The best Moka pots and stovetop espresso makers we tested in 2022

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Built with the same materials and roughly the same design found in models four times its price, Imusa's Aluminum Stovetop Coffee Maker is all you really need for top-notch Moka pot coffee.

Pros: Designed as well as most on the market at a fraction of the price, makes coffee every bit as well

Cons: Slightly more delicate than many other options, corrosive, not dishwasher safe

Moka-pot design hasn't evolved much since the first one was introduced almost a century ago. For that reason, they're fairly easy to replicate and produce, and Imusa has done a fantastic job of putting the original design into an incredibly affordable package. There are few, if any, coffee-brewing methods as affordable.

Made of a thin aluminum, Imusa's Moka pot (billed as a "Stovetop Espresso Maker") heats up quickly and does everything any other aluminum Moka pot does every bit as well.It comes with a low-memory, tighter-sealing silicone gasket, which is preferred to the rubber one included in some pricier options.

The only drawbacks with this Moka pot are that it is (mildly) more delicate. You'll want to take extra care around using the lid and the handle, which are relatively brittle, though still not dainty; it just might not survive a camping trip, is all.

If you want espresso-like coffee as cheaply as possible from something that's not going to fall apart in short order, this is the ticket.

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LuxHaus' Stovetop Espresso Maker is made with stainless steel and a narrow chimney for carefully maintaining heat and brewing Moka-pot coffee on an induction stove.

Pros: Good parts where it counts, dishwasher safe (top rack), non-corrosive

Cons: Plastic handle and lid tab, not great for gas or electric stoves

Because induction stovetops require magnetic cookware to function, purely aluminum Moka pots won't work on them. A stainless steel Moka pot might take a little longer to heat up in general, which is why we don't necessarily recommend them for gas and electric stovetops, but it will work on an induction stovetop.

LuxHaus' Stovetop Espresso Maker (we'll call it a Moka pot because none of these devices make true espresso) is attractive, with its unique shape and stainless-steel sheen, but it also offers a more controlled experience. By that we mean it is less likely to spurt coffee all over your stovetop and make a mess, which we attribute to the steady pressure buildup within its long and gradually narrowing center column or chimney. While this is a user-error-related issue, LuxHaus has done a great job of addressing it.

It's the minor things that make the LuxHaus so great. First, stainless steel is a lot more durable, corrosion-resistant, and dishwasher-safe. We also like the tall, narrow chimney it comes with, which in our experience reduces splatter and leads to a slower, more even trickle of coffee. And while it's a little tricky to remove the filter basket on most Moka pots, this one is equipped with a spring that props it up for easy removal and cleaning.

LuxHaus' Stovetop Espresso Maker is an elegantly designed, stainless steel Moka pot built to last and best suited for induction stovetops.

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What else we recommend and why:

Bialetti Mini Express: Our favorite Bialetti model and the one that we find offers the closest result to espresso, is the Mini Express. Apart from the fact that it keeps cheap plastic to a minimum (and away from your heat source), the thin spouts make crema a much easier achievement. Read our full review of it here.

Cuisinox Roma: If you have an induction stovetop or just want to upgrade to something that might last decades, look to Cuisinox. Fully stainless steel, there's no cheap plastic attached to this, and the gasket is made of silicone. The only reason this isn't a top pick of ours is that it's an investment and costs far more than most people are willing to spend on a Moka pot.

Kamira Moka Express: This is a heavy-duty stovetop coffee maker that works precisely like a Moka pot through a different design. It's a little difficult to get the hang of and borders more on espresso in process and product, but it's also fairly pricey. We recommend this if you want to be a fanatic about your stovetop coffee exploits, but for someone that wants a quick and easy solution, it might be a bit too involved.

What we don't recommend and why:

Bialetti (save for the Mini Express): We've tried almost every Express model Bialetti makes, and while they work great, we find that you're paying for the name. Between the rubber gasket and the cheap plastic handle, you'll do just as well purchasing our recommended budget pick. Bialetti does offer a silicone gasket, but it's a shame that you should have to buy it separately. That said, if Bialetti starts to offer an aluminum model with a silicone gasket and a solid metal or silicone-coated handle, we'll give them another go.

Goodcook Koffee: Goodcook offers something between Bialetti's Express models and Grosche's Milano, but the non-coated plastic handle was a dealbreaker for us.

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Despite having some serious Moka pot enthusiasts on the Insider Reviews staff, we spoke with 2020 UK Brewers Cup champion Matteo D'Ottavio to learn more about what makes a good Moka pot and how to brew the perfect cup using one. D'Ottavio, by the way, won the UK Brewers Cup competing against all manner of manual brewers, so don't think these humble little devices aren't every bit as capable as any pour-over, drip, or press out there.

It turns out that for all but induction stovetops, aluminum is the most convenient, with the concession that it's not dishwasher safe, and it is corrosive (so you'd better clean it). 

How we tested

We asked D'Ottavio to instruct us on exactly how to use a Moka pot as flawlessly as possible and what to look for to confirm we'd achieved the right results: an even, steady delivery of coffee somewhere around 158 to 167 degrees Fahrenheit (70 to 75 degrees celsius).

