BoilerAlso called the lower chamber. Steam pressure builds here and pushes the water up.
Upper chamberAlso called the collector. It screws onto the boiler.
LidIt closes the upper chamber.
HandleLift the hot pot by this, not by its metal.
ColumnThe brewed coffee rises through it and spills out at the top.
Safety valveIt stops the pressure in the boiler rising too far. Fill with water to just below it.
Taken apart 3
FunnelAlso called the filter funnel or basket. It sits in the mouth of the boiler.
Seal (gasket)It seals the joint between the two halves. It holds the filter disc in place.
Filter discAlso called the filter plate. It keeps the grounds out of the upper chamber.
How this list was compiled: Every part checked on 2026-09-30 against three sources, a part kept only where at least two of them show it: Wikipedia, text only, Moka pot, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot (lower chamber or boiler with its safety valve, filter funnel or basket, rubber gasket, filter disc, upper chamber or collector, handle); a moka pot maker's directions for use and spare parts sheets, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-65363 and https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7132322 (little tank, called the boiler in the Italian, French and German columns; safety valve; funnel; washer or rubber seal; filter plate; little column; top of the coffeepot, the collector in Italian; lid; handle; knob); and a second maker's stovetop espresso maker manual, https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-634946 (water container, safety valve, coffee funnel, seal, disc sieve, riser pipe, upper body, lid, handle). Hints and detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's pot, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
A moka pot is two chambers screwed together with a funnel of ground coffee between them. The first drawing cuts the pot open; the second takes it apart.
Read the full guide
Follow the water up
Water starts in the boiler. Heated, steam pressure pushes it up the tube of the funnel and through the ground coffee in its cup. The coffee passes the filter disc, rises through the column and collects in the upper chamber. The seal closes the joint between the two halves, and the safety valve in the boiler wall stops the pressure rising too far.
To put it back together: funnel into the boiler, then screw on the upper chamber, which already holds the filter disc and the seal.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a moka pot called?
Three main parts: the boiler at the bottom, the funnel that holds the coffee, and the upper chamber, or collector. Smaller parts are the safety valve, the rubber seal, the filter disc, the column, the lid and the handle.
What is the rubber ring in a moka pot for?
It is the seal, or gasket. Screwing the two halves together presses it against the rim of the funnel, which seals the boiler. It also holds the filter disc in place.
What does the valve on a moka pot do?
It is a safety valve: it stops the pressure in the boiler rising too far. When filling, keep the water just below the valve.
How does a moka pot work?
Heating the boiler raises the pressure inside it. When it is high enough, it pushes the water up through the ground coffee in the funnel, and the brewed coffee rises through the column into the upper chamber.