Most homes have a moka pot in use or at least buried in a cupboard. In many ways I struggle to explain its popularity, as it is not the most user-friendly device in the world and it is not easy to produce delicious coffee with one. It tends to produce very strong, very bitter coffee but it is sufficiently palatable to espresso drinkers that just about every household in Italy uses one religiously.
The patent for the moka pot belongs to Alfonso Bialetti, who invented it in 1933. The Bialetti company continues to produce very popular brewers today. Moka pots are often still made from aluminium (about which there was a false scare story some years ago), although it is possible, and more desirable, to buy a stainless-steel model.
The method below is a little different to the way most people use their moka pot, but the advice may help even those who are already happy with the coffee they produce from it. My biggest issue with this type of coffee maker is that the brewing water reaches temperatures so high that you start to extract very bitter compounds from the coffee. Some people treasure the bitterness of a moka pot brew, others utterly hate the device because of it. The technique below has helped people find a new respect for their long-forgotten brewer and enjoy their coffee a different way.
However, because of the high coffee to water ratio, and because the brew time is quite fast, it is still difficult to make light-roasted, dense or particularly acidic and juicy coffees taste good using this brewing method. I would recommend using a light espresso roast, or perhaps a coffee that is grown at lower altitudes. I would steer away from dark roasts because of the propensity of this method to produce a bitter cup.
To get the best results from your stove-top moka pot, choose a light espresso roast or coffee grown at lower altitudes. This will avoid making an overly bitter brew.
STOVE-TOP MOKA METHOD
Ratio: 200g/l. In most cases, you do not have much control over the ratio. You simply fill up the ground coffee holder and then fill the unit with water until it reaches just below the overpressure valve, so there is little room for manoeuvre.
Grind: Quite fine/salt. I do not recommend using an espresso/very fine grind, a somewhat controversial stance. I prefer a slightly coarser grind than most people would choose because I prefer to minimize the bitterness in the resulting cup (see Grind Size).
1 Grind the coffee just before you start brewing, and fill the basket so it is even and level. Do not compress the coffee. 2 Boil a kettle of fresh water with a low mineral content, suitable for brewing coffee. The advantage of starting with hot water is that the pot is on the heat for less time and the ground coffee doesn’t get as hot, which helps reduce the bitterness. 3 Fill the bottom section of the brewer with hot water to just below the small valve. Do not cover it with water; it is a safety valve which prevents too much pressure from building up. A
4 Put the coffee basket in place. Make sure the circular rubber gasket is completely clean, then carefully assemble the brewer. If this does not seal properly, the brewer will not work properly. B
5 Put the pot on a low to medium heat, leaving the lid up. When the water starts to boil in the lower chamber, the pressure created by the steam pushes the water through the tube that feeds it to the coffee. The faster and harder you boil the water, the more pressure you will create and the faster the brew process will be – you don’t want to go too quickly. C
6 Coffee should slowly start to appear in the top chamber. Listen carefully: when you hear a gurgling sound, it is time to turn off the heat and stop brewing. This sound indicates that most of the water has been pushed up already and that steam is now starting to come through the coffee, which will make the brew more bitter. 7 To stop the brew, run the base of the brewer under cold running water. This drop in temperature will cause the steam to condense and the pressure to disappear. D
8 Enjoy your coffee.
Make sure the brewer has cooled down to a safe temperature before taking it apart for cleaning. It must be completely dry before you put it way. Avoid storing it locked fully into position, as this will cause the rubber seal to age more quickly.