In this article, you will learn about How to use a Moka Pot in a seamless way with the ned results of a delicious cup of Joe.
If you are an habitant of the coffee sphere, it’s a sure thing that you are pretty aware of the varied choices of equipment or makers for brewing your cuppa joe. But, if you are exceptionally serious about your coffee experience, you are definitely not free from the jeopardy of ruining it.
Here comes the common pain point for every coffee enthusiast – the equipment is handy, the ingredients are ready, but there’s a gap! You are not utterly sure about the brewing method which can allow you to make the most out of your cup. As responsible joe aficionados, we feel the urge to help you with this. Besides, we strongly believe that the joy of sharing helps add the perfect touch of excellence to the cup.
Thus, we keep you posted with different brewing methods using various pieces of equipment, and our today’s guide revolves around the Moka pot brewing method. If you are struggling to achieve perfection in brewing amazing cups using your Moka pot, roll your eyes through this post. We’re sure that once you finish checking it out, you will hardly have any confusion about brewing coffee with a Moka pot. So…let’s dive in!
What’s a Moka pot – To-The-Point Definition
Moka pot is a brainchild of an Italian engineer, Alfonso Bialetti. This compact eight-sided wonder was invented in 1933. This 3-chambered coffee maker is the ideal pick for those who are looking for a suitable close alternative to an expensive and high-maintenance espresso machine. Relying on the pressure generated by simple stovetop steam, a Moka pot makes robust and hearty coffee which is pretty much identical to espresso.
Does the Moka Pot make Espresso or Coffee?
You can call the Moka pot a stovetop espresso maker; however, it doesn’t actually duplicate an espresso experience. To be more straightforward, a Moka Pot doesn’t make espressos. It brews robust coffee, which is very much identical to espresso but it won’t get you the foamy crema of a true espresso shot. Besides, the richness of flavor is not as sound as that of an espresso. A cup of Moka pot coffee is almost like an Americano.
A Moka pot is different from an espresso because of its mechanism. While espressos typically use 9-15 bars of pressure, the Moka pot only gets 1-3 bars of pressure when forcing the water through the coffee grounds. However, the rich and robust flavor of Moka pot coffee allows you to use it as a stand-in for espresso, and when you have a Moka pot handy, you can easily make espresso-infused drinks like lattes, macchiatos, mochas, etc. at home.
How to use a Moka Pot
Moka Pot Coffee Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Coffee grinder – Pre-ground coffee is a strict no-no when it comes to Moka pot Brewing. Preground coffee’s flavors are typically whisked away by moisture or sapped by a lack of CO2. As a result, it losses its aroma and nuances. Thus, make sure you have a coffee grinder handy so that you can always use freshly ground coffee that results in an aromatic and refreshing cup. Granted, it’s an extra effort but it's worth it.
- 1 Water filter – Most brewing methods including Moka pots produce the best results when you use filtered water.
- 1 Food scale – Remember, measurement is the key to a great-tasting cup. Thus, we recommended you use a digital food scale for weighing out the water and coffee. However, if you find it inconvenient, you can skip this.
- 1 Moka pot – Here comes the king! Get a nice Moka pot handy. Try to get a six-cup Moka cup which makes two cups of coffee (5 ounces) at a time.
Ingredients
- 15-17 Grams Dark Roast Coffee
- 250 Grams Filtered Water
Instructions
- Preheat the Water: Bring the water to boil in a kettle and remove heat. This is done to ensure the Moka pot is not overly heated and also avoiding the metallic taste of coffee.
- Grind your coffee beans; keep the grind size medium-fine, like table salt.
- Add preheated water into the lower chamber of your Moka pot. Make sure that the water level reaches the valve.
- Fill the funnel/filter chamber of your Moka pot with coffee grounds. You should not tamp the grinds down. Once done, place the funnel into the bottom portion of the pot. Now place the top portion over the bottom one, and fingertight. You should always avoid over-tightening.
