Moka pot coffee ratio
A moka pot is built around its basket. You fill the basket with coffee and the water up to the valve, so the ratio is mostly set by the pot. By weight that lands near 1:8. Use this page to check your pot or to scale it for a smaller one.
Change any field and the others update. Typical range for Moka pot: 1:7 to 1:10.
Coffee
18 g
Water
144 ml
Tbsp (approx.)
3.6
Water: 4.9 fl oz, 0.6 cups
The numbers
- Starting ratio
- 1:8
- Usual range
- 1:7 to 1:10
- Grind
- Fine, a little coarser than espresso
- Water temperature
- Start with hot water, medium-low heat
- Brew time
- 4–5 minutes on the stove
- Example
- A 3-cup moka pot holds about 130 ml of water and takes about 16 g of coffee, which is 1:8.
Steps
- Fill the base with hot water up to just below the safety valve.
- Fill the basket with coffee, level it, and do not tamp.
- Screw the pot together and heat on medium-low with the lid open.
- When it starts to sputter and turns pale, take it off the heat and run the base under cold water.
Tips
- Starting with hot water keeps the grounds from cooking while the pot warms up, which cuts the metallic taste.
- Keep the water below the valve. Above it, the pot cannot vent properly.
Cup not right? Bitter or sour coffee: what to change.