As a representative of convenience in home coffee machines, the Moka pot has always been loved by everyone. And in the use of the method, there have been many sayings, and even some people said that the coffee made by the Moka pot is very light and has no grease.
So how to make a good cup of coffee with a Moka pot? Next share some skills and some tips that must be noted for the production for your reference.
Moka pot vs espresso
Does coffee make in a Moka pot mean espresso?
Have you ever doubted this?
First, the difference between powder and water and the grinding ratio
The traditional espresso-making method uses a powder-to-water ratio of about 1:2 (0.63oz coffee powder to make 1.27oz coffee liquid), while the powder-to-water ratio of a Moka pot is generally between 1:5 and 1:6, which is one of the reasons why Moka pot coffee tastes slightly lighter. If you want to get a stronger taste, you can try adding a little less water.
Also, espresso is usually finer ground than a Moka pot. The grind here is closely related to the tool used to make it.
Second, The pressure
The standard pressure of espresso machines is around 9 Bar, while the pressure of a Moka pot for coffee extraction is only 1~2 Bar.
Although the Moka pot generates enough pressure to brew coffee when heated, it doesn't make coffee as thick as espresso. If you want to pursue a concentrated taste and greasy feeling, an espresso machine may be your first choice.
To summarize the differences between the two of them.
Moka pot coffee is not the same as espresso.
Moka pots are less costly and smaller compared to espresso machines, making them easier to carry around. That's why most families choose a Moka pot.
A Moka pot is the closest thing to espresso coffee that can be brewed other than an espresso machine. If you want a stronger flavor, try choosing medium to dark roasted coffee beans and replace the single-valve Moka pot with a double-valve Moka pot, or, reduce the water volume so that the coffee will taste stronger.
Tips for Brewing Delicious Moka Pot Coffee
In this article, I'm not going to rehash the production process again in detail. If you want to know the process in more detail, you can read my past posts and click to learn more.
What I want to share here are the points to note during the production process and the glitches that I think are easy to make. Hope it will be helpful to everyone.
1. choose the right coffee beans is a prerequisite for making good coffee
Everyone likes the taste of coffee is different, and the choice of coffee beans and powder naturally varies from person to person. Moka pot beginners can buy commercially available Moka pot applicable coffee beans to try, the rich and aromatic taste can choose deep, deeply roasted coffee beans, and the pursuing of relative balance and refreshing taste can choose shallow, shallow roasted coffee beans. There are many good choices for blended or single beans, so browse more shopping sites and listen to friends' recommendations, you will surely find the right beans you like.
2. the coffee powder grinding degree directly determines the quality of coffee
The degree of coarseness of coffee powder grinding has a great impact on the quality of the final coffee product. If the powder is too coarse, the powder slot and filter on the lower pot of water do not produce much resistance, the lower pot of water will quickly pass through the powder slot and cause insufficient extraction, coffee powder is too fine and will lead to over-extraction.
If you are at a hand-ground bean party, it is recommended that the coffee powder be ground to the coarseness of fine granulated sugar, no need to grind too fine. You can buy a Moka pot coffee powder for comparison grinding, try a few more times to record the taste of the coffee powder, if there is a burnt bitter taste, then grind the powder coarser, and finer to reduce the acidity of the coffee.
If you feel that you can not grasp the coarseness, you can directly choose the Moka pot with the "Moka" logo special coffee powder.
3. Add cold water or hot water?
Adding cold water or hot water has always been controversial the water temperature is not so strict boundary restrictions, the key is a trade-off for your coffee taste.
Officially, it is recommended to add cold water, which is most convenient in terms of convenience. However, the disadvantage is that a small amount of water will enter the powder tank before the water temperature reaches the desired temperature, thus leading to uneven extraction. If the stove does not have enough firepower and the water boils for too long, it may cause the upper pot to overheat, making the extracted coffee boil twice in the upper pot after being pressed out, seriously damaging the coffee flavor, which is one reason why the extracted coffee is sometimes bitter.
In terms of coffee taste, hot water is better. Hot water minimizes the heating time and the time the coffee powder is heated, so the extracted coffee will not have too much acidity. And the time will be shorter, which means less time waiting for the liquid to come out you will not be too easily distracted and can concentrate on the fire.
Comparatively speaking, if you are a novice, you can choose to add warm water, which can extract a more stable coffee.
Whether you add cold water, hot water, or warm water, it is an exploration of your taste. Take your time, try different water temperatures to produce the taste of coffee, find your favorite coffee flavor on the line, and do not be too entangled, after all, everyone's taste is different.
4. How much powder to add? Do I need to press the powder?
Each Moka pot has a fixed ratio of powder capacity. When you use it, just fill the powder slot with coffee powder.
When filling the powder, you can properly shake and shake the powder slot to make the coffee powder evenly distributed, and then gently smooth it out after filling, do not press the powder, this can reduce the bitterness caused by uneven coffee extraction.
The biggest advantage of the Moka pot is that it is convenient and quick to make a cup of espresso, so you don't have to get too hung up on the quantitative ratio, and you will probably master the flavor that suits you if you try more.
5. Concentrate and don't walk away
When cooking, heat the pot with medium-high heat first and control the fire within the size of the bottom of the pot. If the fire exceeds the bottom of the pot, it is easy to heat directly to the upper pot, and the coffee will be posted as soon as the liquid comes out, which is more likely to lead to over-extraction.
Lift the pot away from the fire time to grasp, when the coffee began to flow out to low heat. When you hear the sound of puffing and a large amount of coffee liquid gushing out, promptly take the Moka pot away from the heat source and put it on a wet rag to cool it down or use cold water to dip the pot to cool it down if possible, to avoid the residual temperature from continuing to heat up and causing over-extraction. The extracted coffee liquid should be poured out in time to enjoy.
6. wash and dry do not be lazy
Many people will think that Moka pots are similar to alabaster pots in that the flavor of the coffee will seep into the walls of the pot after a long time. It is true, but this does not mean that the " time mark " is suitable to be kept in the Moka pot, these old marks will also contribute to the burnt bitter taste of coffee, so wash it promptly after each use.
Aluminum Moka pots are easy to clean, just wait for the pot to cool and rinse the parts with water, no detergent is needed.
Note that aluminum Moka pots are not dishwasher safe. The detergent will react chemically with the Moka pot when the machine is running and the coating on the surface of the pot will be washed off and the resistance to acid and alkali will be reduced. Stainless steel Moka pots can be washed in the dishwasher with the right amount of detergent.
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.
