A moka pot is the Italian coffee maker that uses steam pressure to brew coffee on a stovetop.
Its distinctive octagonal design was patented by Alfonso Bialetti in Italy in 1933, and the familiar aluminum Moka Express helped make home coffee brewing widespread. The pot has three main sections: a lower chamber for water, a funnel-shaped filter basket for ground coffee, and an upper chamber for the finished brew.
As the water heats, pressure pushes it upward through the coffee grounds and into the top chamber. This produces a concentrated, robust coffee that is often mistakenly called espresso. Moka-pot coffee is strong, but it is brewed at lower pressure than espresso and does not have the same extraction process or crema.
The moka pot is also commonly confused with a percolator. A percolator repeatedly circulates hot water through coffee, while a moka pot pushes water upward only once. It is traditionally served in small cups, diluted with hot water or milk, or used as the base for drinks such as café latte.