Coffee for percolator and moka pot

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Percolator coffee

Coffee for a percolator should be ground fine to medium-fine, just a little coarser than espresso and certainly not coarse. By percolator we mean the moka pot, the stovetop espresso maker with water in the bottom chamber, ground coffee in a funnel-shaped basket and the finished coffee collecting at the top. Steam pressure pushes the water up through the coffee, so the grind has to let it pass without rushing through. This page brings together Pellini, Segafredo and Lavazza DEK with our own fresh coffee, ground to moka size after you order. For advice on beans and roasts, read Which coffee for a percolator?

Why coarse ground coffee is wrong for a moka pot

Coarse ground coffee is often recommended for percolators, but that advice is meant for a different machine. In English the word percolator covers two brewers: the stovetop moka pot and the American pump percolator, which cycles boiling water over the grounds again and again and does need a coarse grind. The coffees on this page are all ground for the moka pot, not the pump percolator. In a moka pot, coarse coffee lets the water through too easily and produces a thin, sour cup. Coffee that is too fine, such as espresso grind, holds the water back, so the brew turns bitter and the filter plate can clog. Fine to medium-fine is the range that works.

Brewing with a moka pot in brief

Fill the bottom chamber with water to just below the safety valve, then fill the basket to the brim with coffee, level it off and leave it untamped. Put the pot on a medium heat and take it off as soon as it starts to sputter. The amount of coffee is set by the size of the basket: always a full one. Bialetti percolator: what is it and how do you use it? takes you through the classic model step by step.

Which coffee suits a moka pot

Italian classics. Pellini Top and Segafredo Casa and Intermezzo come factory-ground, in a grind that suits a moka pot.
Decaf. Lavazza DEK is the decaffeinated choice among the brands on this page.
Strength. A moka pot brews a concentrated, intense cup whatever goes into it. For something gentler, choose a coffee lower on our strength scale of 1 to 13 rather than half-filling the basket, which only makes the water run through unevenly.
Our own fresh coffee. With the Coffee type 'Freshly ground - Moka pot', our weekly roasted coffee is ground after your order is placed.

Other grinds for home brewing

If you also own an espresso machine with a portafilter, it needs the finer espresso ground coffee. Genuinely coarse coffee belongs in a French press: see French press coffee. An AeroPress takes much the same fine to medium-fine grind as a moka pot and has its own page, AeroPress coffee. Grinding at home? Choose whole coffee beans and set the grinder a notch coarser than for espresso.

Frequently asked questions about coffee for the percolator

What coffee should I use in a percolator?

Use ground coffee with a fine to medium-fine grind, slightly coarser than espresso, if your percolator is a stovetop moka pot. Espresso grind also works but tends to taste bitter; coarse coffee gives a weak cup. Medium to dark roasts are a popular choice for their fuller body. Our blog Which coffee for a percolator? covers beans and roasts in more depth.

How much coffee do you put in a percolator?

Fill the filter basket of your moka pot right to the rim, so the size of the pot decides the amount. Smooth the coffee level with a finger or the back of a spoon, without pressing it down, and fill the bottom chamber with water up to just below the valve. Using less coffee does not make a milder brew; the water simply finds the easiest route and extracts unevenly.

Can I use espresso ground coffee in a percolator?

You can, although it is not ideal. Espresso grind is designed for the high pressure of an espresso machine, and in a moka pot the fine particles slow the water so much that the coffee comes out bitter and the plate above the basket can block. If you try it, fill the basket loosely, press nothing down and lift the pot off the heat at the first splutter.

Should percolator coffee be coarse ground?

Not for a moka pot. Coarse ground coffee suits the American pump percolator, which pours boiling water over the grounds repeatedly for several minutes. A moka pot brews in a single pass under steam pressure and needs a fine to medium-fine grind; coarse grounds give it a thin, sour result. If your percolator sits on the hob and has a filter basket in the middle, choose moka grind.

Coffee for your percolator

Why coarse ground coffee is wrong for a moka pot

Brewing with a moka pot in brief

Which coffee suits a moka pot

Other grinds for home brewing