
Are you a moka pot coffee user? Until this moment still not satisfied with the results of brewing? Maybe this article can be of use to you!
I just got my Bialetti Gran Gala 1 Cup mocha pot . The reason I have this tool at home is so that if I want to drink milk coffee, I can get a slightly thick and strong brewed coffee. Unfortunately, moka pot is a coffee maker of the most tricky I have ever tried. It’s not as easy as brewing manually with pour over, Aeropress, Vietnam Drip and the like, this tool is quite a test of patience.
If you don’t use the right amount and method, the brew can be too bitter and burnt. So because I was quite annoyed, I found out and often experimented until the results of my steeping reached the ‘decent’ level. There are lots of posts and videos discussing mocha pots and the most suitable for me is the YouTube video on the ChefSteps channel where the guest star is the noble James Hoffman. I practiced the method and it worked. Here are important tips for you moka pot users and I edited these tips from several sources, James Hoffman and of course my experience and some friends.
Grind Level is Slightly Coarse than Espresso
Although similar to an espresso maker, a moka pot is a coffee maker, not an espresso maker. And of course the way it works is different from the espresso makers, both manual and automatic. Therefore, use coffee that is ground slightly coarser than the level of an espresso grind. If it’s too fine the coffee will have a hard time coming out and this often leads to over-extraction which makes your coffee too bitter.
Coffee on the gasket should not be compressed too hard
We may often forget, because we often compress coffee in a portafilter with a coffee tamper. In moka pot we don’t have to do that. Just trimmed it up a little and pressed lightly. It doesn’t need to be compressed like that. If it is too dense then the coffee will be difficult to extract and inhibit the release of coffee.
Use Hot Water instead of Room Temperature Water
Some people believe that brewing with a mocha pot means having to use room temperature water. The answer is no. According to James Hoffman, room temperature water will heat up when heated and when the water heats up, the coffee will heat up prematurely in the mocha pot. This results in an unpleasant bitter taste in the brew. Using hot water will reduce the heating time and speed up the extraction process. Then the results of your coffee will be much more delicious.
Turn off the fire when you hear a hissing sound
We often wait until all the coffee in the mocha pot comes out even though the hissing sound is very loud. Better not because it’s a sign that the coffee is almost burnt. When the first coffee comes out, you have to pay close attention until the hissing sound of bubbles comes out. That is a good time to turn off the fire and stop the brewing process.
Wet the Bottom of the Moka Pot
When you turn off the heat, immediately wet the bottom of the mocha pot with water. This is very important because as long as the mocha pot is still hot, the extraction process will continue and we don’t want that because it will make the coffee bitter. Wetting the bottom of the mocha pot means stopping the process. And our coffee is ready to be enjoyed! You should know Best Moka coffee