Cue the Moka Pot. Every morning, Italians sip their caffeine from a tiny espresso mug filled with thick, sludgy coffee from a moka pot. We had heard of moka pots before, even bought one years ago, but returned it. It wasn’t until we had it prepared the right way by our Italian homestay hosts that we fell in love with its thick, velvety, strong, espresso-like yumminess.

Why is a Moka Pot the best coffee in a van?

• It can make 2-4 servings at the same time
• It’s thick like espresso, yet can be watered down to become like a pour over
• Unbreakable
• Easy cleaning
• No paper filters to buy + throw away

The best way to make moka pot cappuccinos in a van

Watch the video above to see all of the steps in making the best cappuccino in a van using a moka pot!

The key to foamy milk for a latte, cappuccino, macchiato, or any other milky drink, is our electric milk frother. This is seriously our favorite appliance in the van and we use it daily! 

Below are the step-by-step instructions with links to all of the items we use.

Disclaimer: The links in this article are “affiliate links.” This means we get a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking our links, at no cost to you.

1. Pre-boil water.
   • We use this great looking electric gooseneck kettle, which is also perfect for pour-over coffee.
   • This kettle is 1000w and boils water in less than 5 minutes. Much more efficient than heating water on our 1200w radiant electric cooktop. 
2. Add hot water to base of moka pot.
   • We love our stylish white and wood 6-cup moka pot.
3. Insert metal filter into moka pot base. Fill with coffee grounds.
   • Coffee grounds should be slightly more coarse than espresso grind, but finer than pour-over and drip grinds.
   • Our favorite beans for the moka pot are Stumptown’s Hair Bender blend. We fell in love with the moka pot drinking Italian LavAzza beans. These are pre-ground specifically for use in a moka pot. 
4. Screw on the top of the moka pot (caution, base will be hot).
   Turn on stove to medium-low.
   • It’s best to simmer the moka pot on a lower heat, rather than boil it quickly. This will help produce a thicker, more flavorful coffee. 
5. Add Oatly oat milk to the electric milk frother, and froth it until warm and foamy.
6. Add half a scoop of collagen protein powder to each mug.
   • We add this to our coffee every morning and have loved the benefits! It’s tasteless, good for your joints, and adds a healthy dose of protein to smooth out any jitters. 
7. Pour moka pot coffee into each mug, dissolving the collagen instantly. Top off with foamed milk. In the video above, you can see these methods produce a perfect amount of coffee & milk to create a delicious cappuccino!
8. Sit back, sip, and enjoy the view of whatever happens to be outside your van window this morning. 

Van Coffee Tips & Tricks

• Oatly is by far the best oat milk on the market for coffee – best ingredients, best foam, best taste. For foam, only get the original in the blue box, not the low fat version.
• For more than 2 people, or larger servings per person, purchase a 9-cup moka pot (available in multiple colors).
• These stainelss steel mugs will keep your coffee hot or cold for many hours. They are unbreakable, easy to clean, affordable, and come in a variety of colors. 
• We do not have a coffee grinder in the van. We buy coffee beans at a roastery, where they grind them for us. In a grocery store (Whole Foods and Natural Grocers always carry local beans), we use the grinder in the store to grind it specifically for the moka pot. One grind setting coarser than espresso is recommended.
• Many vanlifers use a hand grinder.
  Pros: small, no electricity.
  Cons: good ones can be expensive; time consuming to operate.