Moka teapot and its preparation

How does the coffee from the Moka pot taste?

It is common among coffee lovers to divide themselves into one of two groups, according to the style of coffee preparation. Some can't get enough of espresso and the coffee drinks madefrom it , while others wouldn't trade their mug of filter coffee for the world. And then, of course, there are the indiscriminate coffee drinkers who will have both espresso and filter.

Coffee mocha is so specific that it doesn't fit into either of these segments. It ranks among alternative methods of coffee preparation, the most common of which are filter coffees from a drip or French Press. However, to thetaste of espresso is the closest of the alternative preparations.

Espresso vs. Moka vs. French Press

Neither filter nor espresso, what is it? Just a Moka pot. Do you have experience with coffee from a glass pot with a metal filter on the plunger called a French Press? If so, you have a clear idea of the style of filter coffee flavors. There is much more of itthan in espresso and its flavor is subtle, more complex and develops further over time.

By contrast, such espresso, even in the early 20th century, captured the attention of most coffee drinkers of the time. Coffee from an espresso machine is defined by the small volume of the beverage, but with a high content of coffee components. Its flavor is strong and defined by bright notes ranging from acidity, sweetness to bitterness.

On the abstract axis of coffee flavor style methods, Moka coffee issort of in the middle, and leans more towards espresso. However, it significantly depends on the recipe, the method of preparing the Moka pot. Its taste is likened to espresso. Primarily in the strength of the extraction and the smaller volume of the coffee portion in the cup. However, with recipe modification you can get more subtle flavors and a larger cup of coffee.

How to choose a Moka pot?

Choosing a Moka pot is much easier than choosing a home lever espresso machine. The basis of all the kettles, its components and the principle of coffee making is the same for all the Moka kettles in the world. Just like the first Moka teapot made in Italy in the 1930s.

The differences are in the following parameters:

size - or the number of cups it will make.
the material - the traditional aluminium is often replaced by stainless steel, perhaps with a finish for induction
design - among modern looks the classic retro style holds its own

On what principle does the Moka kettle work?

The beauty of making coffee in a Moka kettle is also in the brewing technology. It's almost like a little magic. Water, coffee, put it on the stove and in a few moments coffee appears with a magical aroma. It's neither magic nor a complicated device, but simple physics.

You don't have to remember elementary school and chalk physicists. You know it practically from everyday life. It's a simple principle where heating water creates steam which then pushes hot water out of the container.

The moka kettle allows the water only one way to escape from the container where the steam has spread. That path leads to the upper container of the moka kettle, through the ground coffee between the metal strainers.

Who invented the Moka coffee maker?

It was the inventor Luigi De Ponti, who designed the teapot based on an idea by and for Alfonso Bialetti, the owner of an aluminum factory. Bialetti in 1933 introduced the Moka Express to coffee lovers in Italy. This was roughly 30 years after the first espresso machine was patented. What gave them the idea to create the Moka teapot?

The inventors' idea was to allow families to make coffee at home, like a coffee shop, on a small coffee machine that was accessible to everyone. The original name Moka Express refers to speeding up thepreparation of coffee from the then common home methods. And to the city of Mokka in Yemen, an important commercial source of coffee at the time of the invention.

It was not until the 1950s that the Moka teapot achieved its greatest popularity. To distinguish the original product from the imitations being made, Bialetti commissioned Italian artist Paolo Campani to create the company's mascot. He designed "l'omino coi baffi" translated the man with the moustache. The inspiration is said to be Alfonso's son Renato.

The figure of the man is on every original Bialette, as the Moka teapots are also called. The mascot of BialettiIndustrie S.p.A. began appearing in the company's advertising campaigns and became inextricably linked to the Moka teapot and Italian coffee tradition. Today, 9out of 10 Italian households have their Moka teapot at home.

An interesting fact from the history of the creation of the Mokka Express is that the idea for its technological design did not originate in the kitchen. As one might expect. Alfonso Bialetti invented the Moka teapot in the laundry room. He watched his wife do the laundry while soapy water rose through a hose from a heated pot and was injected onto the linen. He thought he could use it for coffee.

How do you work with a Moka pot?

What you need to make coffee in a Moka kettle is groundcoffee and water. However, you have to set the ideal recipe for Moka coffee yourself. The specific amount of coffee is influenced by the size of the strainer of your Moka pot and preference for the strength of the flavors. Another recipe parameter is the correct setting of the coffeegrinder.

How do I coarse the coffee in the Moka pot?

With all brewing methods, you need a grinder with grinding stones for good tasting coffee. The better the quality of the grinder, the better the coffee in the cup. For more convenient grinding and almost effortless coffee preparation, choose a home electric grinder.

Unlike grinders with chipped blades, grinding stones can beset at a precise distance. This includes the exact degree of coffee grinding. And you can't do without that in making good coffee. For the method ofpreparation in the Moka pot, you use a fine grind, similar to coarse flour.

How to make Italian coffee - Moka pot: instructions

Screw the Moka pot in the middle into three pieces
Pour water into the bottom container so that the level reaches below the valve
Fit the strainer and pour the ground coffee into it so that it is aligned with the rim
Screw on the top of the Moka pot
Switch on the cooker under the teapot
When the coffee starts to flow into the top pot, turn the flame down
You'll know when it's done by the audible sizzle/sizzle of the teapot.

Moka kettle: preparing a cappuccino

The power of flavour in coffee Moka also suits the combination with milk. Similar to espresso, you can try a homemade cappuccino from a coffee base prepared in a Moka teapot.

