Why You Can't Drink the First Three Brews from a Moka Pot & Why It Spurts Coffee

Moka Pot: An Essential Element of Italian Coffee Culture

As a significant part of Italian coffee culture, the moka pot has become an indispensable tool in Italian households since its introduction to the market in the 1930s. Today, many coffee enthusiasts in China also keep a moka pot at home. While operating a moka pot isn't complicated, some users still encounter questions about extraction.

Why Shouldn't You Drink from the First Three Uses of a New Moka Pot?

Common moka pot models on the market are typically constructed with metal casings and various small components. During production and transportation, small amounts of metal residue may adhere to the surfaces, and they inevitably carry a metallic taste. Therefore, cleaning the moka pot before formal use is essential.

When we get a new pot, first disassemble all parts of the moka pot and rinse them with running water to remove any debris and dust attached. Then brew coffee following the normal procedure: add water - add coffee grounds - tighten - heat - clean. Repeat this process three times to complete the "unpacking ceremony" for the new pot. Since the first three trial brews are intended to clean the interior of the moka pot, FrontStreet Coffee suggests not drinking them. To avoid waste, we can also use older coffee grounds for cleaning the pot.

Why Does Coffee Splatter When Heating a Moka Pot?

The extraction method of a moka pot is similar to that of common espresso machines. Under high-temperature heating, the water in the lower chamber heats up first and converts to steam, creating a certain pressure that pushes the water vapor upward from the bottom. When the hot water reacts with the coffee grounds and continues upward, the increasing pressure pushes the extracted coffee liquid into the upper chamber, giving us the rich coffee we need. Therefore, when any part becomes blocked or the coffee output is too fast or too forceful, it can lead to splattering.

The amount of water added to the lower chamber should not exceed the standard fill line, which should be controlled at 0.5cm below the pressure relief valve line. The pressure relief valve is the small circular component. This valve is designed to prevent explosions that might occur due to excessive pressure caused by certain factors (such as coffee grounds being too fine). If water covers this valve, the pressure relief effect may be lost, creating a risk of explosion.

The grind size for moka pots is generally slightly coarser than that for espresso but much finer than pour-over coffee. If the coffee grounds are too coarse, the contact between water and coffee grounds will be uneven, not only leading to insufficient extraction and poor taste but also causing liquid to gush out due to too little resistance, creating a risk of splattering and burns. FrontStreet Coffee recommends a grind size of EK-43s #3-3.5.

When heating, stable flame control is also crucial. If the flame is too small or too large, the heating will be uneven, and the internal pressure will become unstable, which may cause the coffee liquid to rapidly spray outward over a large area. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using an electric ceramic stove at P2 setting throughout the heating process to ensure the moka pot heats evenly.

What Other Details Should Be Noted When Using a Moka Pot?

Common moka pots typically have metal casings, so try not to touch the pot body during high-temperature heating. You can use a damp towel to avoid burns. If you hear a whistling sound but no coffee liquid flows from the spout, it's likely that the outlet is blocked. You should turn off the heat source first to avoid safety hazards caused by excessive internal pressure that could lead to an explosion.

FrontStreet Coffee cleans the moka pot promptly after each use to prevent coffee residue from remaining, which can easily cause flavor mixing and bitterness. Old coffee stains left on the filter plate, gasket, or extraction channels may cause blockages and affect normal extraction.

What Coffee Beans Are Suitable for Brewing in a Moka Pot?

FrontStreet Coffee suggests using medium to dark roasted beans. Since the moka pot uses pressure extraction, if you use lightly roasted coffee for brewing, the light roast beans are harder in texture and typically require finer grinding to increase extraction rate. However, fine grinding under high temperature and pressure can easily make the coffee acidic and harsh, and it's also more difficult to extract the aroma of oils.

Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends darker roasted espresso blend coffee beans as raw material. Not only does this make it easier to enjoy rich, oily, aromatic coffee, but it also provides more stable flavor extraction. FrontStreet Coffee offers four types of espresso blend coffee beans suitable for moka pot brewing. FrontStreet Coffee hopes that every customer who places an order can enjoy the aroma of coffee during its optimal tasting period, so we ensure only beans roasted fresh within 5 days are shipped.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on WeChat (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473