- Start Heating: Now put the Moka pot on your stove. Keep the heat medium. If you are using a gas stove, you need to ensure that the gas flame is smaller than the width of the pot.
- Wait for the Magic: After placing the pot on heat, you need to wait till the coffee is done. A Moka pot usually takes 5-7 minutes to finish brewing. The water gradually boils through the coffee and fills the top of the Moka pot. You can hear the bubbling sound after 3-4 minutes of placing the pot on the stove. After another 2-3 minutes, you can hear the rapid boiling sound which gradually increases in frequency and volume. When you here a sharp gurgling sound, you should turn off the heat.
- Open the Lid: Now is the time to lift the lid of the Moka pot and look inside. If you find that the chamber is full of coffee, your job is done. In case it’s not, you need to return to the heat and continue the process until the chamber is filled.
- Once brewing is done, simply pour coffee into a cup and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You should thoroughly wash your Moka pot after every use. Besides, you should dry it adequately before reassembling it.
- Handle the Moka pot with care! As it’s made of metal, it heats up tremendously.
- Be careful while brewing as over-brewing may lead to bitter and burnt cups.
How to overcome common coffee-brewing problems:
“The coffee is too weak” – try using less water, or more coffee, or use a slightly finer grind.
“The coffee is too strong” – try using more water, reduce coffee, and use a coarser grind.
“The coffee is too bitter” – the coffee is over-extracted, try to use a coarser grind.
“The coffee is too sour” – the coffee is under-extracted, try using a finer grind.
Moka Pot Coffee is Versatile
When it’s Moka pot coffee, you have quite a few options to customize it. Definitely, you can drink it straight up however, if you want you can use it for several specialty coffee drinks.
*Note: You can use this ratio to swap for espresso – 5 ounces Moka Pot coffee = 2 shots of espresso.
Make a Rejuvenating Latte
Latte is all about a single shot of espresso with a topping of generous steamed milk and a little foamed milk. To make a latte using your Moka pot, you just need 2.5 ounces of Moka pot coffee and then top it with steamed milk and foamed milk.
Mocha with Moka pot
To make a mocha with a Moka pot, take 2.5 ounces latte, add cocoa powder, pour foamed milk, and top your cup with whipped cream or chocolate shavings.
Make the Macchiato Magic
Take 2.5 ounces of Moka pot coffee. Make milk foam and put a dollop of foam over the Moka pot coffee, and it’s done.
Mouthwatering Affogato
Swap espresso and use Moka pot coffee as a base for this classic dessert. Toping your cup with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.
In this way, just by swapping the espresso for specialty drinks like cafe Au lait, iced coffee, etc., you can take Moka pot brewing to a different degree of innovation!
Wrapping up
That’s all about Moka pot coffee brewing! Try this out and enjoy easy lattes, mochas, macchiatos, and more whenever you want. We’re sure that you will be happy to save on your cafe visits. Enjoy brewing, and spread the love for coffee!
FAQs
Why Moka pot coffee tastes sour?
When it comes to Moka pot brewing, you need to be a little careful. If you use an ultrafine grind, it may result in a sour cup as your coffee will be over-extracted. In addition, if you are using a highly coarse grind, it will lead to under-extraction which may lead to a sour brew.
Why is my Moka pot coffee burnt?
There are a few rules of thumb when it comes to Moka pot brewing and one of the most paramount among them is the use of pre-heated water. When you pour pre-heated water into your Moka pot, it helps you to cut down the time of stovetop brewing, which prevents your coffee from getting burnt. Therefore, if you are using cold water for Moka pot brewing, switch to pre-heated water now.
Is Moka coffee as strong as espresso?
Not exactly! However, Moka pot coffee is quite close to the robustness offered by espresso.
How much caffeine is there in Moka pot coffee?
Typically, 100ml of Moka pot coffee contains around 220mg of caffeine.
What’s the right grind size for Moka pot coffee?
The recommended grind for a Moka pot coffee is medium-fine to fine.