If a Moka pot is your method of choice for brewing your coffee at home, then you’ll need to make sure that you have the very best coffee to go inside it. Of course, the flavor is everything when it comes to coffee. And it’s always a matter of taste as to what you prefer. Some people prefer a light roast that offers a similarly light aroma, whereas others prefer a dark roast that is full-bodied and slightly bitter.
Another big choice that you have is whether you purchase coffee that has already been ground for your Moka pot or if you go for whole beans so that you can use them for your espresso machine. Value-for-money has to be considered too. Then again, sometimes you have to pay that little bit extra for the very best coffee. A cup of joe isn’t a glass of water, after all. You have to make sure you fill your mug with the best coffee made by your stovetop espresso maker, as a Moka pot is sometimes known as.
To take the pressure out of choosing the very best coffee for brewing in a Moka pot, consider this list of the top seven coffees for Moka pots, as well as the guide to buying coffee for Moka pots that follows it.
View The Best Coffee for Moka Pot Below
1. illy Classico Espresso Ground Coffee
Illy Classico is a medium roast coffee that tastes delicious, if not spectacular, making it a great option for your daily Moka pot. It will open your eyes quicker than throwing cold water on your face. The taste can be described as being rich, with chocolate and caramel being the most notable flavors that you’ll recognize. As this coffee is an espresso grind, then it’s fine enough for your Moka pot, but it can also be used for your espresso machine, too.
When you buy Illy, you’re also assured of the fact that the coffee has been ethically sourced, which is an important consideration. Illy has been repeatedly placed on Ethisphere’s list of ethically sourced coffees, meaning that experts agree that everyone in the production chain has received a fair wage. Another great feature of this espresso ground coffee from Illy is that it comes in a pressurized can so that it will be completely fresh when you open it.
Pros:
+ Espresso grind is perfect for a Moka pot
+ Comes in a pressurized can to ensure freshness
+ Ethically sourced
+ Medium roast
+ Easy to drink
Why We Liked It – It’s an all-round crowd-pleaser. It will fill your heart with joy each time you drink it. Brewing it with a stovetop espresso maker each morning will give you a solid cup to oper your eyes, waking you up like a splash of water to the face.
2. Sulawesi Kalossi Whole Bean Coffee
If you’re looking for a light roast coffee that tastes luxurious, then this Indonesian coffee is a great choice. Despite the high price tag, you’ll instantly realize that it is worth every single cent when you taste it for the first time. It may be a light roast, but there is nothing light about the flavor, which is full-bodied and low in acidity. That means that this coffee is silky smooth to drink, and tastes so good that you’ll gladly drink several cups of it daily.
In fact, you’ll love it so much you’ll prefer to hydrate yourself with this coffee rather than water. It comes in whole bean form, so you’ll need to grind it before putting it in your Moka pot to brew. But that also means you can grind it for espresso or for a French press too. It comes in a 5lb bag, so you won’t need to worry about ordering any more in a hurry, even if you are drinking many cups of it each day.
Pros:
+ Premium coffee
+ Silky smooth, full-bodied flavor
+ Low acidity
+ 5lb pack
+ Full beans, so it can be used for espresso too
Why We Liked It – This coffee is our premium choice recommendation because it offers an exceptional flavor that is both full-bodied and low in acidity, making it a great choice for all discerning Moka pot or stovetop espresso maker users.
3. Lavazza Qualita Rossa Ground Coffee Blend
Lavazza is an Italian coffee company that is famous around the world. Many espresso machines in your local cafes will be loaded with Lavazza’s espresso ground coffee. One of the great features of Lavazza coffee is the price tag, making it almost as cheap as water. It’s an affordable brand that always delivers quality. That’s certainly true for this blend too.
It’s a medium roast coffee that’s got a rich, full-bodied flavor to is that will resonate for a while, as it has a very strong after-taste, which makes it a good idea to accompany this coffee with a glass of water. Ideally, you should drink distilled water with it, which is what you should use when putting this coffee in your stovetop espresso maker, as distilled hot water should always be put in the bottom chamber.
Pros:
+ Great value
+ Medium roast
+ Blend of arabica and robusta coffee grounds
+ Can be used for espresso as well
+ Rich flavor
Why We Liked It – It tastes good, has a great price, and you can use it for your espresso machine as well as for your Moka pot, making it a great choice for coffee lovers on a budget. Just make sure to make a glass of water to drink with it, as it has a strong aftertaste.
