We have shared many articles about the operation of the Moka pot, and I believe that after using it for some time, you will start to encounter some problems, such as say leaking, spattering, cleaning and maintenance, extraction of coffee oil that is not rich, etc. Next, I will share some tips as well as solutions for three common problems in the session, hope it will be helpful to you.
Stovetop Espresso Maker Pre-cook preparation
Master The Skills 1 - What should I do with my new Moka pot, can I leave out the coffee powder?
Our Moka pots are semi-handcrafted and it is normal to have some metal residue in the lower pot. Newly purchased Moka pots require three test brews to remove the residue and to familiarize yourself with how to operate the Moka pot. When you receive our products, there will be instructions inside the package, please follow the instructions above.
An additional reminder is that each test brewing process should be filled with coffee powder, otherwise the phenomenon of the Moka Pot fountain will occur, and the splashing water will be hot, so please be sure to pay attention to safe use.
Master The Skills 2 - Which grind of coffee powder is the right one to choose?
If you are trying it for the first time and you are not sure about the grind, and you don't want to add additional equipment for the time being, you can choose a ground coffee powder that is already ground and available in a variety of roasts and flavors.
Note that when buying coffee powder, you should choose the one with the "MOKA" logo on the packaging, to avoid spattering, failure to produce liquid or poor coffee flavor due to the unsuitability of the grind.
If you like to do it yourself, you can try to buy various espresso blends or individual beans for grinding according to your preference, and the coarseness can refer to the size of the sea salt particles.
Master The Skills 3 - Can I put only half of the coffee powder in the pot if I can't finish it for one person?
Every time you make coffee, the powder chute needs to be filled, no matter which brand of Moka pot you buy. Otherwise, the coffee will spurt and there is a safety risk. If you can't drink it all by yourself, buy the smallest size Moka pot you can find, or, share it with your neighbors!
Master The Skills 4 - What is the recommended water temperature for a Moka Pot
There are no strict boundaries for adding cold or hot water. The official recommendation is to add cold water, but the downside is that a small amount of water will enter the powder bath before it reaches the desired temperature, resulting in uneven extraction.
Comparatively speaking, adding warm water can extract a more consistent coffee. Cooking directly with boiling water may speed up the extraction time, and this operation may result in a more bitter cup of coffee. The best way is to try all kinds of water temperatures, there is always one that suits you. It is best to add pure water or mineral water, the taste of tap water is not as good.
Master The Skills 5 - Can't turn the upper jug when tightening?
Firstly, you may not be able to tighten the jug completely, resulting in leakage.
Secondly, in the process of tightening the upper jug, some friends may borrow the handle to exert force, which will lead to a loose handle in the long run. We recommend tightening the Moka pot by turning the lower pot.
Stovetop Espresso Maker Brewing Coffee FAQ
Master The Skills 1 - Coffee Splash
Four common reasons for coffee splashing.
1. Water is added too much, not according to the standard scale instructions.
2. The coffee powder is ground too coarse, the powder slot is not filled or no powder is put in.
3. The fire is too big or too late to leave the fire. Maintain medium to high-grade heating, remember to turn off the fire in time after smooth liquid, cover, and keep away from the heat source.
4. No accessories installed or wrongly installed. Every time you use a Moka pot to make coffee, you need to install the filter and seal on the bottom of the pot correctly.
Master The Skills 2 - Coffee liquid is a little, slow to come out
If the coffee comes out a little bit and only half a cup, the extraction may be incomplete because the fire is too low or the fire is too early. Or is too much water added? Try leaving the fire when you hear a loud puffing sound and the coffee liquid is nearing the end of the flow, record the time of leaving the fire several times and see which time the extracted coffee is more to your taste.
If the coffee liquid is coming out very slowly, there are two points to consider.
1. If it is a newly purchased Moka pot, you can see if the coffee powder is too fine or too much is added.
If the Moka pot is used for more than a year, you need to consider the problem of seal shrinkage, the seal at the bottom of the upper pot is recommended to be replaced once every six months. It is also possible that the liquid outlet hole is clogged, usually cleaning attention to take out the seal and gasket together with washing, the old double valve can be unscrewed and cleaned.
Master The Skills 3 - Why is there no crema in the coffee?
Coffee grease is related to many factors.
1. Coffee beans. The fresher and more deeply roasted the beans are, the easier it is to extract the oils.
2. The grind and amount of coffee powder. Choosing a medium-fine ground coffee powder for the Moka pot and a sufficient amount of powder is also one of the keys to extracting oils.
3. In addition, the pressure of the double-valve Moka pot is higher, and the extracted oil is richer, you may want to try it. You can also try different types of Moka pots and adjust various parameters to observe the state of the oils.
4. Grease is not the key to measuring a good or bad cup of coffee, cooking your favorite flavor is the most important!
Master The Skills 4 - Lower Pot Pressure Relief Valve Air Injection
This is caused by too fine a grind of coffee powder/too much coffee powder or water.
This will cause too much resistance and the coffee liquid will not flow out from the upper pot, the pressure will only increase, and then the pressure relief valve will start to scream and spray to release the pressure.
If it is a double-valve Moka pot, there is also the possibility that the valve of the upper pot is clogged, you can try to unclog the Moka pot by only adding water to the lower pot and cooking it once without adding powder.
Stovetop Espresso Maker Post-boiling Issues
Master The Skills 1 - The Moka Pot won't unscrew after making coffee
The air inside the Moka pot may expand and the pressure becomes stronger after heating. You can add some boiling water to the top pot and try to unscrew it again after a minute or two when the water is not so hot.
Master The Skills 2 - Residual water in the lower pot after cooking
To prevent dry boiling, it is normal for the water in the lower pot not to go up completely and for the residual water to be clear or slightly mixed. If the residual water is more than one-third, it means that the fire was left too early and the extraction was not complete. Or add too much water, not by the standard scale instructions to add water.
Master The Skills 3 - What will happen if you wash the pot without waiting for it to cool down?
There are no serious consequences. It should be noted that some colored single-valve Moka pots may leave traces of rinsing in the lower pot, so if you are not in a hurry, just wait until it cools down.
Master The Skills 4 - How to clean if it's clogged
In the case of single-valve or newer double-valve Moka pots, try removing the filter and seal from the upper pot and rinsing it with the bottom of the upper pot.
If it is a double valve Moka jug, unscrew the valve of the upper jug and rinse it, the filter, the seal, and the upper part of the jug also need to be cleaned.
Master The Skills 5-Moka pot permanently has a lot of black spots under the pot how to do
Food-grade aluminum Moka pots are highly adsorptive, and oxidation is normal after use and has no effect on product use or health.
Aluminum products as long as they come into contact with air, the aluminum oxide will be formed, completely divided between the inside and outside, and the stability of aluminum oxide is very high, the melting point can reach 1400 degrees, so the usual cooking is simply not able to destroy the protective layer of aluminum oxide.
If you want to remove the oxidation spot, you can use diluted citric acid or white vinegar to clean it - use edible white vinegar or citric acid to soak in water for an hour or so, then rinse normally. (Oxidation spots are difficult to remove, this method does not guarantee the effect oh)
Of course, stainless steel Moka pots will rarely appear in this situation.
Conclusion
If you still have some questions, please leave us a message or contact us by email. We will get back to you as soon as we see it.
Mocha pot is a very easy-to-use product, in the cold season, it is wonderful to enjoy espresso-like coffee with your family.
