Greetings from Finland, everyone!

I'm a newbie here so I don't know if this question has been asked before; but - can a Moka Express be used to make espresso?
Some refer to them as espresso coffee pots, yet the instructions in the package advise against using too finely ground coffee. This far, I've used a good dark roasted filter ground coffee as a base, and added a bit of espresso ground coffee to it, which seems to work fine and creates a very soft taste. But would it work to use espresso ground coffee only?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer my question,

Regards
Noora

Hello!

I used to make coffee with a Moka Express by Bialetti. It is possible and the coffee may be finer grounded than let's say Illy from the store. You can even get crema but it's a bit of a tedious chore. In order to obtain crema with a Moka Express, do the following:

Setup as normal, put on the stove. Watching carefully, immediately take it off the stove after the first drops have arisen. Put these in a little cup and put the Moka back on the stove to finish the job. Stir sugar through these first drops until you get a thick mass resembling crema. Pour the coffee in the cups and then put a teaspoon of the sugar/coffee concoction in the cups. If done correctly it'll float to the surface and form crema. This is a trick an Italian lady told me.

Since this is my first posting I might as well tell a little bit about myself as well. I'm a 23 year old student from The Netherlands. I study Italian languages and cultures and as such I have a keen interest in all things Italian, including coffee. I currently own a Silvia with a Mazzer Mini on its way.

Welcome to Home-Barista and greetings from the states. I read your initial post but have never used a mocha pot.

Keep in mind that the espresso moniker is often used liberally. You can have an espresso blend, mix of roasted coffee, an espresso roast level, which is subject to opinion so you may get different roast levels from multiple venders, and finally the grind level which is never correct and pre-ground coffee is the spawn of all things evil, avoid it.

Just went through this switch and found the burr replacement from Olympia is $89, but you can get the same burrs for $16 by ordering the same burrs as the Saeco grinder, part MC 67. They are all made by Ascaso (sic) of Spain. The holes may be slightly different than your machine but the factory ones have the same issue. Saeco, Pasquini and Quick Mill branded the Moka Express grinder for a time, hence the product support through them.

Moka Pots don't make espresso.. But they DO make a tasty, strong brew of coffee.

Keep in mind, Espresso is a brewing method, nothing more. Its not a blend of coffee*, or a roast level.

There ARE espresso blends, but they dont HAVE to be used for espresso. Ive brewed espresso blends many times.

For the Moka pot, you can use whatever coffee you like. Whether it be light roasted or super dark roasted, a blend of coffees, or a single origin, or a blend a roaster sells for espresso. For an espresso machine, you can do the same thing. Light/dark roast, blend/single origin.. whatever you like.