MOKA POT VS ESPRESSO MACHINE: CAN YOU REALLY COMPARE THEM?
Here’s a brief rundown of the similarities and differences between the moka pot and the espresso machine to help anyone in doubt about choosing their preferred brewing method.
Photo: Julia Bobak
Talk to an Italian grandmother, and she’ll argue that you make the best espresso on the stove with a Moka pot. Talk to a professional barista, and they will tell you the only way to make proper espresso is using a large and expensive espresso machine.
So, who are you going to listen to?
In today’s showdown, we’re comparing the Moka Pot with the Espresso Machine. Which makes better coffee at home? What’s the better bang for your buck?
What Is A Moka Pot?
The Moka pot, often called a stovetop espresso maker, is a simple manual coffee maker usually made from aluminum or stainless steel. It’s been a staple in many households for decades due to its ease of use and potential to produce a delicious cup of coffee.
This Italian coffee maker consists of three chambers and brews strong cup of coffee using steam pressure. Its bottom chamber is reserved for water, the middle chamber, or filter basket, holds the coffee grounds, and the top chamber is where the brew is collected.
See this list for the top-rated Moka pots.
PROS
- Makes a rich and robust coffee
- Easy to use and easy to clean
- Durable
- Portable
- Affordable
CONS
- Difficult to control quality from brew to brew
- Lacks the pressure to create authentic espresso with crema
What Is An Espresso Machine?
An espresso machine is a much more complex coffee-making apparatus, depending on your machine. Some espresso machines are fully automatic, whereas others allow more control over the extraction process.
If you’re in the market, we shortlisted the best ones in our home espresso machine reviews.
A typical automatic home espresso machine includes four main components: pump, boiler, grouphead, and portafilter. It might also have a steam wand for frothing milk. The water boiler is self-contained and used to heat water. The pump pushes the hot water through the grouphead, which controls the water flow and pressure. The portafilter is a handled basket holding your coffee grounds in a compressed puck (1).
PROS
- Extracts a concentrated coffee with crema and complex flavors
- Excellent pressure consistency
- Can control brewing parameters
- Often has a steam wand for frothed milk drinks
- Can make multiple drinks quickly
CONS
- Requires accessories like a tamper, scale, burr grinder
- Expensive
- Cleaning and maintenance can be a hassle
Comparing The Espresso Machine versus the Moka Pot
Now that you know the critical details of Moka pots and espresso machines, let’s look at each method of brewing coffee head to head to find out which one is for you.
Coffee Flavor
Is Moka pot espresso or does a Moka pot make espresso? A Moka pot might be called a “stovetop espresso maker,” but it doesn’t produce enough pressure to make true espresso. It yields a strong, boldly-flavored cup of coffee, which many people will choose to dilute with hot water – like making an Americano.
An espresso machine produces espresso shots, which are more concentrated and flavorful than the coffee shots made in a Moka pot. They have a richer body and creamier mouthfeel. One of the most apparent differences between the two brewing methods is the thick layer of crema that caps a shot of espresso.
Winner: It depends on your perfect cup of coffee, but in my opinion, the espresso machine takes this round thanks to its ability to develop more complex flavors.
Versatility
Coffee brewed in a simple Moka pot is always the same robust espresso coffee. And in my experience, it’s limited primarily to medium or dark roasts. It’s difficult (though not impossible) to brew a tasty light roast.
In contrast, an espresso machine offers far more brewing diversity. You can pull a single or double shot. You can make an Americano by adding hot water; many espresso machines include a hot water tap for this purpose. If your machine has a steam wand, you can prepare milky drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.
It is still difficult to properly extract a light roast with an espresso machine, but it’s easier than with a Moka pot, and fancier modern machines make it even easier. These same machines allow you to tease different flavors from specialty coffee by adjusting the temperature of the water and the extraction pressure (2).
Serving Sizes
An espresso machine makes preparing back-to-back drinks easier. Once it’s heated, it needs very little recovery time between shots, and many can make two coffees at once. A Moka pot must undergo the entire heating and brewing process for each serving. However, Moka pots come in various sizes. Bialetti, for example, has models ranging from a 1-cup shot to a 12-cup pot for serving a crowd.
Winner: The espresso machine takes an easy win in this round. It makes a huge variety of drinks and is suitable for all roasts and flavor profiles of coffee beans.
Ease Of Use
Using a Moka Pot is nearly effortless. Fill the bottom chamber with water, place coffee grounds in the filter basket, and put the brewer on the hob. It’s that simple.
The water in the bottom chamber comes to a boil, and the resulting steam pressure forces the water up through the filter basket, where it extracts the coffee grounds (3). A gurgling sound indicates that the top compartment is filled with delicious coffee. This is the crucial moment in Moka pot brewing. Take it off the heat immediately to avoid a bitter tasting brew.
