Only a proper espresso machine able to exert high pressure will give you the very richest and smoothest espresso. But if you've fallen for the retro charm of a dinky octagonal coffee-pot used on the stovetop (called a 'moka'), you can still make a thoroughly decent cup. A stylish and iconic object, most Italian households have a moka tucked away somewhere in the cupboard, even if there's a high-tech espresso machine on the countertop. There's much more art required to get espresso right using a moka than there is in using an idiot-proof espresso machine, but that only makes a successful end-result more enjoyable!

For very best results, freshly grind your coffee beans just before making espresso if possible - whatever method you're using. The oils that give coffee its complex flavours deteriorate rapidly in contact with air, and are best kept locked inside the beans until just before coffee-making. Invest in a little bean-grinder if you can. Otherwise, keep ground coffee well-sealed until use.

Keep your moka scrupulously clean inside, but never use detergents as these will inevitably impair the flavour of your espresso. The moka works when water boils in its lower part, forming steam which forces its way up through a layer of ground coffee to emerge as liquid espresso in the chamber above. Fill your moka filter to its rim with ground coffee, but don't pack it down. As soon as liquid coffee starts to appear in the upper chamber, turn down the heat to avoid a burnt taste in your espresso. Never leave the moka unattended during coffee-making, and if you're using a gas stove, try not to let the flames lick round the sides of the moka.

Did you make a perfect cup? You'll know by the 'crema'. Any well-made espresso has a good crema or thin layer of golden brown foam that sits atop the coffee for a couple of minutes after making. If the crema is thin and light-coloured, you have under-extracted coffee, with little aroma and a flat taste. Dark foam with a black hole in the middle means over-extracted coffee, and a bitter taste. (Note the crema on every espresso you drink in cafes or restaurants from now on, and you'll quickly learn to spot a good espresso on sight.)

Now enjoy that excellent cup of Italian coffee! And admire the stylish octagonal pot that enabled you to make it. It's a design classic. How typical of the Italians to create a pleasing, arty object to perform a useful function!

Learn more about this author, Fleur Kinson.
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