Why Should You Discard the First 3 Brews from a New Moka Pot?

Introduction to Moka Pots

As one of the common espresso extraction devices, the Moka pot is deeply loved by many coffee enthusiasts for its affordable price, lightweight and attractive design, and portable operation.

Why Pre-Use a New Moka Pot?

When novice friends look up Moka pot tutorials, they might notice a suggestion: newly purchased Moka pots should be tested by brewing 2-3 times before formal use, and the brewed coffee liquid should be discarded rather than consumed. Why is this necessary?

Understanding Moka Pot Structure

First, there are many common Moka pot styles on the market, typically composed of a metal shell and other small components, divided into three parts: upper chamber, filter basket, and lower chamber, connected by a central tube. The metal parts are usually made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

Initial Preparation Process

During production and transportation, the interior of the Moka pot may have small amounts of metal residue attached, and it inevitably carries a metallic taste. Therefore, cleaning the Moka pot before formal extraction use is essential. This step is also commonly referred to as "seasoning the pot."

When you get a new Moka pot, you can first disassemble each component, rinse it briefly with running water to remove debris and dust attached to it. Then use a dry towel or paper towel to wipe away water droplets and let it air dry.

Next, follow the normal steps to brew a pot of coffee: add water - fill with coffee grounds - tighten - heat - extract liquid - discard - clean. Repeat this process 2-3 times to complete the "unboxing ritual" for your new pot. The hot extracted coffee liquid flows through the tube and filter into the upper chamber, which can effectively remove any residual micro-metals from production and to some extent eliminate the unpleasant aluminum taste.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommendations

For the seasoning process of a new Moka pot, FrontStreet Coffee does not recommend testing with plain water directly. Without coffee grounds as a "barrier," hot water can easily splash under pressure, posing a scalding risk. Since the first three test brews are intended to clean the internal gaps of the Moka pot and may contain debris, FrontStreet Coffee recommends discarding them rather than drinking. If you feel this is wasteful, you can also use aged dark roast coffee beans (or grounds) for the seasoning process. After achieving safe cleaning purposes, you can then use your preferred fresh beans for extraction.

Important Usage Details

In fact, besides proper seasoning, the following details also require attention when using a Moka pot.

The extraction method of a Moka pot is similar to an espresso machine. When heated at high temperatures, the water in the lower chamber is first heated and converted to steam, forming a certain pressure that pushes the steam upward from the bottom. When hot water reacts with the coffee grounds and continues upward, the increasing pressure continues to push the extracted coffee liquid into the upper chamber, resulting in the espresso we need. Therefore, when any part becomes blocked or the coffee extraction is too fast or too forceful, it can lead to splashing.

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. This valve is designed to prevent explosion accidents caused by excessive pressure due to certain factors (such as coffee grounds being too fine). If water covers this valve, it may lose its pressure relief effect, posing a risk of explosion.

If the coffee grind is too coarse, it can lead to insufficient extraction, too little resistance, and splashing issues. If too fine, it can cause over-extraction, resulting in burnt, bitter coffee that's difficult to drink. The filter basket needs to be filled and leveled (to the point of forming a small mound). If there isn't enough coffee grounds, when water from the lower chamber enters the middle coffee layer under steam pressure, it cannot extract fully, which will lead to splashing in the upper chamber forming "dual streams," and可想而知 the coffee taste will be unsatisfactory.

Since most Moka pots use a metal shell design with high thermal conductivity, try not to touch the pot body after heating and remember to take proper insulation measures, such as using a wet towel to avoid scalding. If you hear a whistling sound but no coffee liquid comes out from the upper chamber, it's likely that the outlet is blocked. You should remove it from the heat source first to avoid safety hazards caused by excessive internal pressure leading to explosion.

FrontStreet Coffee always cleans the Moka pot promptly after each use, turns it upside down to air dry, which helps prevent oxidation. If old coffee stains remain on the filter plate, gasket, or extraction channels, it may cause blockages, affect normal extraction, and ultimately lead to flavor contamination and bitterness.

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FrontStreet Coffee
No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473