How Long Does A Moka Pot Take to Brew Coffee? Top Tips Inside

‘How long does a make pot take to brew delicious coffee?’, you might be thinking. 

Did you know that around 70% of the households in Italy have at least 1 Moka pot hanging around?  I can’t blame them, a Moka pot is a handy, easy-to-use gadget to brew delicious espresso and make espresso-based coffees including cappuccino and latte. 

But how long does it take a traditional Moka pot to brew coffee? 

Stick around, in this article, I chat about all the key bits you should know about brewing 

with a Moka pot. 

Let’s dive right into it.

How long does a Moka pot take to brew coffee? 

The time you need to brew coffee with a 3-cup Moka pot is between 6-8 minutes. Half of this time does preparation before brewing which includes, grinding coffee, boiling water, pouring in water and stuffing the coffee filter with coffee grounds. Overall, it’s a fairly simple process.

The 4 steps to brewing with a Moka pot and the time needed for each one 

Let’s go over all the steps needed and see how much time it takes for brewing coffee with a Moka pot.

1. Grinding coffee (60 seconds)

It all starts with grinding coffee.

If you use pre-ground coffee, you can skip this step.

But IMO, grinding coffee yourself is going to make a whole difference since your coffee is going to be more aromatic and delicious. All you need to do is buy a grinder (you can find one for around 10 bucks). 

If you really want your coffee taste to be top of the top, do the grinding right before each time you’re about to brew coffee. I know it’s easier to do the grinding once and keep the coffee in a container. 

But grinding each time is more laborious but it’s worth it. 

The grinding process should take you about a minute or less as you’ll need to grind only a small portion of coffee beans for a single espresso. 

2. Add water and coffee grounds to your Moka pot (2-3 minutes)

This is a necessary step for brewing with the Moka pot.

Start by disassembling your Moka pot and pouring water into the lower chamber. You need around 150g of water which should be 70°C (158°F). You can achieve this temperature by missing 70% of hot water with 30% of colder water. It’s key to use water at that temperature for brewing; if it’s way colder than this temperature it won’t extract too many flavours from the coffee grounds while if it’s hotter your espresso will end up being too bitter. 

Take out the coffee filter and stuff it with coffee grounds – you need around 15-17g of coffee (or 2.5 tbsps).

Top tip: DON’T tamp the coffee grounds – it won’t brew in a million years.

Once done, assemble your Moka pot. place it on the smaller stove of your oven and turn it on.

3. Time to brew (3-4 minutes)

This is where the magic happens.

All you need to do is leave the Moka pot brew coffee. What’s happening is pressure is built up on the inside of your Moka that forces the water to move through the coffee filter and come out from the upper chamber as hot coffee. During the process, you might see steam coming out of the valve on the side or the top lid and this is absolutely fine.

It’s important to let your Moka pot brew for only 3-4 minutes. If you leave it on for longer espresso is going to turn bitter. 

4. Cleaning your Moka pot 

Here’s the boring part…

Who likes cleaning? We all agree that it’s a boring part yet essential to keep your Moka pot in top condition; you’ll be able to brew coffee with it for a long long time. 

All you need to do is to rinse the coffee filter and get rid of the coffee grounds (or you can use them as a fertiliser for your grass). Then run water under the lower and upper chamber and clean the inside with washing-up liquid and a sponge. Finally, use a kitchen roll to clean the outside of your Moka pot to keep it in top condition.

Top tip: AVOID putting your Moka pot into your dishwasher it’s made of aluminium and it oxidises which makes it lose its shiny colour. 

What does it mean if brewing takes longer? 

Let’s go over a few common issues that make your brewing process last longer.

• The stove isn’t hot enough: it’s key to not turning the stove to the maximum as your coffee will be burnt and you’ll end up with a cup of coffee that tastes too bitter. But it’s also vital to not have to the lowest level as it won’t be any pressure built on the inside to force water to move up. A great rule of thumb is to turn to the middle level or the one higher than the middle.
• Your grind might be too fine: if you use grinds that are too finely ground it will create extra resistance and there won’t be enough pressure on the inside to brew coffee. So, make sure that you use grinds that aren’t too finely ground cause the brewing process will last forever.

Let’s wrap it up

Do you now know how long does a Moka pot take to brew coffee? If so, it’s high time you make aromatic espresso and treat yourself to good coffee, in fact, you’re minutes away from making great coffee.

FAQ

Let’s go over a couple of questions on the topic that often come up.

Is Moka pot coffee as strong as espresso? 

Yes, it’s as strong as espresso. 

Moka pot coffee is made at a way lower pressure than an espresso shot made with an espresso machine. But when it comes to the caffeine content they both contain the same amount as the caffeine content depends mostly on the coffee beans.

Did you know that you can also brew Café Bustelo with a Moka pot? Café Bustelo is stronger than espresso as it contains more caffeine (60-90mg per 6fl oz).

Can a Moka pot explode?

In theory, it can happen, but it’s highly unlikely.

One thing to keep in mind to avoid accidents is that the valve on the side ISN’T clogged. How to make sure it’s not clogged? If you see steam coming out when brewing it means it’s not clogged. 

If you think it is, use a thin swab to unblock and remove coffee residue that might have clogged it. Another thing to keep in mind is to pour in water just right below the valve, so you allow it to release the pressure when brewing. 

Keeping your Moka pot in top condition and reading the manual booklet that usually comes with it will reduce the possibility of having an accident. 

Is the Moka pot the same as a stovetop espresso maker? 

Yes, it’s almost identical, they’re both made of high-quality materials and they’re simple to use.

And what about the brewing process?

Yes, it’s pretty much the same you need to pour in water and add relatively finely-ground coffee; it only takes a few minutes to brew coffee (about the same time you need for brewing with a traditional Moka pot).