The preparation procedure is the same as for a cup of black Moka coffee. This is supplemented with whisked warm milk. In total volume, the cappuccino should be around 140 ml. For a homemade latte you can also use one serving of coffee from a Moka pot, but more milk. Usually what will fit in a 180-200 ml cup.

Moka coffee pot. Even better coffee

The basic instructions for making coffee in a Moka pot are more of an introduction to how to use the pot. Now I'll write more specific tips on how to improve your Moka preparation at home and get a much tastier cup of coffee.

Use a barista scale

- Value your coffee. Use a scale for the right amount of ground coffee every time you brew. And at the very least, when you first make coffee in a new mocha pot, consider the volume of water in the bottom container. What do you get? Brew Ratio.

- The extraction ratio (Brew Ratio) indicates the amount of coffee per amount of water. For Moka kettle brewing, this ratio is around 1:7, i.e. 1g of coffee to 7g of water. Knowing the extraction ratio of the coffee in the Moka Kettle will allow you to both easily repeat the recipe and make perfect coffee every time.
- Secondly, it is a tool to easily modify the recipe. Is the coffee from the Moka pot too strong or too weak for you? Adjust the Brew Ratio to 1:8 for a stronger or 1:9 for a more subtle flavour of the coffee you're brewing.

Start with heated water

- Coffee bitterness reminiscent of burnt toast? Oh dear, something's gone wrong here. More than one coffee maker has solved this problem with a Moka pot. One of the ills of making Moka coffee is sometimes the longer heating time of the water and delaying the start of coffee extraction (formation).

- Use the trick of using already hot water instead of cold water that you pour into the bottom pot. Moka kettle time on the stove is significantly reduced this way, and the chance of coffee becoming bitter fromprolonged exposure to heat is minimized.

Filter your water

- Whatever coffee you prepare, think about the water, its composition. The point is that hard water creates different brewing conditions than soft water.

- Other substances invisible to the eye, but noticeable in the taste of coffee, can change how our coffee tastes. Or rather, dislike it.
- Thirdly, it is important to think about the consequences of using unfiltered water. I'm referring to the formation of limescale in both your kettle and your Moka pot.
- With a water filter kettle , every coffee preparation will be more gentle on your coffee tools and your coffee will taste better. After all, every cup of coffee is about 90% water!

Don't push the coffee

- Anyone who peeks behind a coffee machine in a cafe to see how baristas prepare espresso will have noticed the technique of tamping the ground coffee in the lever of the machine. A moka pot is not an espresso machine, and it doesn't want to tamp the coffee in the cup. Just tamp the batch of ground coffee smooth, for example, by carefully placing it vertically on the table.

Cool your pot

- Once the coffee is ready, the brewing process should be complete and the flavour should be affected by the heat. As a heated teapot still produces heat, try this tip: after brewing, immediately cool it by running a stream of cold water down the side of the teapot.

Adjust the coarseness of the grind

- Finally, the most important of points. The key to well prepared coffee is well ground beans. A coarse or fine grind means undeveloped flavours or over-extracted coffee. In the first case a coarse grind will taste rather sour and a too fine grind will make the coffee bitter. Move the grinding stage on the grinder accordingly.

- The optimal coffee flavor profile includes both acidity and bitterness, but both at a pleasant and non overpowering strength. Above all, there is anoticeable sweetness in well extracted coffee. If all these flavour areas are harmonious, we speak of a balanced coffee and a correct extraction.

How to clean an aluminium Moka pot

There is a myth that you shouldn't clean a moka pot because the coffee patina gives a better taste. This is not true. From a clean mocha pot, you will get a clean taste of coffee. And that's what you want.

Use, for example, the tip of a knife to carefully remove the sealing rubber and the strainer will also fall out.
Clean the strainer, the rubber seal, the coffee basket, the top and bottom of the pot with a sponge and a drop of spring.
Boil the moka pot once with just the decaf water to get any residue of the cleaning agent out of it, so it doesn't harm the taste of the next coffee you make.

How to assemble the Moka after cleaning and replacing the seal?

Continuously note the condition of the seal. The rubber ring on the underside of the top of the Moka teapot. An all-metal teapot will last for ages. The rubber seal is the only partthat loses its quality with use and age.

If the seal isworn out, it does not work properly or leak. And coffee will leak from the center joint of the Moka Teapot when brewing. Replacing it is easily done as part of the regular thorough cleaning of the teapot described above.

When reassembling the Moka teapot, be sure to insert the metal filter into the bottom of the top of the teapot first. The gasketbelongs up on the filter to seat against the threads of the joint and also holds it in place.

What is the best Moka teapot?

The best Moka teapot is a well-made one from tried and tested manufacturers. In addition to Bialetti teapots, you will certainly be attracted by innovative pieces, of course from Italian manufacturers. For example, from E&BLab or Forever.

Among the most popular Moka coffee makers at the moment are those that are suitable for induction. Also for these models for induction cookers, choose a size that will suit your coffee regime.

It is usually stated for what number of cups the product is designed for. E.g. Moka teapot for 6 cups. One traditional Moka cup is approximately 50 ml of black coffee. It is therefore not a bad idea to have more than one Moka pot.

This inexpensive coffee makerwill in multiple variations make it easier to prepare coffee for multiple guests at once. On the other hand, if you want coffee just for yourself, you will use a smaller pot. You might like an electric model at home, but if you want to go outdoors for coffee, equip yourself with a classic fire or gas-poweredversion.