Stovetop Espresso Maker

Another name these devices go by is "Moka pot".  Technically the coffee produced by a Moka pot is called Moka.  It's not "officially" espresso but that's really getting into the finer details!  Most people will quite happily call it espresso and why not?  Unless you're a die-hard coffee purist then there's no problem in calling it espresso.

You're probably now wondering what on Earth the difference between them is and it is very small indeed.  Moka comes from a pot like these and relies on the natural pressure of the steam.  Whereas a full on espresso machine uses steam at a much higher pressure and is said to give a darker and stronger brew.

So the nit-picking dealt with we now know that these pots are a good alternative to a big machine.  Especially if space or funds are limited or the volume of beverage required is low or infrequent.  These would be more suited to the home environment really rather than most commercial environments.  Even though this site started out focusing on the commercial side of things over time we've felt it a good idea to look at more domestic coffee brewing as well.

Buying tip: People in the know say you should only buy a stainless steel stove top pot and not one of the cheaper aluminum ones as they tend to adversely flavor the coffee.

The basics of use are to place water into the lower portion of the pot, coffee grounds in the middle basket portion and the end result appears in the top portion.

As with anything to do with coffee there are many opinions on the "right" and "wrong" ways to go about using these.  Some say start with hot water, others say start with cold, then there's how loose or tightly packed the grounds are and various other things.  The list goes on and on.  What we say is every pot design will likely be different, and isn't it going to be a whole lot more fun experimenting and finding out for your self what works best with your pot and with your palate anyway?

Unsurprisingly there is a modern twist available on these devices which date back to 1933 when they were invented by Italian Luigi De Ponti for Alfonso Bialetti (Bialetti is often incorrectly credited with having invented it).  The modern version is electric like a kettle so instead of being stovetop it sits on a kitchen counter and plugs into the wall.  The basic principal of how it works is exactly the same, the only difference is the heat source.