It's a great invention that we can make espresso-like coffee at home with a simple coffee maker. A stovetop espresso maker is also called a Moka pot or Italian coffee maker.
Here we will share 5 steps to make the perfect Italian stovetop espresso coffee for you! And the tips for how to keep your espresso maker clean so that won't hurt your Moka pot.
Keep reading on to find more.
What is a Stovetop Espresso Maker?
The stovetop espresso maker is a tool for extracting the base of espresso coffee, which began to be popular in Italian households for its ease of operation, and has since grown to become a national product in Italy and is now popularized worldwide.
The creation of the Moka pot was inspired by the washing machine used by Alfonso Bilotti's wife at the time, which had a metal tube in the middle that sucked the heated soapy water up from the bottom of the machine and sprayed it on top of the clothes, thus he was inspired to create the Moka Express, the world's first home Moka pot using steam pressure to extract coffee, in 1933.
This invention revolutionized the original way of making coffee by using high pressure to extract coffee liquid in a short time, making coffee making easy and convenient. The Moka pot gradually became popular in Italian homes, and later developed into an essential coffee appliance in Italian home kitchens.
How to Make Stovetop Espresso Coffee at Home Easily With a Moka Pot?
The coffee extracted with a Moka pot has a strong taste and a delicate and smooth mouthfeel. At the same time, because the extraction pressure is less than that of the coffee machine, it reduces the coffee grease content. Thus how to use a stovetop espresso maker easily?
Keep following:
1. Add water to the lower pot, around 194 °F is good, remember not to exceed the pressure relief valve when adding water.
- If you want your coffee to be stronger, put less water in it, otherwise put more water in it. But whatever you do, do not exceed the pressure relief valve, otherwise, you will damage our Moka pot!
- Don't use boiling water, or the lower pot will be very hot and easy to over-extract
- After comparison, water temperature is not a direct factor in determining the taste of coffee. High water temperature extracts coffee faster
2. spread the powder through full.
- The coffee grind degree refers to the size of the powder slot screen gap to ensure that coffee particles do not fall down the pot, resulting in uneven flavor or bitterness. Or you can buy a special coffee powder for Moka pots.
- The powder bowl should be as full as possible, so that there are not too many gaps in the powder slot, resulting in coffee particles falling into the upper pot during the coffee extraction process, which can also lead to uneven flavor or bitterness.
3. install the Moka pot, put it on top of the stovetop, and turn on the fire source.
- Be sure to use a low flame, and the flame should not exceed the lower pot, otherwise, the Moka pot will be easily damaged
- After turning off the fire, please move the Moka pot away from the stovetop. Allow the residual heat and pressure to continue the extraction. The coffee liquid will taste better this way, so be sure to try it out.
5. when the coffee liquid is extracted from the top pot, you can pour it into a cup and taste it. The coffee produced by the Moka pot tastes close to espresso and can also be mixed with milk froth for a great taste.
TIPS:
- When you buy a Moka pot, please pay attention to the merchant's instructions for use, Moka pots have a single valve and double valve two types. The difference point is the amount of coffee grease extracted. As the name implies, the coffee extracted by the double valve will have more grease than the single valve. If you like the feeling of grease, you can consider buying a double-valve Moka pot.
- Early Moka pots are made of aluminum, lightweight, with high thermal conductivity, and faster extraction, but aluminum is prone to rust, so pay attention to moisture in the maintenance, cleaning should also be careful not to use hard objects to scrub the body of the pot.
How to Clean a Newly Purchased vs Daily Use Stovetop Espresso Maker
The way to clean a newly purchased Moka pot
1. before using the newly purchased Moka pot, try to brew the coffee at least two times first, these two times cannot be drink.
2. cleaning without using any detergent, can not be cleaned with a brush, or soaked in water for a long time, and can not be cleaned in the dishwasher. Just clean it with a soft rag.
3. after cleaning the parts to be disassembled, wipe dry and air dry (not dry easy to mold).
How to clean the Moka pot after daily use
Aluminum Moka pots are easy to clean, just wait for the pot to cool down and rinse each part with water, no detergent is needed.
Cautions:
- Aluminum Moka pots are not dishwasher safe. When the machine is running, the detergent will react chemically with the Moka pot, the coating on the surface of the pot will be washed off, and the resistance to acid and alkali will be reduced, which may have an impact on health.
- You can't use a wire ball or abrasive material to clean it either, as this will scratch the surface of the Moka pot.
- Normally, you can wash it with warm water and dry it with kitchen paper for storage, without detergent or baking soda.
- It is best to disassemble and clean the seal and filter at the bottom of the pot every time you clean it, as this will slow down the aging of the gasket.
Stainless steel Moka pots can be washed with mild detergent in moderation or placed in the dishwasher.
After washing, remember to dry and dry to avoid residual coffee grounds that can affect the taste of coffee, and to prevent the Moka pot from "blackening" due to water residue.
Because of the stability of the stainless steel material, it is not easy to have a chemical reaction, so there are many options for cleaning. However, no matter what kind of material you use, please clean the Moka pot in time after each use, otherwise, it will easily lead to residual coffee stains, which will affect the flavor of the next coffee if not cleaned for a long time. If you live in a place where the humidity is relatively high but also easy to grow mold!
To conclude:
- Aluminum Moka pots are washed with warm water.
- Stainless steel Moka pots can be washed with water, detergent, and even in the dishwasher.
