Firstly we would like to point out that a stove top / Moka Pot is not a method used to make an espresso, only espresso machines can do that! Instead, we use moka pots to make a strong, deep and balanced coffee.

So, what equipment will we need before we get started? The list below will be everything you require:

- Kettle
- Carbon filtered water (bottled mineral water with a TDS of around 150ppm)
- Moka Pot / Stove Top
- Dry cloth
- Cold, wet cloth
- Freshly ground coffee (to the specifications given hereafter)
- Measuring scales

Now let's get started on making the perfect Moka Pot:

1 - Never use cold water in the bottom section of your stove top, use freshly boiled water instead. Why? Using boiled water helps speed the process along somewhat and it means the stove top doesn't spend as much time exposed to heat. Exposing your moka pot to heat for any length of time will damage the coffee.

2 - Once the kettle has boiled (preferably using carbon filtered water with a TDS of 150ppm), fill the base of your moka pot with the water until it reaches the pressure valve.

3 - Using your freshly ground (medium-fine) coffee, add this to the brew basket which has been sat on your scales and 'tared'. By doing this, you will be able to measure the coffee weight for repeating in the future. Why medium-coarse and not close to an espresso grind? Well, using too finely ground coffee will give you a very strong and bitter cup, I'll explain why. The water passed over the coffee grinds in a stove top is not at boiling point, it's the steam collected in the base that acts as the propellant and because of this, the pressure required is about 8 times less than that in an espresso machine. Therefore the coffee grinds don't have to be as fine.

4 - Smooth off the coffee grinds so it is flush to the brew basket lip, but there's no need to compress it. Once again, by compressing the coffee we run the risk of over extracting it.

5 - Making sure the rubber seal is clean, place the brew basket into the bottom section and attach the top section. Do not over-tighten and remember, there's boiling water in the base, so use the dry cloth as mentioned above to avoid burning yourself!

6 - Place your moka pot onto the heat.

7 - After a short period of time, coffee will begin to appear from the spout and deposited into the top container. It's at this point we need to keep our ears open!

8 - We only want water to pass through the coffee, not steam (again to avoid over extracting our coffee). As soon as you begin to hear a bubbling or gurgling noise, remove the moka pot from the heat and wrap the base in your cold wet cloth. Doing so will prevent the heat rising further and as above... reduce the risk over extraction.

9 - Pour and enjoy!

By using the method set out above, we are sure that you'll be able to produce a great cup of coffee from your moka pot / stove top regurlarly

Good luck and happy coffee drinking.