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Moka Pot
Steam pressure on the stove - strong, but not espresso.
- Grind
- Medium
A starting point - adjust to your beans.
The maker specifies this by feel rather than by numbers - fill the basket, keep the flame low, listen for the gurgle. A coarser grind than espresso is the one setting that is stated outright.
Made differently elsewhere
Preheated water
A widespread specialty variation starts with hot water in the base instead of cold, so the coffee is not slowly cooked while the pot heats up. It roughly halves the time on the stove. The maker's own instructions call for room-temperature water, so this is a departure, not the official method.
- Water temp
- 90-95 °C
How to go about it
Fill the base with water up to the safety valve - never above it.
Fill the basket level with coffee and do not press it down.
Heat on a low flame and take it off as soon as it starts to gurgle.
Where these numbers come from
Bialetti and James Hoffmann.