4. Lavazza Gran Filtro Decaffeinato Whole Bean Coffee Blend
If you’re looking for a decaffeinated coffee for your Moka pot, then this a superb choice from Lavazza, which offers just as good value as the previous Lavazza coffee on our list. This one comes in whole bean form, so you’ll need to grind it for your Moka pot. When it comes to taste, it ticks all the boxes, as it’s full of flavor, with notes of honey, almonds, and dried fruits.
Often, decaff beans can be lacking in aroma, but that’s not the case with these coffee beans, which offer an intense aroma. In fact, you may even want to accompany a cup of this coffee with a glass of water, as it offers a strong after-taste. You can use it to make a coffee in your Moka pot on the stove, or you can use it for espresso too.
Pros:
+ Decaffeinated
+ Intense aroma
+ Whole beans
+ Good value
+ Ideal for brewing a Moka pot or use in an espresso machine
Why We Liked It – There’s a lot to like about these decaffeinated Lavazza coffee beans. The intense aroma makes it a good choice for brewing in your Moka pot for an after-dinner coffee that has the same caffeine content as water.
5. Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend
This is another superb blend from Lavazza that comes in whole bean form so that you can use them both for your Moka pot or for your espresso machine. If you like your coffee to come with a mild flavor that enhances drinkability, then we think you’ll like this blend, as it offers a subtle taste that includes notes of hazelnuts and brown sugar. The ability to use these coffee beans for a Moka pot or an espresso coffee maker means that you’ve got options.
As this is a blend, it’s composed of both arabica and robusta coffee beans, which are sourced from Brazil, Columbia, India, Indonesia, and Viet Nam. As you’d expect from Italian coffee maker Lavazza, the quality is very high indeed, which is even more impressive because of the low price.
Pros:
+ Superb value-for-money
+ Mild flavor
+ Notes of hazelnuts and brown sugar
+ Whole beans, so you can use for Moka pot or espresso machine
+ Dependable Lavazza quality
Why We Liked It – If you like your coffee to be both mild and flavorful when you brew up a cup in your Moka pot or espresso machine, then this affordable coffee is the best choice for you, especially when the rock bottom price is considered too.
6. Bialetti Coffee, Moka Ground
Bialetti is another coffee manufacturer from Italy that has an exceptional reputation amongst coffee snobs. And you only need to taste this dark roast coffee to understand why. It has been ground specifically for stovetop espresso makers or Moka pots, so there’s no need to worry about having to struggle to get the grind right at home. When it comes to taste, it’s full-bodied and intense.
If you like bitterness in your coffee, then you should like this one, as it delivers a lovely bitter cocoa aroma. You may want to accompany it with a glass of water to take the edge off. As it is a dark roast, you can be assured of low caffeine content, so it’s ideal for brewing if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
Pros:
+ Moka pot grounds
+ Bitter, cocoa aroma
+ Dark roast
+ Affordable price
+ Made by Napoli’s top coffee brand, Bialetti
Why We Liked It – With a grind that is designed specifically for brewing coffee in Moka pots, this coffee is ideal for putting in the basket in your Moka pot, and the taste is lovely, making it a top choice for fans of bitter aromas.
7. illy Coffee, Moka Ground
This is another excellent coffee from one of the best coffee companies in the world. And just like the previous coffee on the list, this one has been ground specifically for use in a Moka pot. Although it is a blend, it contains 100% arabica coffee beans, which have been ethically sourced from nine different locations around the world. The coffee delivers a lovely, full-bodied taste that has notes of chocolate and caramel.
As it’s a medium roast, it goes down as smoothly as a glass of water. If you don’t like your coffee to be overly bitter, then you’ll enjoy how soft and mild the flavors come across with this coffee. Just like the previous Illy coffee on our list, this one is packaged in a high pressure can, so that you will get the freshest coffee when you open up the can and use it to fill the basket at the bottom of your pot for making a top-quality brew.
Pros:
+ The grounds are a perfect consistency for Moka pots or stovetop espresso makers
+ Aromatic
+ Notes of chocolate and caramel
+ 100% arabica
+ Comes in a pressurized can for freshness
Why We Liked It – This should be your top choice if you’re a fan of aromatic coffee that isn’t too bitter. It’s also one of the best options for anyone who doesn’t want to grind their coffee at home, as it’s already done for you. It’s the ideal consistency for popping in the basket of Moka pots.
