Starting point
Use the full water chamber and coffee basket designed for your Moka pot. Grind medium-fine: finer than pour-over, but coarser than espresso. Expect the complete brew to take roughly 3 to 6 minutes.
1. Prepare the water
Fill the lower chamber to just below the safety valve. Do not cover the valve.
Use freshly boiled water from a kettle. The water needs to be hot for extraction, but starting with hot water reduces the time the assembled pot and the ground coffee sit over the stove before brewing begins. This limits unnecessary heat exposure before the water reaches the coffee. The lower chamber becomes hot immediately, so hold it with a dry cloth while assembling the pot.
2. Fill the basket
Loosely fill the basket to the top with ground coffee and level the surface. Do not tamp or compress it. Wipe loose grounds from the rim.
3. Assemble the pot
Insert the basket and screw the upper chamber firmly onto the base. Keep the handle away from the heat.
4. Heat gently
Preheat the hob at low-to-medium heat while preparing the water and coffee. It should already be hot when you place the assembled pot on it. Allow about one minute for a slower electric or ceramic ring; gas and induction respond quickly and can be switched on shortly before the pot is ready. On gas, keep the flame beneath the base.
5. Watch the flow
Coffee should enter the upper chamber in a calm, continuous stream. Once it starts, filling usually takes about 30 to 90 seconds.
6. Stop the brew
Remove the pot from the heat when the upper chamber is nearly full and the stream becomes pale or begins to bubble. Move it completely away from an electric or ceramic ring. Do not wait for prolonged, loud sputtering.
Adjust the next brew
Harsh or bitter: grind coarser, use lower heat, or stop sooner.
Sharp, thin, or weak: grind slightly finer and check the seal.
Change one setting at a time and save the successful grind, dose, drink weight, and time in the Brew Tracker.