How to Make Coffee with a Moka Pot - Moka Pot Usage Methods, Principles, Features, and Coffee Grind Size Guide

In today's world where espresso has taken the globe by storm, we're no longer unfamiliar with espresso coffee. Even passersby can name espresso-based drinks like Americano, latte, and cappuccino. However, the moka pot is rarely used for commercial coffee production and is mostly for home use, which leads many people to believe that the moka pot is not part of the Italian coffee system. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will help everyone understand this moka pot that has普及ed Italian households.

Europeans don't actually call this pot a moka pot; they refer to it as an Espresso Pot. Judging from this name alone, the coffee made by a moka pot is名副其实ly Espresso, though its serving form appears rather classical and simple. Some friends question it because it's not as high-tech as espresso machines, and when served, you don't see that thick layer of crema in the cup, so they conclude that the coffee it makes isn't Espresso. However, such questioning lacks persuasive power.

The Working Principle of the Moka Pot

The moka pot consists of three parts: the upper chamber, the coffee basket, and the lower chamber. The lower chamber is the water reservoir, the coffee basket holds finely ground coffee powder, and the upper chamber collects the extracted coffee liquid.

If we set aside the lower chamber for a moment and manually hold the coffee basket at the bottom of the moka pot's upper chamber, we can more clearly see how extraction occurs.

First, the metal tube at the end of the coffee basket and the central metal tube of the upper chamber are coaxial and of the same diameter. This design ensures that water flows in a straight line. When the water in the lower chamber reaches a certain temperature, driven by pressure, hot water will be forced up through the metal tube at the end of the coffee basket, pass through the coffee powder in the basket, and after being filtered by the filter screen at the bottom of the upper chamber, the coffee liquid will gush out from the central metal tube of the upper chamber under pressure. This completes one coffee extraction process in principle.

From the safety valve device on the upper part of the lower chamber alone, we can determine that this pot is a pressure vessel. When the coffee basket is correctly and firmly screwed onto the lower chamber from the upper chamber, and placed on a heat source for heating, the hot water gains pressure. Therefore, we say that the entire extraction process is completed under pressure. Espresso, in Latin, originally means "placed under pressure" - that is, brewing methods where hot water extracts coffee under pressure belong to Espresso. Espresso is not only the name of this type of coffee but also the name of this coffee extraction method. However, it's important to note that moka pots typically operate at around 1.5-3 bar pressure, while espresso machines operate at 9 bar, so there are significant differences in the coffee produced by both.

Coffee and Grind Size Suitable for Moka Pots

For domestic coffee enthusiasts in China, beans are a very important factor - which region's coffee beans, what variety, what roast level - these are very particular considerations. However, in many foreign countries, channels for purchasing coffee beans (powder) are supermarket shelves. They place more importance on the coffee bean's brand, the bean's suitable applications, and flavor profiles.

In Italy, many brands sell coffee powder specifically designed for moka pots. So returning to the question of what coffee beans to use in moka pots, because China's coffee development differs from Italy's, except for some large shopping malls that sell imported coffee powder, basically there are some domestic single-origin coffee brands.

Coffee beans suitable for moka pots generally require medium-dark roasting. FrontStreet Coffee recommends trying espresso blend coffee beans first, such as FrontStreet Coffee's specialty blend, which combines Brazilian and Colombian coffee beans to create a clean, balanced nutty chocolate flavor suitable for espresso machines and moka pots. To achieve coffee liquid rich in crema, FrontStreet Coffee's classic blend coffee beans is recommended - this is a new formula specifically designed for moka pots and espresso machines. Coffee made with moka pots not only has a mellow, rich taste but also makes Americanos and lattes display pleasant coffee aroma due to the rich crema.

Grind Size:

The particle diameter should be approximately 0.3-0.55mm. You have two ways to measure this: first, purchase a particle size gauge or moka-specific powder for reference; second, through continuous adjustment - generally not many times, testing 3-5 times should basically help you understand it. If the powder is too coarse, the coffee liquid will spray out rapidly, possibly like a fountain. If the powder is too fine, and you hear the gurgling sound of boiling water but the coffee liquid hasn't come up yet, it means it's too fine, and you should quickly turn off the heat. Remember to take safety precautions when making such adjustments.

How to Use a Moka Pot

1) Fill the lower chamber of the moka pot with hot water, ensuring the water level does not exceed the lower edge of the safety valve. The safety valve indicates the maximum water level for each moka pot.

It's not recommended to use cold water, as this will increase the time water soaks the coffee powder, making the extracted coffee become burnt, bitter, and muddy.

2) Add the coffee powder. This step is one of the important elements affecting the final coffee result (water amount, powder filling, extraction timing).

Many friends make obvious mistakes in this step, summarized as follows:

a. Insufficient powder amount. If you choose the maximum water level in the lower chamber, then your powder should also completely fill the coffee basket. Otherwise, as the amount of coffee powder decreases, the coffee flavor will gradually become weaker.

b. Using a tamper to compress the powder. Many friends borrow espresso machine-specific tampers to compress the moka basket powder - this is a laborious but unhelpful action. If compressed too tightly and the coffee powder is too fine, the coffee will have difficulty being drawn up. The key principle for properly filling a moka pot is: to fill as much as possible rather than compress tightly. You can add powder in batches while filling, tapping the edges of the coffee basket with your hand to help it spread as fully as possible, leaving no gaps.

When the coffee powder is completely filled, you can tap the coffee basket vertically against the tabletop a few times to ensure the coffee powder is fully and densely packed.

3) After correctly placing the coffee basket on the lower chamber, screw the upper chamber tightly onto the lower chamber. For safety and to prevent air leakage, you can tighten it slightly more than necessary.

4) Place the correctly assembled moka pot on a heat source for heating. For easier observation, FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing with the lid open.

Soon, coffee liquid will overflow from the central metal column of the upper chamber.

As extraction continues, the coffee liquid level will gradually rise. When crema appears on the liquid surface, please be alert that coffee extraction is nearing completion. When the crema color changes from dark to light, you should immediately cut off the heat source to stop extraction; otherwise, the coffee will be in an over-extracted state.

Especially, you should not wait until you hear the "gurgling" sound before stopping. Coffee at this point may even develop a burnt rubber taste.

6) If possible, prepare a towel soaked in cold water beforehand and place it by the heat source. When completing step 5, place the moka pot on the cold towel. This will greatly reduce the possibility of over-extraction.

Moka Pot Precautions

1. The rubber sealing ring at the bottom of the moka pot's upper chamber has a maximum service life of no more than one year - pay attention to replacement. This is somewhat similar to the rubber sealing ring of a pressure cooker. Not replacing it in time will result in poor sealing and air leakage.

2. If the moka pot shows air release or water leakage from the pressure relief valve in the lower chamber during brewing, the thin metal piece in the middle of the pressure relief valve needs to be replaced in time; otherwise, the moka pot's pressure will be greatly reduced.

Important Notice :

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