Dialed-in starting recipe

Starting recipe for the Moka pot (Bialetti)

A new bag shouldn’t cost you half its beans in guessing. Here’s where we’d start on a Moka pot (Bialetti) with fresh, roast-to-order specialty coffee — plus how to correct in one cup, not ten.

Method
Stovetop
Dose
Fill the basket level — about 18 g on a 3-cup
Ratio
≈1:10
Grind
Medium-fine — finer than drip, coarser than espresso
Water
Start with HOT water in the base
Time
~4–5 minutes on medium-low heat

Two moka rules beat any recipe: start with hot water (less metallic bitterness) and take it off the heat the moment it gurgles. The gurgle is the end, not the show.

The three steps

  1. Fill the base with hot water to just under the valve.
  2. Fill the basket level with medium-fine coffee — don’t tamp.
  3. Medium-low heat, lid open; pull it off when it starts to gurgle.

If the first cup is off

😖 Sour / weak

Weak or sour → slightly finer grind, a touch more patience on lower heat.

😤 Bitter / harsh

Bitter or burnt → lower heat, pull it off earlier, confirm you started with hot water.

Change one variable at a time. A starting recipe is a starting point, not a prophecy — burrs, water and beans all drift. That’s the whole idea of dialed-in coffee.

What we’d brew on it

  • Adira Blend — dark chocolate body that a moka turns into syrup.
  • Mexico — soft chocolate, gentle fruit — a smoother moka cup.

Skip the guessing entirely

Every Adira order comes with a starting recipe built for your exact machine and grinder — emailed to you and saved to your My Cup account. This page is the generic version; yours gets translated to your burrs. And if the first cups are off, Stefan helps you dial it in personally.

Start with your first dialed-in bag →

First bag ships free with code FIRSTBAG · No subscription required

Starting recipes for other setups

Breville Barista Express · Breville Bambino · Gaggia Classic Pro · De’Longhi Dedica · Hario V60 · Chemex · AeroPress · Moka pot · French press · Moccamaster