The moka pot, a classic Italian coffee maker, delivers a rich, full-bodied brew that's perfect for espresso-based drinks. Here's how to make the most of your moka pot and avoid the (sadly, all-too-common) mistakes:

Aim for medium-fine grinds: Using coffee ground too finely can lead to a bitter, over-extracted brew. A medium-fine grind size strikes the perfect balance between extraction and flavor.

Use hot water: A lot of brewers pot cold water into their moka pot and never know what they're missing out on! Cold water will take longer to heat up and can result in an uneven, bittter brew. Start with hot water to accelerate the brewing process and ensure optimal flavor extraction.

Avoid overfilling: Fill the bottom chamber with water to the safety valve. Overfilling the bottom chamber can lead to an uneven brew.

Level the grounds but don’t pack them: Gently level the coffee grounds to ensure even extraction. But don't pack the coffee grounds down, as this can hinder the brewing process.

Screw on the top chamber, but not too tight: Tighten the top chamber securely, but avoid over tightening, as this can harm the rubber seal’s quality over time. Place the moka pot on a medium-high heat source.

Cool it down once it gurgles: As the water heats up, you'll hear a gurgling sound. Once the coffee starts to flow into the top chamber, remove the moka pot from the heat. Take it to your sink and run cold water on the side of the lower chamber to cool it down, preventing it from overheating, and stopping the brewing process.

Serve immediately, and avoid reheating: Pour the freshly brewed coffee into a cup and enjoy it immediately for the best flavor. Reheating coffee can lead to a loss of flavor and aroma.

There’s an old myth that the old coffee will help add flavor to the pot… but take it from us that you don’t want the flavor it adds! The stale coffee from past brews will only make the pot more and more bitter over time. It’s important to clean the moka pot completely after each use. This is a key step that a lot of moka-pot users ignore, and it leads to them not getting the right impression of what this machine is capable of long-term.

The final step that’s equally important is to keep the upper and lower halves of the moka pot separate when you store it. This is because the rubber seal can be damaged over time if it’s constantly under tension, so be sure to keep it apart after cleaning.