Moca Pot came to America in the 1920s from Italy, where they were primarily used to brew thick, espresso coffee. They consist of a light stovetop kettle with two interlocking halves and an inner funnel. Moca pots brew coffee through natural steam pressure and can even be fitted with a milk steamer to produce a home-brewed latte.

They are often made of aluminum as well as stainless steel. These pots are compact, easy to use and relatively inexpensive, allowing for quick espresso brewing at home without the need for elaborate, expensive and complicated machinery.

Much like the French press, the Moca Pot has a long history of home use. Developed in Italy in 1933, it quickly earned the nickname the stovetop espresso maker. Although it does not create real espresso, it uses the same extraction method as an espresso machine.

When the pot is placed on the stove, the water is heated in the lower chamber. The pressure created forces it through the coffee grounds and into the top of the pot. Although it only reaches 1.5 bar of pressure, it makes strong, concentrated coffee, and even the occasional crema.

How to use a Moca Pot.

Using a Moca Pot is about as easy as it gets.  This process will get you a pretty decent cup of coffee, but you may need to experiment with the variables to perfectly match your tastes.

• Sticking to a coarse grind is recommended, but you can experiment with things like water to coffee ratio, coffee grounds bloom, and extraction time. It might seem complicated if you’re new to this, but once you find what you like, it’s easy to replicate your recipe over and over again.

• The amount of coffee you brew here will be determined by the size of your moca pot, so you can’t play around with the ratios too much. Once the pan is on the heat, the process is pretty much out of your hands.

• You can use hot water to start the process, but the extraction time will depend on how quickly your pan heats up. The pot should be removed from the heat as soon as it’s done, or you’ll end up with burnt-tasting coffee.

• The only good thing about using the Moca pot is that it can be quite forgiving of the grind size, so if you find yourself with only pre-ground coffee to hand, you can always use this method.

• Unscrew the two halves of the moka pot and fill the bottom half with the pressure release valve.

• Set the funnel in the jar and fill the funnel with enough coffee grounds to your liking, making sure to keep the grounds loose.

• Screw the halves together tightly and place the moka pot on the stove over medium heat.

• Boil water, setting heat as needed. Let the water boil for three to five minutes or until the coffee is brewed to taste