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Italian

Moka pot coffee

Vegetarian

Caffè della moka

The everyday Italian home coffee: strong, full-bodied coffee pushed up through the grounds by steam pressure in an aluminium stovetop pot.

Moka pot coffee is an Italian hot drink from Italy, ready in about 8 minutes and made with finely ground coffee. It serves 2 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
3 min
Cook
5 min
Total
8 min
Serves
2
Level
Easy
Calories
3

Ingredients

2 small cups

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fill the base of the moka pot (opens in a new tab) with just-boiled water up to just below the valve. Starting with hot water shortens the time on the heat so the coffee does not 'cook'.

  2. Step 2

    Fill the funnel with coffee until level, wipe the rim and do not tamp. Drop it in and, holding the hot base with a cloth, screw the top on firmly.

    Food safety: The base is very hot — use a tea towel to hold it.

  3. Step 3

    Set the pot over medium-low heat with the lid open. Coffee will start to flow in a steady, honey-coloured stream after 2–4 minutes.

    • 4 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    As soon as the stream turns pale and starts to sputter and gurgle, take the pot off the heat and cool the base under a cold tap to stop extraction.

    • 1 min
    • medium-low heat

    Gurgling coffee is over-extracted and bitter.

  5. Step 5

    Stir the coffee in the top chamber (the first and last parts differ in strength) and pour into small cups. Sweeten if you like.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Italy · Well documentedThe moka pot was invented in Italy in the 1930s and is found in most Italian homes.Also popular in Spain, Portugal, Cuba, ArgentinaMore food from Italy
    Dish
    Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
    Cooking method
    Boiled
    Taste
    bitter, rich, aromatic / warmly spiced
    Diet
    Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
    Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · Budget-friendly
    Cook more with
    Finely ground coffee
    Techniques
    Boiling

    Allergens

    None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    3 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 76 g · recipe makes 2

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 14%
    • Carbohydrate 86%
    • Fat 0%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy3 kcal3 kcal
    Protein0.1 g0.1 g
    Carbohydrate0.6 g0.7 g
    Net carbohydrate0.6 g0.7 g
    Sugars0 g0 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0 g0 g
    Fat0 g0 g
    Saturated fat0 g0 g
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium2 mg2 mg
    Salt equivalent0 g0 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    27 mg
    Calcium
    9 mg
    Iron
    0 mg
    Magnesium
    4 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    0 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    0 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: sugar.
    • Finely ground coffee: Instant coffee powder used as a stand-in for the soluble part of roasted ground coffee; list the grams actually consumed with consumedGrams.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Rinse the pot with hot water only — no detergent — and let the parts dry apart.
    • Replace the rubber gasket when coffee leaks from the seam.

    Common mistakes

    • Tamping the coffee, which can block the flow and push pressure to the valve.
    • High heat, which makes the coffee rush through and taste burnt.

    Serve with

    • Pour over hot milk for café con leche, or over ice for a quick iced coffee.

    Storage

    • Drink straight away; moka coffee left on the stove or reheated turns bitter.

    Variations

    • Cafecito-style (Cuba): Whip the first drops with sugar into a pale foam (espumita) before pouring in the rest.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Customise in Sip & Blend

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    The body of the dish

    Gravy, sauce & base

    Used in steps 1, 2, 5

    Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

    Customise in Sip & Blend

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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