Coffee for Moka Pot Buyer’s Guide
When you’re selecting coffee to be used in your Moka pot or stovetop espresso maker for brewing up a cup of joe, then you just need to focus on the following three areas.
Roast
You will find that the coffee will come in either a light roast, a medium roast, or a dark roast. Generally, the lighter the roast, the more caffeine that will be in the coffee, as well as the more acidic the coffee will be too. Dark roasts will have less caffeine, but they’ll have more of a taste of the roasting method, meaning that they will be more bitter. A medium roast is the best of both worlds, and if you’re unsure of what one you’ll like, then go for a medium roast to be safe.
Aroma
The aroma of the coffee will range from light to full-bodied. Often, you’ll find that the coffee will be described as having certain ‘notes.’ This is just like with wine, where the flavors are described in terms of, for example, chocolate, caramel, or dried fruit. If you’re still learning about what you like and don’t like, then you’re best going for something that isn’t too bold.
Grind
You have two choices. You can choose whole beans, so that you can grind them yourself, allowing you to use the beans for other coffee makers, such as espresso machines. Then you can go for coffee that has already been ground for a Moka pot. It’s also possible to choose an espresso grind, as this will usually work fine for a Moka pot, but be aware that sometimes an espresso grind can be very fine, and this might clog up your Moka pot. Usually, though, an espresso grind will be just fine for a Moka pot.
How hard is it to make coffee in a Moka pot?
A Moka pot – or stovetop espresso maker, as it’s sometimes known – is an easy method to brew up your morning cup of joe on your stove, as it doesn’t require a big espresso machine – or training in how to use the espresso machine. But it isn’t as easy as instant coffee, of course, as you have to do more than just add hot water to the coffee grounds.
You have to fill the bottom chamber of your pot with freshly boiled water. Use distilled water, if possible. Then put your ground coffee in the filter basket, pop the basket into the bottom chamber, and screw the top onto the bottom chamber. Put the pot onto your stove and then listen out for a hissing sound, which is when you know that the heat has pushed through the water to make your coffee.
You have to make sure you use the right heat. You don’t want the heat to be too high, as this will produce too much pressure. You also don’t want the heat to be too low, as this will produce too little pressure. The whole process only takes a short amount of time.
What type of coffee is best for brewing in a Moka pot?
To make coffee in a stovetop espresso machine – just like an industrial espresso machine – it is key to have the right coffee grounds. If the grounds are too coarse, then the coffee will just be watery and tasteless, whereas if the grounds are too fine like you’d use in an espresso machine, then this can cause issues for the stovetop espresso maker. When it comes to taste, then that’s up to you. One person’s top coffee may be bitter and have low caffeine content, whereas, for another person, their top choice would be full of flavor and heavily caffeinated.
Does coffee from a Moka pot taste good?
Yes! If you make your coffee on the stove with a Moka pot or stovetop espresso maker, then you can be ensured a lovely flavor. It’s a great alternative to an espresso machine or a French press that is easy to brew at home. You just have to make sure that the grounds you use are the right consistency. Using distilled water is a good choice too. If you fill the bottom chamber with distilled water, use the right heat so that you get optimum pressure, then you’ll get the best stovetop espresso coffee around.
Expert Tip
If you brew coffee in a Moka pot – or stovetop espresso maker – then you have to get the little things right. You should use distilled water. The heat shouldn’t be too low or high, so you get the optimum pressure. Do these things right, and you’ll brew coffee with your stovetop espresso maker that you can fill your cup to the brim with. Then you can close your eyes and imagine you’re sat in the heat in Italy drinking a lovely espresso. Make sure to fill a glass with cool water too, so that you don’t get dehydrated.
Did you know?
The Yemeni city of Mocha is where this type of pot gets its name from. Why? Because Mocha holds an important place in coffee history as it was where arabica beans were traded for many centuries.
Conclusion
A Moka pot or stovetop espresso maker is an inexpensive way to brew coffee on your stove at home that doesn’t require any complicated equipment, such as an espresso machine. Make sure that you choose coffee that’s suited to your tastes, picking one that has notes that appeal to you, and that has a caffeine content that you’re comfortable with.
