I hate to be pedantic, but technically coffee produced with a Moka is not espresso. Espresso requires a certain amount of pressure which a Moka cannot provide. Also, not sure about the experience of others, but having grown up with many Italian friends and neighbors, i've found that they actually always offer you a "caffe" not an "espresso" when they're using a Moka-- after all, it's technically just a "caffettiera" or coffee maker.

Cooklyn's right, and I notice Mr. Amato does not call it espresso in the video. Still, tips on making better coffee of any variety are always welcome.

I think no Italian would ever call coffee made with a moka "espresso".

Such a fantastic accent. I desperately want to retire to Italy someday

Dardi is right. We will never call "espresso" something made with a moka, but simply caffe'.

in addition to the above, a blade grinder is not optimal... use a burr grinder if you can. but yes: fresh water + fresh, good quality beans + a good grind + moka pot = very good coffee (which i'm making presently thanks to this post!).

Agree with redneckmodern on the math, better than a french press. Got mine on a whim at IKEA for $20 and haven't regretted it yet.

It's not espresso (pressure needed), and that blade grinder gives me hives. But as a bona fide coffee/espresso addict and hobbiest, I love videos showing different brewing techniques! Keep 'em coming!

Not to nit pick, but.

High heat is not recommended while using a moka, you will basically cook your coffee if you do that.

Low to medium heat, with my aluminium moka it takes me 13 minutes for a brew from the moment it hits the stove to the moment the coffee spews out.

Yes, I agree. No italian would call it other than "CAFFE' ".

Espresso is a different coffee brewing system, based on a different grind and coffee quality (never use the espresso quality in a moka!) and with high pressure adn low contact time,.

Being italian and living in Naples, Italy I can disclose few more tricks and tips, taught by my mother and my grand mother, and so on...
1. water level: the lower tank has a small valve inside. Water level must be always at or below that valve.
2. never press the coffee in the filter. Add coffee in the filter until a small "mountain" shape is achieved.
3. filter must be clean and dry. Trick to clean the filter after the coffe is made: blow inside as Vincenzo showed.
4. very important: NEVER WASH with soap or chemicals. Moka shall be rinsed with water ONLY !!
5. I agree about temperature. Never heat too much, just wait. When the coffee is coming out,, I usually shut down the heating and wait until the upper cup is full.
6. stir the coffee before pouring: the below part is the heaviest, so if no rinse, the first cup is.. "brown water" ! Lighter coffee.
7. espresso cup is kept hot before the coffee is poured. I like it hot, so when at home, I put the the cup on the moka upside down, so the steam heats the inside of my cup. But it's my personal trick and you may not like it.

Being very opften in the US (and all over Eu) I have gave a moka as a gift to many friends. Most of them tell me that they are now drinking only moka coffee in the morning.
Coffee brand I suggest, which is very good and quite easy to find in Italy and abroad is KIMBO (made in Naples).

ciao!

I'm italian and, of course, coffee lover. "Moka" and "espresso" are different kind of coffee drink, never to confuse. Both are called in Italy "Caffè", an italian don't ask for an espresso in a bar, but simply for a "caffè". If you are hosted in a friends' house, if they offer you a caffè without specification, they are offerinf you a caffè made with a "caffettiera", if they have a coffee machine may specify the kind of coffee. By the way, lots of italian never clean a caffettiera (called simply moka) with soap and many don't clean it at all, because cleaning a moka removes from it some coffee flavour!

I learned how to make espresso while living in Florence. This was exactly how my professor taught me how to make espresso. Exactly.

Thanks for pointing out the mistake, everyone!! :)

In addition to the tips already posted, I'd like to add one I've experimented with....

I agree that high heat/flame under the moka is not a good idea ( as Child of Man wrote) however... beginning with already close to boiling water in the lower tank eliminates the longer wait time and does not expose the grinds to more steam and heat than necessary. In my humble opinion, the resulting coffee is stronger and better tasting...
But don't go by me...go ahead and try it for yourself...and most of all *enjoy*.

There is a plate you can use with an aluminum moka on an induction hob. My moka pot is from Ikea in stainless and it works perfectly on the induction.

I am Cuban and the "moka" espresso coffee maker is used as well. I know what the difference between an esspresso machine and a moka coffee maker is. One uses high pressure and the other is made on the stove but the most important thing to be concerned with is the coffee being used. Un "Caffe" is espresso coffee.........the key is the type of coffee being brewed. 100 % Arabica "Espresso" coffee is key. Kimba, Illy, Cafe Bustelo, Pilon etc... is used for this type of coffee. My favorite is Illy.
Cubans also have a nice trick to make a creamy froth on top like its made from a high pressure espresso maker. Just search "You Tube" on how to make a Cuban coffee and the technique is given. It involves preparing a paste of sugar and the first drippings of the coffee before its fully brewed called "la espumita". For Cubans, it's not only the coffee but the beautiful creamy layer of foam "not from milk" but from sugar......that makes it all so decadent.

@fiona: you can get moka pots in stainless steel, too.

Don't cook anything in aluminum that is not at least lined with another material. It is suspected of being very harmful in the long term. Best to just stick to stainless steel.

The best way to explore different coffee makers and coffees is to go drink coffee in Italy. Which this article makes me want to do.

He would make learning anything interesting