Best Stovetop Espresso Makers (Moka Pots) – Reviews and Top Picks

Reviews of the Best Stovetop Espresso Makers (Moka Pots)

These are the best moka pots that money can buy. If you're in a hurry, here is a quick overview of our top five picks of 2020.

Let's delve into the reviews of stovetop espresso makers one by one.

Bialetti is a brand that has been there for nearly a century. What brand would last this long if they simply aren’t good at what they’re doing? And this particular model, Bialetti Moka Express, is special because it has actually managed to beat every other model on the market.

It’s an Italian beauty – designed in a unique and stunning shape of an Octagon.  It screams elegance, and great quality. The body is carved out of aluminium, and a solid plastic handle. The craftsmanship is so good that you’d have no doubts about its longevity.

When it comes to coffee, there’s no denying that this one brews the best. It always comes out silky smooth, consistent and delicious – not to mention within a short span of time. It’s super easy to brew as well. Just pour the lower chamber with cold water, upper with coffee grounds, and let it sit on a stovetop.

Once ready, sit back and enjoy the cup as it takes you back to the unique flavours of the Italian countryside.

Even though Bialetti Moka Express is the best on the market, it’s not perfect. One of the two drawbacks it carries is that it can’t be used on an induction stovetop. This, however, is understandable given how inconsistent the heat of an induction stovetop is.

The other drawback is that it’s not dishwasher-safe. This isn’t a deal breakers in my opinion because it’s actually very easy to clean by hand. The grounds holder, and the gaskets come off easily, and all you need is to soap it and hold it under running water.

If you’re a buyer who wouldn’t mind splurging a little on an excellent stovetop espresso maker then the Cuisinox Roma is the farthest you could go. It brews one of the best tasting espressos, and takes no longer than 4-5 minutes to get there. Though advertised to brew 10 cups at a time, you can decide on the amount you want by following the instructions.

Should you own an induction cooktop, the flat bottom of this brewer is well-designed to fit on top of it. In fact, it works on gas, radiant, halogen, ceramic, electric cook tops and even ranges without a single complaint. It doesn’t require a stand either; just make sure that the burner is not bigger than the bottom of the Roma.

Cuisinox Roma is expensive, yes, but it comes with a 25-year limited warranty. No, it’s not a typo and yes, you read it right – an unbelievably long warranty. It just proves how confident the manufacturer is about the brewer, and you shouldn’t be hesitating to place a buy.

In fact, the entire pot is made up of stainless steel as opposed to aluminium found in most models. This makes it dishwasher-safe too, and much easier to clean. Right out of the box it feels heavy and sturdy; promising longevity from the start.

Even the handle is stainless steel, and it’s securely moulded into the unit so that it won’t come off. However, it does create the problem of inducing heat. Without a piece of cloth or glove, you’ll risk burning your hand.

If you’ve developed a liking for Italian Espresso, then Kitty will brew you just that. Strong, full-bodied and delicious, both coffee and espressos come out well and with little effort from your part.

Kitty, in fact, is one of Bialetti’s finest models in its stainless-steel line of brewers. Save it for the gasket and handle, everything is made up of premium-quality stainless steel. If the aluminium in our best pick worried you, give this model a go for it performs just as well.

Since this is a newer model, it has overcome the two major gripes of Bialetti Moka Express. It’s compatible with all kind of cooktops and it’s also dishwasher-safe. However, in terms of taste, Moka Express scores higher as the coffee is a tad stronger.

The lid of this unit is one thing to watch out for. It doesn’t fit snugly enough to seal off the aroma of coffee from escaping. So you need to serve coffee right after it’s brewed. Apart from that, everything else is of good quality, and has a promising future.

Electric coffee makers aren’t always a joy to use- especially when there’s a power outage or when you decide to hit the road. That’s precisely when a traditional, stovetop coffee maker like the Rapid Brew comes in handy. It doesn’t have to be your go-to brewer, but a spare brewer that wouldn’t do a job less than perfect.

The first thing that gets everyone excited is its price. However, a cheaper unit doesn’t come without a compromise, and maybe that’s why it looks like a pot out of your grandmother’s cabinet. But that matters not, since it works really well.

It’s not the easiest to use either, and has a learning curve to perfect your cup. You should neither over boil, nor overfill coffee grounds or the pot will start leaking. Once you get a hang of it, however,  there’s no denying that it’d brew you a pot to challenge any electric percolator.

