tangles Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 12 Location: Sydney Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Gaggia Evolution Grinder: Hand Grinder
Posted Sat Feb 15, 2003, 6:29am Subject: Moka pot coffee
Hi, i've just bought a moka pot as my introduction to home coffee making. The problem i'm getting is that i'm getting coffee grind in my coffee. The moka pot is a 3 cup pot. I've been using it below it's capacity, I've been putting 1 tablespoon of coffee to make one cup. The coffee I'm using is an Australian brand of grouned coffee, Vittoria, that has on the packet suitable for Moka pots. Should i be using it to make less than 3 cups and if i can, how much water do i put to make 1 and 2 cups. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Cheers.
Posted Sat Feb 15, 2003, 3:38pm Subject: Re: Moka pot coffee
Welcome to the world of Moka Pots! They are a good way to make coffee, but they do not make espresso in the modern sense. If used properly, the Moka pot is a very forgiving unit. Having used one for a number of years now, this is what I can pass on...
Don't use an aluminum one. Get stainless steel pot. The extra money spent is worth it for both quality and your health.
Always fill the basket to the top and level off with your finger. Do not tamp. The building pressure will effectively "tamp" the grounds for you, and ensure that the pot does not explode on you.
Fill the pot with water to just below the pressure relief valve. DO NOT cover the valve, or you risk the bottom portion of the pot exploding. As an aside, some people have mentioned filling the bottom portion with boiling water, screwing top and bottom together, and then placing the unit on heat. I have never tried this, but it may decrease the time the ground coffee is exposed to water. Just make sure you don't burn your fingers while connecting top and bottom :).
Make sure the filter basket does not have any ground coffee on the rim. It contacts the gasket here, and any grounds will prevent forming a good seal.
As soon as you begin hearing the tell-tale gurgling in the top portion, remove from heat. This keeps the coffee from acquiring a bitter taste.
These simple rules should allow you to enjoy some really good coffee. For a pseudo-latte, nuke a mug of milk for a couple of minutes, and pour in a couple of ounces of coffee. Not too bad. Regarding the grind - I have found something a little more coarse than used for espresso works best.
Posted Fri May 23, 2003, 10:19pm Subject: Re: Moka pot coffee
very good advice from doug.
Stainless steel pot is the way to go.
The pot that I use is not the screw-on type. it uses a handle to slap close the pot. very handy! The coffee ground never gets onto the gasket. So I never find this a problem.
also, I dont usually let the coffee stays inside the pot longer than neccessary.
Remove the pot from the heat and break off the top and bottom part before letting it to cool.
Posted Sun May 25, 2003, 9:09pm Subject: Re: Moka pot coffee
mokapot Said:
very good advice from doug.
Stainless steel pot is the way to go.
The pot that I use is not the screw-on type. it uses a handle to slap close the pot. very handy! The coffee ground never gets onto the gasket. So I never find this a problem.
ahains Senior Member Joined: 5 Feb 2004 Posts: 174 Location: Renton, WA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: FrancisFrancis X5 Grinder: Innova Conical Burr Drip: Gevalia (was free) Roaster: Hot air popper
Posted Mon Feb 16, 2004, 9:54am Subject: Re: Moka pot coffee
dougwiebe Said:
... Fill the pot with water to just below the pressure relief valve. DO NOT cover the valve, or you risk the bottom portion of the pot exploding. As an aside, some people have mentioned filling the bottom portion with boiling water, screwing top and bottom together, and then placing the unit on heat. I have never tried this, but it may decrease the time the ground coffee is exposed to water. Just make sure you don't burn your fingers while connecting top and bottom :). ... Doug.
Bringing up an old post.. Are you sure about this requirement for the pressure relief valve? I just got a lavazza moka pot on loan from my parents and to get as much water as I want into it, I need to fill the bottom half about 2 or 3 mm above the pressure relief valve.
I would assume that this valve is very simple, and simply opens when it is exposed to a given pressure differential. If this is correct, then wouldn't it open just as well whether it had water in front of it or not? There should be the same amount of pressure above and below the water lines in the bottom half.. right?
Thanks! Adrian
"What's the matter with this thing? What's all that churning and bubbling? You call that a radar screen?" "No, sir. We call it, "Mr. Coffee." Care for some?" "Yes! I always have coffee when I watch radar. You know that."
bkazez Senior Member Joined: 10 Jan 2004 Posts: 76 Location: USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Isomac Tea Grinder: Mazzer Mini Drip: Not since visiting Italy!
Posted Wed Feb 18, 2004, 1:24pm Subject: Re: Moka pot coffee
ahains said:
Bringing up an old post.. Are you sure about this requirement for the pressure relief valve? I just got a lavazza moka pot on loan from my parents and to get as much water as I want into it, I need to fill the bottom half about 2 or 3 mm above the pressure relief valve.
This is what all the manuals and books on stove-top espresso recommend. I always follow it, and I continue to get perfect amounts of coffee on my Bialetti Moka.
beladrian Senior Member Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Singapore Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: elektra (ese)
Posted Mon Nov 6, 2006, 8:29am Subject: Re: Moka pot coffee
I've just got a Macap MC4 grinder and I'm having trouble grinding for my moka pot. I grind directly into the moka pot and lightly tap and level the gounds. The gurgeling noise starts but there is very little coffee coming out and its very bitter. After opening the moka pot, i find some grinds have found their way to the bottom of the moka pot. Is that normal or am I grinding it too finely?
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