Coffee from a Moka pot

[Newfie]

snip....I'm working my way up to an espresso machine. I can't afford to spend the $$ right now on a good one. I don't see the point of wasting my money on a cheap unit. How did you manage to blow the moka up?

Smart move!! When it comes to Espresso, cheap means shit. Save until you can afford a "decent" machine and a "good" grinder.

When filling the Moka Pot, you should only fill to the releif valve in the lower section. This thing is designed to release steam, not liquid. You should not pack the grinds in the filter basket tightly as you would in an Espresso machine.

So, that being said, too much water + grinds packed too tightly = kaboom of a bad kind, and trust me, it's bloody messy.