Espresso machines come in all forms. Some are as simple as pushing a button and waiting for a latte to appear, while others leave you in total control of every brewing variable. Generally, using espresso machines are harder, but they make better espresso – provided you have the skills to use them. A good barista will dial in the right grind, dose, tamp pressure, and extraction time for the best results.
Ease Of Cleaning
Cleaning a Moka pot is simple. Let it cool, unscrew the top from the base, and dump out the ground coffee. Wash with warm, soapy water. Many are dishwasher safe. An espresso machine requires regular backflushing and occasional descaling, though some machines have automated cycles to perform these tasks.
Winner: The Moka pot wins this round. While there are some easy-to-use one-button espresso machines, the best ones require know-how to operate and keep clean.
Value For Money
Espresso machines are expensive, starting around $200 and running to many thousands. If you want to enjoy the espresso machine trifecta of delicious espresso, good build quality, and ease of use, expect to shell out some serious cash.
Plus, espresso machines require expensive accessories. At a minimum, plan on adding a good burr coffee grinder, a digital scale, and a metal tamper. You might also want a tamping mat, naked portafilter, frothing pitcher, precision basket, etc. Getting serious about home espresso can be a wallet-draining spiral.
Moka pots tend to range from $20 to $100. Their simple metal construction is built to last, and they require few extras. While I still advise using a burr grinder to prepare freshly ground coffee, you can get away with pre-ground coffee in a pinch.
Winner: No question here. Unless you demand real-deal espresso, the Moka pot is much better bang for your buck, both in upfront costs and long-term maintenance.
The Verdict
Choosing between a moka pot and an espresso machine is no easy task for coffee enthusiasts. Although they are similar in that both brew a strong coffee, the Moka pot comes nowhere near the espresso machine in consistency, quality, or control. On the other hand, it is more affordable and requires little know-how to brew.
Use a Moka pot if…
- You want strong coffee, not real espresso.
- You’re on a tight budget.
- You want something straightforward to use and clean.
- You don’t brew light roast coffee.
Use an espresso machine if…
- You want real espresso with a heavy body and crema layer.
- You want to make frothed milk drinks.
- You demand consistently high-quality results.
FAQs
Moka pot coffee is not espresso because it doesn’t produce enough pressure. Most espresso machine pumps are rated for upwards of 15 bars, whereas the Moka pot uses nothing but steam pressure, which maxes out around 1.5 bars. An espresso machine can use a denser puck of more finely ground coffee, yielding the stronger flavor, heavier body, and crema layer of true espresso (4).
The Moka pot uses a slightly coarser grind than used for espresso but finer than that used in a regular drip coffee machine. It’s relatively forgiving, so Moka pot coffee can still be delicious even if the grind isn’t just right. In comparison, an espresso machine requires a precise and uniform grind.
Yes, Moka pot coffee is stronger than regular coffee in terms of flavor, but that doesn’t mean it has more caffeine. Caffeine content is mostly related to the coffee-to-water brewing ratio and the type of coffee beans.
No, there is no evidence to suggest that an aluminum Moka pot is unhealthy or will leach significant aluminum into your brew. In large quantities, aluminum is a neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, but those quantities aren’t achievable via your coffee maker (5). Of course, if you’re concerned, many excellent stainless steel stovetop brewers are available.
References
- Aupiais, S. (2018, January 29). Barista Basics: How to Make an Espresso in 14 Steps. Retrieved from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2018/01/barista-basics-how-to-make-an-espresso-in-14-steps/
- Nanetti, T. (2022, July 20). How pressure profiling elevated the home barista experience. Retrieved from https://newgroundmag.com/2022/07/pressure-profiling-elevated-home-barista/
- Prinsloo, M. (2018, November 9). How Do Espresso Machines Work? Retrieved from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2018/11/how-do-espresso-machines-work/
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters. (n.d.). Brew Guide: Espresso. Retrieved from https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/pages/brew-guide-espresso
- Stahl T, Falk S, Rohrbeck A, Georgii S, Herzog C, Wiegand A, Hotz S, Boschek B, Zorn H, Brunn H. Migration of aluminum from food contact materials to food-a health risk for consumers? Part II of III: migration of aluminum from drinking bottles and moka pots made of aluminum to beverages. Environ Sci Eur. 2017;29(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s12302-017-0118-9.
I live in a small apartment with a tiny kitchen. I’d love to have an espresso machine, but there is no available counter space. The little Moka pot wins because it can be easily tucked into a drawer or cupboard. (Sorry about the crema.)
tl;dr: Size is a factor too.