Something I used to reference when I used one of those.

First, pay attention to the water level. You don’t want to fill the moka pot with water above the safety valve in the bottom chamber. If you do, too much pressure can build up, and that’s not good.

Another important thing is the water temperature. Don’t use cold water; it can mess with the brewing process. Instead, go for hot water that’s just been boiled. It gives better results.

When it comes to grinding your coffee, aim for a medium to fine grind. Not as fine as espresso, but definitely finer than what you’d use for pour-over coffee. Using an espresso-like grind can make your coffee taste bitter, so keep that in mind.

Now, here’s something interesting: unlike with espresso, you shouldn’t tamp down the grounds in the moka pot. Tamping can cause channelling, which means the water won’t evenly saturate the coffee. This leads to under-extraction, and we want to avoid that.

To speed up extraction and prevent burning or a metallic taste, fill the lower chamber with hot water before brewing.

When it’s time to brew, place the moka pot on the stove at a medium-low heat setting. Keep an eye on it and leave the lid open so you can see what’s going on.

Once you start hearing those bubbling noises, that’s your cue to remove the pot from the heat right away. Close the lid and let it finish brewing for about a minute.