Italian "Moka" coffee pots are coming into fashion in North America. They make great coffee, look cute on the stove, and are very user-friendly. No buttons, no timers, no knobs - just great coffee the  way they make it in homes all over Italy.

The resulting coffee is strong and bold, more concentrated than drip coffee but less thick than traditional espresso. It's a fantastic middle ground, and the pots are very affordable, ranging from $25-50 on Bialetti's online store. Add milk or sugar as you like it, but moka pots make such great coffee that you might not even need to dilute it.

The most important thing is to not walk too far away from the stove, because when the coffee is ready, there's no beep or whistle, you'll just hear the coffee start to bubble up into the top chamber. You may see this as an inconvenience, but you'll learn to love the subtle bubbling sound. It's a much less jarring sound to start your day with. After a few runs, you'll see how long your coffee takes to get there and you can set a timer if you prefer.

Never wash your pot with soap. If it gets grimy, just make a pot of coffee but without any coffee grinds - run a hot water cycle through and give it a good rinse after. Around once a year, scrub it down with hot water, a rough sponge, and a little baking soda and it'll shine like new.

There you have it! Moka pots are simple and easy to maintain, and you'll have amazing Italian-style coffee in your home.

Here's a quick video from Life Hack Inc that shows you exactly how to use a Moka pot.