Another noticeable plus point is its flat bottom – which makes it compatible across all types of stovetops, including induction cooktops and ranges as well. However, you need to make sure that the burner is exactly the size of the bottom. If not, the flame will escape the bottom, and end up boiling the water, handle and your hand in the process.

It’s made quite well, with premium 18/8 stainless steel. However, the top part contains glass and it offers a peek into the coffee being brewed. It’s lovely, but may break if you aren’t careful. The good news is that replacement tops are readily available for a cheaper price.

For nearly a century, Bialetti has ensured that the aroma of true-born Italian coffee doesn’t stay trapped within the Italian boundaries. Venus Espresso Coffee Maker is one of their recent models, made entirely up of high-grade stainless steel. This includes internal parts such as the funnel & filter plate too, which together promise longevity.

It works on any stovetop, and that’s a huge plus if you own an induction cooktop. This has been a major gripe against the older models of Bialetti and it’s nice to see that they have overcome it. However the Venus is still not dishwasher-safe. It isn’t a deal breaker because the stainless steel parts are pretty easy to dissemble and clean.

The biggest selling point of this unit lies within its core function. It can brew a pot of strong, flavourful, consistent coffee that you’d develop an instant liking for. However, you need to make sure you follow the instructions without a hitch. Failing to do so will result in a leaking pot - serving burnt, bitter coffee.

Apart from the learning curve serving as the biggest con, there isn’t really any other gripe related to this unit. It’s affordably priced too, and looks dashing for a unit from a low price point.

Buyer's Guide to Choosing the Right Stovetop Espresso Maker

For an amateur buyer, there’s nothing more useful than a simple, jargon-free buying guide. And that’s exactly why we put this together.

Read through and make a point on each of them so that you won’t miss out any!

Material

The main body of stovetop espresso makers are made either using stainless steel or aluminium – and both have their own set of pros and cons.

Most people, however, prefer stainless steel as it resists corrosion unlike aluminium, hence lives long. This is the biggest advantage in my opinion. However, stainless steel models do corrode if it’s not pure stainless steel. So that’s something you need to watch out for.

Aluminium pots, on the other hand, are faster and more efficient. They are better at conducting heat, so the brewing takes nearly half the time taken by stainless steel models. They’re also less expensive.

In fact, there’s a lot to consider when deciding between a stainless steel and aluminium model and that’s the first thing you need to decide.

Stovetop Compatibility

There are a wide range of stovetops from gas to radiant to halogen, ceramic, electric and induction cooktops. While most models are compatible with the majority of them, only a few ensure compatibility with induction cooktops.

So if that’s the cooktop you own, make sure that the brewer comes with a flat bottom and assurance from the manufacturer.

Capacity

Choosing the ideal capacity is a decision where most buyers go wrong. Never pick a brewer outright based on the number of cups advertised. Not every manufacturer follows a standard cup measurement and it may differ from country to country.

For example, the cup size advertised by Bialetti does not hold more than 2 ounces. In Italian terms, it could be one cup but for most of us, it’s a quarter of a cup.

So look into the advertised number of ounces, do your math, and pick a capacity that’d be ideal for you. After all, no one but you know how large a mug you use, and call it a cup!

Country of Origin

I personally do not favour any country but when it comes to stovetop espresso makers, I find myself linear towards Italian models. The reason is none other than performance and quality. Italians are known for their skills with espressos, and time and again they’ve proven to make the best ones on the market.

Warranty

A warranty goes hand in hand with durability and shows just how confident the manufacturers are on their product. It’s reasonable to expect at least a 2-year warranty. But then again, it depends on how costly the unit is.

Cuisinox Roma is an ideal example. It strikes as an expensive unit, but comes with an unbelievable 25-year warranty that’d immediately remove any second thoughts from buyers.

Cleaning

Stainless steel models are generally considered as the easiest to clean, as they need only a rinse or two after each use.

Moka pots, aka stovetop brewers, have 3 chambers. The bottom chamber is for the water, middle is for the grounds and the top most chamber is for coffee collection.

Additionally there are gaskets connecting in between each chamber, and they all need to be dissembled and cleaned.

It does sound like quite a work, but believe me it’s not. Perhaps it’s one the easiest brewer to clean – certainly a lot easier than drip coffee makers.

A Few Final Words

Moka pots make the best coffee – and whatever arguments you may harbour will die in your tongue right after your maiden sip.

No wonder the older generations have so much to complain and so many gripes. I mean, who wouldn’t, after knowing that you’ve been wasting coffee by drinking it from a drip coffee maker!

So do it right, buy the right stovetop espresso maker, and enjoy your newfound love!

Happy brewing!