In our testing, we tried out six different devices and brewed coffee with each three times. Each time, we noted the following:

Ease of use: Using every Moka pot was fairly easy, though we noticed that the threading on stainless-steel models made them a little tougher to put together than that on the aluminum ones.

Consistency: As well as stainless steel might work on induction stovetops, it was much more difficult to get a quick and predictable cup brewed. Aluminum was fast as can be, and after getting used to dialing the stovetop setting, which can vary based on the thickness of the aluminum and the size of the Moka pot, we were able to achieve what we wanted with reasonable consistency with every model we tested — something you might have a lot harder of a time achieving with an espresso machine. We considered how difficult it was to have the coffee brew at the right temperature and pace so that it wasn't completely burned or spewing all over the place.

Quality of materials: All in all, the Moka pots we tested performed fairly similarly, but the quality of the materials varied, which will impact longevity. While thinner, cheaper aluminum models work very well, it's easy to bend the funnel and filter that holds the ground coffee. We also took note of the handles of each model we tested and were not impressed with how many models included cheap and all-too-easy-to-melt plastic. We leaned toward higher-quality materials in recommending our overall pick but made a concession with our budget pick because, as we stated above, we came across many popular options that were essentially of the same quality.

We also took note of the gasket, which creates a seal between the coffee collector (the upper chamber), the filter basket or funnel, and the boiler (or heating vessel at the bottom) and creates pressure. There are two common materials used for these, but we learned from D'Ottavio that a silicone seal is preferred to a rubber one because it creates a better seal and lasts a lot longer.

What should I look for in a Moka pot?

The most important thing to look for is whether the pot is made from aluminum or stainless steel. Aluminum conducts heat faster and brews faster, but it's not corrosion-resistant, nor is it dishwasher safe. Still, it's D'Ottavio's preferred material for gas and electric stoves thanks to its speed and relative ease of use. On the other hand, stainless steel is dishwasher-safe, but it takes a while to heat up and retains heat for a much longer time (which can lead to burnt grounds).

Other considerations you'll want to take into account are the handle (plastic or heat-resistant metal or silicone) and the gasket (rubber or silicone). If you're the type of person who tends to neglect things on the stove for even a minute or two, a plastic handle might not last long in your kitchen. And if you use your Moka pot regularly, consider models with a silicone gasket as opposed to a rubber one, which is going to give way far quicker.

One thing you'll need to make the Moka pot shine, as with any brewing method, is a good burr grinder or a nearby barista willing to freshly grind your beans for you.

What's the difference between Moka pot coffee and espresso?

While both coffee-brewing methods rely on pressure, espresso occurs somewhere between five and 10 bars of pressure (depending on whom you ask) and the pressure a Moka pot achieves is, optimally, somewhere between one and one-and-a-half bars of pressure. 

Because of this, the grind size for Moka pots is typically a little coarser, and, according to Matteo D'Ottavio, the 2020 UK Brewers Cup Champion, should be between espresso (very fine) and drip coffee (medium-fine) grounds. He wouldn't give us a particular size, measured in micrometers or microns, but we find somewhere around 500 microns will do the trick with a medium-roast coffee. Along with D'Ottavio, we also recommend you go up in size for dark roast and down in size for light roast.

How do you make Moka pot coffee?

Note: These are general guidelines, and different coffees may require adjustment depending on your palate.

1. Fill the basin or boiler up to the purge valve with warm water. Warm water helps speed up the brewing process and prevents the coffee from being steamed.
2. Fill the filter or grounds basket with the ground coffee of your choice.
3. Don't tamp or level the grounds, but tap them from the side to gently level the grounds within the basket. They don't have to be perfectly flat, but you want to avoid large peaks and valleys.
4. Connect the top pot.
5. Place on the stove at low temperature, with the lid open. The lid should always be open while brewing.
6. If you want to be particular, insert a temperature probe into the top of the chimney.
7. When the probe hits 165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the Moka pot, turn off the stove, and let it finish brewing, which should take no longer than a few seconds.

How do you clean a Moka pot?

The imperative thing is to get it dry and keep it dry after use. According to UK Brewers Cup champion Matteo D'Ottavio, the best way to clean a Moka pot is to take apart the entire thing, including the screen and gasket, and soak it or wash it with water and a little white vinegar. If it gets really bad (as in, if you find you've left grounds or water in it for days or longer on end), fill a large bowl with some mild dish detergent, disassemble the whole thing, and soak it until things loosen up.

Once it's clean, keep everything apart and store the parts loosely piled atop each other to prevent mold and allow for airflow.

Boiler: The basin, or the bottom half of the device into which you pour water

Column or chimney: The spout in the top part through which the coffee brews

Filter cup or Funnel: The funnel and basket into which the coffee grounds go

Filter plate: The metal filter that goes between the gasket and the coffee collector, or the top part

Gasket: The silicone or rubber piece that goes between the filter cup and the metal filter to create a seal for pressurizing

Safety valve or purge valve: The opening in the boiler that allows excess pressure to escape