dismantled.

Conclusion

In this article we have taken a look at the origins of the stovetop espresso maker and just what it has that makes it so ideal for brewing stronger coffee at home. Although a stovetop espresso make does not brew a ‘true’ espresso, as it cannot force water through at high enough pressure, it is still ideal for brewing strong coffee at a fraction of the cost of an espresso machine.