5 Best Coffee for Moka Pots 2024 — Reviews & Top Picks

Moka pots are classic-looking, easy to use brewers that produce rich, concentrated coffee. You can use a wide range of coffees in a Moka pot, though the traditional option is a dark, espresso-style roast. So how do you shop for the perfect beans?

There are many great coffee choices out there, so we’ve narrowed down the best coffees for Moka pot brewing. We’ve included reviews of each type of coffee, as well as a handy buying guide. Read on for our favorite Moka pot coffees.

A Quick Glance at our Favorites of 2024:

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Lifeboost Dark Roast	Delicious balanced flavor Low-acid, Fair Trade, and Organic High-altitude Arabica beans	CHECK PRICE
Best Ground		Volcanica Espresso Dark Roast	Available in espresso grind Full-bodied and complex Competitive price	CHECK PRICE
		Lavazza Qualita Rossa	Tasty medium roast Blended and roasted in Italy Available pre-ground	CHECK PRICE
		Coffee Bean Direct “Sulawesi Kalossi”	Interesting Indonesian coffee Available in bulk Freshly roasted	CHECK PRICE
Best Decaf		Lavazza Gran Filtro Decaffeinato	Spicy medium roast Natural decaffeinating process Blended and roasted in Italy	CHECK PRICE

The 5 Best Coffees for Moka Pots:

1. Lifeboost Dark Roast Coffee – Best Overall

Lifeboost offers a rich, smooth dark roast that’s as sustainable as it is delicious. The whole beans allow you to get the best grind for a Moka pot, and we liked that it’s a mild and creamy dark roast. You’ll notice hints of chocolate and caramel. It’s also low acidity without a bitter aftertaste.

This coffee is certified Fair Trade, Organic, and pesticide-free. It’s grown at high altitude in the mountains of Nicaragua.

The only potential problem is that it’s a fairly pricey coffee (though you can currently get 50% off!). If your budget is small, you may want to look at our other picks. If not, you’ll be rewarded with a pretty amazing cup of Moka pot coffee.

All in all, we think this is the best coffee for Moka pots available this year.

2. Volcanica Espresso Dark Roast Coffee – Best Pre-Ground

Volcanica offers a tasty Espresso Dark Roast at a competitive price. Even better, it’s available in espresso grind, which saves you the trouble of having to grind the beans yourself.

The coffee has a full body and light acidity, with notes of caramel and chocolate. The aroma is powerful and slightly spicy. Plus, Volcanica roasts on-demand, so you can be sure your coffee will arrive fresh.

Because it’s pre-ground, the flavors can be a bit milder. Though ground coffee is convenient, for the freshest flavor, you’ll want to buy whole bean and grind it just before brewing. These beans can also be a bit oily, which may not work as well in your Moka pot.

3. Lavazza Qualita Rossa Ground Coffee Blend

The Lavazza Qualita Rossa Ground Coffee Blend is a great choice if you prefer a medium roast. This is another pre-ground coffee option, and it comes in a smaller 8.8- oz. bag to keep it fresh. We appreciated that it’s non-GMO, though not fully organic. It’s also blended and roasted in Italy, which is a plus when you’re buying coffee for an Italian Moka pot.

As with the previous pre-ground coffee choice, having the coffee beans already ground means that they will be staler than if you grind them fresh. This blend also has a bit of a burnt and bitter taste to it, perhaps because it’s a medium roast.

4. Coffee Bean Direct “Sulawesi Kalossi” Coffee

Coffee Bean Direct offers an Indonesian coffee that’s perfect if you love coffee with subtle hints of spice. We like that Coffee Bean Direct roasts their coffee immediately before packaging. These whole beans are available in a 5-lb. bag if you like to buy their coffee in bulk or a smaller 16-oz. size if you don’t.

Unfortunately, the strength of this coffee just fell short of expectations. It was weak-tasting and bitter, despite being from beans with low acidity. They also seemed a bit stale, despite being whole beans.

RELATED: All About Sulawesi Coffee

5. Lavazza Gran Filtro Decaffeinato Coffee – Best Decaf

If you prefer your coffee to be decaffeinated, then Lavazza’s Gran Filtro Decaffeinato Whole Bean Coffee Blend is a great choice. We like that it’s decaffeinated using a natural process, so you don’t have added chemicals in your coffee. This is another medium roast with hints of spice, and it’s blended and roasted in Italy.

Unfortunately, despite the natural decaffeinating process, it has an odd taste. The coffee is also on the weaker side with a stale taste. Compared to others on our list, this doesn’t have the same dark, robust flavor.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Coffee for Moka Pots

The ideal coffee is ultimately the kind that tastes the best to you, but there are a few criteria you should look for when shopping for the best coffee for Moka pot brewers.

Whole Bean or Pre-Ground

Whole bean is generally the best choice for the freshest tasting coffee. We recommend that you buy whole bean coffee and grind it at home, just before brewing. With a good grinder, you’ll be able to get the perfect grind for the Moka pot, which is somewhere between fine and medium-fine grind.

If you prefer the convenience of pre-ground coffee, then we recommend coffee that’s specifically for Moka pots, since espresso grounds will clog your filter and grounds for drip coffee aren’t fine enough.

Size of Bag

If you’re buying whole bean coffee, then the size of the bag doesn’t matter as much. You can buy in bulk to save money because beans will stay fresh for longer, and you can just grind as much as you need each morning.

For pre-ground coffee, though, we recommend looking for smaller bags. This will ensure that you use up the coffee quickly after opening, and your cup will have the freshest taste. When you’re searching for the best coffee for Moka pots, you don’t want anything stale!

Arabica or Robusta

There’s a reason that Arabica is the most popular variety of coffee beans: They are sweeter, fruitier, and more acidic. Robusta often has an aftertaste that’s been compared to the smell of burnt rubber. However, it also has a higher caffeine content, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on your taste.

If you prefer a sweeter, fruitier taste, then it’s important to check the label for 100% Arabica coffee beans.

Italian Coffee

Because the Moka pot originated in Italy, it can be helpful to seek out Italian brands of coffee. Some, like Bialetti’s Moka Ground, are specially made for Moka pots. But even if you’re buying whole beans, an Italian blend can impart ideal flavor, as it’s the type of coffee originally used in Moka pots.

Organic

Certified organic is always a good choice if you’re trying to avoid unnecessary chemicals.

Final Verdict:

We think that Lifeboost’s Dark Roast is the best coffee for Moka pots that you can buy this year. It’s a rich, creamy coffee that’s both healthy and eco-friendly. For pre-ground coffee, our pick is Volcanica’s Espresso Dark Roast, which is delicious, reasonably priced, and available in espresso grind. If you prefer decaffeinated coffee, then we recommend Lavazza’s Gran Filtro Decaffeinato Whole Bean Coffee Blend because it’s naturally decaffeinated, available in whole beans, and roasted and blended in Italy.

We hope that our reviews and buyer’s guide help you determine the best coffee to use in your Moka pot. Now you just have to taste-test and see which one meets your standards for most delicious coffee!

RELATED READ: How to Use a Moka Pot (Guide & Pictures)