Are There the Most Suitable Beans for Moka Pot?

Yesterday, during a conversation with a customer friend at FrontStreet Coffee, the moka pot was mentioned. This sparked a series of discussions about the moka pot that caught the interest of other customers, who soon joined in the conversation.

Such a scene would have been unimaginable for the moka pot in previous years. After all, the moka pot was once a rather obscure coffee brewing device in China, where even finding a complete usage tutorial online was quite difficult. This led most people to brew rather unpalatable moka pot coffee using incorrect parameters or methods, which in turn contributed to some negative stereotypes about the moka pot.

It wasn't until recent years, with the popularization of coffee and the increased demand for caffeine, that people began to notice this distinctive "little coffee pot." Coupled with the spread of information online, people discovered the optimal way to brew moka pot coffee, eliminating those unacceptable negative flavors. Consequently, its sales suddenly soared! The reason why this "little pot" has gained such popularity today, besides its affordable price, lies in its main function—producing rich coffee similar to espresso! With crema and considerable intensity.

However, it's important to note that coffee made by a moka pot can only be called moka pot coffee and cannot be considered a member of the espresso family. After all, whether in terms of crema quality or coffee concentration, there's still a considerable gap between what a moka pot produces and what a coffee machine can achieve! But on second thought, if you want to brew authentic, high-quality espresso at home, you typically need to invest a significant amount of money to purchase an espresso machine—even home models can cost several thousand yuan! However, a single-valve moka pot priced at just a few hundred yuan can produce coffee quality that reaches 60-70% of what these machines can achieve. Not to mention that dual-valve moka pots are now available, which can produce more lasting crema and higher quality rich coffee! It's simply fantastic!

Therefore, we cannot approach consumer issues from a barista's perspective. Even if the coffee produced by a moka pot doesn't meet barista standards for espresso, for consumer friends, it represents the most suitable choice when compared proportionally!

What Coffee Beans Are Suitable for Moka Pot?

Strictly speaking, a moka pot can extract coffee beans of all roast levels because it works with all of them, so there isn't a single "most suitable" choice. However, if we add conditions to how this coffee is extracted, then priorities emerge in the selection of coffee beans.

The most notable feature of the moka pot is its ability to produce espresso-like crema. The main purpose of this crema, besides enhancing mouthfeel, is to serve as a major "magical tool" for creating beautiful latte art! Therefore, if the additional condition is to have the moka pot produce coffee with "rich crema" or to make milk-based coffee drinks, then FrontStreet Coffee would recommend prioritizing medium-dark roast coffee beans!

Due to their darker roast, these coffee beans produce coffee with stronger roasted aromas that won't be easily overpowered by the flavor of milk! Additionally, because they contain more gases, the extracted coffee will have very rich crema. In this regard, there are two recommended directions: one is medium-dark roasted single-origin beans primarily from Brazil, Mandheling, and Colombia regions, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate and FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Gold Mandheling. They feature rich flavors like dark chocolate and nuts, making them perfectly suitable for milk-based coffee; the other direction is to directly choose espresso blends, such as the FrontStreet Coffee Sunflower Warm Sunshine Espresso Blend used at FrontStreet Coffee's stores. These coffee beans are specifically formulated for espresso machine extraction, not only ensuring certain quality in taste and flavor but also being much more affordable than single-origin beans.

If you prefer fruit-forward, fresher flavor profiles, then you can choose medium-light roasted single-origin beans. Medium-light roasted beans aren't roasted deeply, preserving ample acidic compounds. Coffee made from them using a moka pot will have abundant sweet and sour fruit flavors.

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FrontStreet Coffee

No. 10, Bao'an Front Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

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Tel:020 38364473