Ready to level up your coffee-making experience?
If you’ve been to coffee shops and love the buzz and rich flavors of espresso, but can’t justify the expense or space requirements of an espresso machine, you should definitely consider the marvelous moka pot. Now, Does the size of Moka Pot matter?
Moka Pot Sizes Comparison
Moka pot sizes are listed in “cups.” These are NOT the size of the typical cup of coffee.
Each “cup” is equivalent to approximately 60 ml, or 2 fluid ounces. That’s about the volume of a shot of espresso.
A couple of quick notes. Regardless of the size of moka pot you choose, don’t expect your coffee to taste just like espresso. To have success with coffee from a moka pot, you need to fill the coffee filter compartment with grounds that are a little more coarse than espresso. Some people recommend filling the lower chamber with hot water as well, so the coffee doesn’t get over-extracted. “Tamping down” or compressing the grounds in the filter compartment is a matter of taste, so experiment and see what you like best!
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to the different sizes of moka pot.
When you’re shopping for a moka pot, you’ll find five primary sizes: 1-cup, 3-cup, 6-cup, 9-cup, and 12-cup.
In terms of volume, that translates approximately to:
- 1-cup: 60 ml or 2 fl oz
- 3-cup: 200 ml or 6½ fl oz
- 6-cup: 300 ml or 10 fl oz
- 9-cup: 550 ml or 18½ fl oz
- 12-cup: 775 ml or 25 fl oz
What size Moka pot should I get?
The answer to this question depends on your specific needs. In the simplest terms: you need one cup per serving of coffee you plan to brew daily.
But beyond that, it gets a bit more complex. Choosing the correct size of moka pot can help save you trouble and precious storage space in your kitchen.
Read on to see our recommendations for the best moka pot sizes for each kind of coffee drinker (and household of coffee drinkers).
The 1-cup Moka pot
As mentioned above, the 1-cup moka pot makes approximately 60 ml of coffee. It takes up the least space of all the moka pot sizes, at 13 cm or 5 inches tall.
The 1-cup size is ideal for individuals who only drink one cup of coffee a day. It’s also great for people who like to make each cup individually many hours apart (say, one at 7am and one at 2pm).
Another wonderful use for the 1-cup moka pot is for cooking. Recipes that call for a shot of espresso or a cup of strong coffee are perfect candidates for using a 1-cup moka pot.
As you can imagine, the 1-cup moka pot is a bad match for anyone who needs to make more than one cup of strong coffee at a time. It can be difficult to serve coffee to guests if this is your only means of making coffee.
The 3-cup Moka pot
The 3-cup size is another strong contender for “best size moka pot for one person.” It makes about 200 ml or 6½ fl oz of coffee, and at 16 cm or 6 inches tall, it doesn’t take up that much more space than the 1-cup.
If you drink more than one cup of coffee a day, this is probably the best size for you.
Check this Bialetti – Moka Express Alpina. WOW – I’m definitely getting this one!
This is also a good option for couples who like to have a cup of coffee together in the mornings.
But if both of them like drinking more than one cup of coffee, a 3-cup moka pot may not make enough to keep them both happy and well-caffeinated.
The 6-cup Moka pot
The next level up is the 6-cup moka pot, which makes about 300 ml or 10 fl oz of coffee.
This is probably the standard size Moka pot for more than one person, and definitely the best size of moka pot couples, especially if both of you enjoy drinking more than one cup a day. It may be too much for one person, unless you drink a lot of coffee or need to pull all-nighters on a regular basis.
Be aware that the 6-cup moka pot takes up quite a bit more space. At 22 cm or 8½ inches tall, that may not seem like much of a difference, but some people find it difficult to store. This isn’t a deal-breaker for everyone, since this is one of the more popular sizes of moka pot. But it is worth considering if you have limited space and don’t need to make that much coffee every day.
The 9-cup Moka pot
If you have more than two coffee drinkers in your household, or if you enjoy having a few friends over for coffee on a regular basis, the 9-cup moka pot is a great choice.
It is, naturally, a bit bigger than the 6-cup, standing at 25 cm or 10 inches tall, and it puts out a solid 550 ml or 18½ fl oz, which is a significant jump from smaller sizes.
A couple of things to keep in mind, though. With the larger size, you not only get storage challenges, but it is quite a bit heavier. It also takes longer to make all the coffee, so you’ll need to plan ahead if your household has busy mornings or if you are having people over for coffee.
The 12-cup Moka pot
Finally, we have the big boy in the moka pot world: the 12-cup moka pot, which makes about 775 ml or 25 fl oz of coffee, and sits at about 29 cm or 11½ inches tall. Because of its size, it takes a much longer time to brew all of the coffee, and it takes up a lot of space.
Like the 1-cup moka pot, the 12-cup size is pretty niche. Very few people will need a 12-cup moka pot, but if you need to pour up to twelve servings of coffee every day, or if you regularly host brunch or dinner parties, this is the perfect size for you.
Check this COOL SEVEN&ME Espresso Coffee Machines with Milk Frother Coffee Maker with One-Click Operation, Cappuccino Machine and Latte Machine 60ml Single Serve Barista-Quality Expresso Coffee Machines at Home
Do you have an Induction Stove? See how to Brew Coffee in a Moka Pot on an Induction Stove
Once you got your Moka pot, do you know how to clean your moka pot after using it?
