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Because the moka pot uses the same extraction method as espresso machines—pressure-based extraction—it can produce strong coffee that closely resembles espresso. Additionally, when using freshly ground coffee, since aromatic compounds can only be captured once, theoretically, to make good coffee, you need to control appropriate parameters and can only extract once. For this reason, with the spread of coffee culture, more and more people are getting moka pots. Not just because the coffee it makes is strong enough, but also because it's compact, convenient, and its price is deeply appealing.

Although operating it isn't difficult, if you're a complete beginner with no extraction experience, you'll inevitably encounter some challenges. So today, FrontStreet Coffee will break down the three most common problems encountered when using a moka pot, along with their corresponding solutions!

1. Coffee Sprays Out Directly

Under normal operating conditions, the coffee liquid from a moka pot should emerge gently and evenly, without any impact force. However, if you see the coffee shooting out in a powerful stream that can form a water column, then there must be some error in your operation or parameters.

This situation can be divided into two types: one where the coffee liquid sprays out directly from the beginning, and another where the coffee extraction suddenly shifts from slow to fast halfway through, with the water column even forming a "double ponytail" shape!

The first situation occurs because the coffee puck's resistance is insufficient from the very beginning! This causes the coffee liquid to spray out directly under the propulsion of powerful steam. In cases like this, we need to increase the puck resistance by using more coffee, grinding finer, or tamping the coffee grounds;

The other situation occurs because the heat remains consistently strong during the extraction process! When the coffee liquid breaks through the coffee puck, the puck's resistance to hot water gradually decreases. As extraction progresses, we need to remove the moka pot from the heat source. Otherwise, the puck will no longer be able to obstruct the hot water's penetration speed due to insufficient resistance, and the coffee liquid will suddenly rush out, forming a water column. When it's too turbulent, it can easily burn people, so please be careful.

2. No Coffee Liquid Comes Out

In stark contrast to the previous situation, this is when the moka pot has been brewing for a long time but no liquid comes out. One important note here: if the moka pot has been brewing for a long time without producing liquid, and when you added water, the water level covered the pressure relief valve, then we should stop the extraction immediately. This can easily create the risk of the moka pot exploding.

There are many reasons why a moka pot might not produce liquid: grinding too fine, using too much coffee, tamping too firmly, etc. These operations all significantly increase the resistance of the coffee puck, leaving very few and very small gaps for water to flow through. This is why after brewing for a long time, the coffee liquid still won't emerge.

Even if it does emerge, the coffee liquid will most likely be in an over-extracted state that tastes bitter, because the extraction time was simply too long. Therefore, it's best to make timely adjustments after this happens.

3. Extracted Coffee Liquid Has No Crema

Because the moka pot also uses pressure-based extraction, it can produce crema that's quite similar to that from an espresso machine. Rather than being actual crema, it's actually bubbles filled with carbon dioxide. Since the moka pot's pressure isn't as high as an espresso machine's, the crema it produces won't be as dense or long-lasting as that from an espresso machine—it will dissipate quickly. But it shouldn't be completely absent!

If you see almost no bubbles in the moka pot coffee you've extracted, then the "culprit" is most likely one of these three: grinding too coarse, coffee beans roasted too long ago, or using pre-ground coffee (the latter two are due to insufficient carbon dioxide, which cannot create bubbles)! Of course, the core issue must be insufficient pressure.

So when we see a situation where the moka pot extraction produces no bubbles in the coffee liquid, it's best to first adjust the grind or increase the coffee amount, and determine whether it's a freshness issue with the beans/coffee grounds by observing the seepage speed of the coffee liquid.

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