Moka Pot Heating Has Explosion Risk?! IKEA Urgently Recalls Italian-Style Moka Pots!

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In daily life, FrontStreet Coffee often hears this saying, "For safety reasons, it's best not to use a moka pot." Why is this the case?

Why Not Use a Moka Pot?

FrontStreet Coffee understands that there are two main reasons why people believe this. First, moka pot operations are relatively difficult. To make delicious coffee, you need to control the grind size, grinding force, heating time, and manage the heat properly, making it unfriendly for beginners. The second reason is safety concerns. The moka pot has no internal scale lines as a reference, making it difficult to control specific proportions. As a result, the quality of brewed coffee can easily become inconsistent, leading to over-extraction. Even worse, if operated improperly, it can cause hot water to splash out, resulting in burns.

However, in FrontStreet Coffee's view, since this device has been passed down for hundreds of years, it proves that it can indeed be a good helper for our home coffee brewing. As long as you master some details and parameters, we believe making a good cup of coffee with a moka pot is not a difficult task. Let's start by understanding the structure of the moka pot.

Moka pots are generally made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel and are divided into three parts: the upper chamber, the coffee filter basket, and the lower chamber, connected by a central tube. The lower chamber is equipped with a pressure relief valve. When the pressure generated inside the pot during heating becomes too high, the pressure relief valve automatically releases pressure, avoiding the risk of the pot body expanding and cracking or disintegrating due to excessive pressure.

The working principle of a moka pot is to place the pot on a heat source for heating. When the water at the bottom of the pot boils, it produces steam. Using the steam pressure generated by water evaporation during boiling, hot water is pushed through the tube from the lower chamber, passes through the coffee-filled filter basket, and then flows into the upper chamber after being filtered through the filter screen.

Important Details for Moka Pot Use

Regardless of which brand or model of moka pot, these details must be noted during use!!

1. Before using a newly purchased moka pot, you must at least test brew it twice. The first two brewed coffees should be discarded and not consumed, as this effectively removes any residual micro-metals that may have remained during the manufacturing process of the moka pot.

2. The water level in the lower chamber must not exceed the lower edge of the pressure relief valve.

3. After filling the moka pot filter basket with coffee grounds, do not tamp the coffee layer. If using filter paper, its size cannot be larger than the surface of the coffee layer, otherwise it may cause excessive pressure, leading to steam overflow and creating risks of burns and pot disintegration.

4. After cleaning, the lower chamber must be dried to avoid oxidation.

5. The sealing rubber ring below the upper chamber has a maximum service life of no more than one year. If used frequently, it is recommended to replace it every six months. The function of the sealing ring is to enhance the sealing between the upper and lower chambers, avoiding steam leakage or water leakage that could lead to burn risks.

6. When tightening the pot, try not to use the handle of the upper chamber to apply force. Over time, this will cause the handle to loosen. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends tightening the moka pot by rotating the lower chamber. If the lower chamber contains hot water, remember to take proper insulation measures.

7. Aluminum alloy moka pots are only suitable for ceramic cooktops, open flames (gas stoves, gas cookers), and small electric stoves. Only stainless steel moka pots can be used with induction cookers and other heat sources for heating.

8. If coffee flows into the upper chamber in a splashing manner, it might be because: too much water was added to the lower chamber, exceeding the lower edge of the pressure relief valve; or the coffee grind is too coarse, the filter basket is not fully filled or no coffee grounds were added; or the heat during heating is too high/removed from heat too late; there's also the possibility that internal components are not completely installed/incorrectly installed.

9. If the pot body leaks water during the brewing process, it could be because the rubber ring is aging/the upper and lower pot bodies are not tightened properly; new pots may also leak during trial use, which generally stops after 3-4 trial brews.

10. If the pressure relief valve emits steam and makes a whistling sound during heating, it's because the coffee grounds are ground too fine/too much coffee powder is added/water exceeds the lower edge of the pressure relief valve, causing excessive pressure.

11. If the moka pot cannot be unscrewed after brewing coffee, you can add some boiling water to the upper chamber, wait for one or two minutes/until the water in the pot is not so hot, pour out the water, take proper insulation measures, and then try to unscrew it. If that doesn't work, seek external help - there will always be someone who can open it, haha~

12. Moka pots cannot be put in the dishwasher! Do not use corrosive solvents for soaking!!

13. For moka pot coffee beans, it's recommended to prioritize medium to dark roast types. FrontStreet Coffee recommends their Classic Italian Blend, which is a dark roast coffee made from a combination of Brazilian natural process, Indonesian Mandheling, and Vietnamese washed coffees. Beyond its aromatic flavor profile, the key feature is its rich crema, which can release abundant golden crema and give the coffee a full-bodied texture.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473