Moka pot
This is not an espresso maker
First of all, we think it's important to mention that the coffee from the Moka pot is by no means an espresso. Since steam is used here, the maximum pressure is 2.5 bar . Proper espresso, on the other hand, needs at least 9 bar . We recommend this device only for people who are over 1200m above sea level. living at sea level. In this case, the boiling temperature would be 96°C or less. Here in Cologne, the water reaches 100°C (even a little more under pressure) and thus burns off very fine aromas. That's also the reason why we don't have the Moka pot in the shop. Despite this problem, the Moka pot has many fans and so we want to show you how to conjure up a decent coffee despite it.
In addition to the moka pot, you need a (hand) mill for the preparation and ideally a simple kettle to bring the water up to temperature beforehand.
Parameters at a glance
| degree of grinding | amount of coffee | amount of water | temperature | total duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine | fill sieve | up to the valve | ~100°C in the valley | Depending on the stove |
Playing with fire
As already mentioned, one of the central problems here is the temperature. In addition, if you fill the pot with cold water, it can take several minutes for it to get hot. During this time, the water rises very slowly and is in contact with the coffee for a very long time. We avoid this by preheating the water.
- Turn on the kettle. Since this step takes the longest, let's start with it.
- Choose a fine grind, finer than table salt. Please do not use pre-ground coffee, as the aromas also disappear very quickly here.
- If you have a hand grinder, grind the coffee while the kettle heats up. Otherwise shortly before.
- When the water is hot, carefully fill it up to below the valve (use gloves/towel for screwing!)
- Now put the grist into the sieve and the sieve into the pot
- Screw on the jug and place on the stove
- leave the lid open
- When the coffee comes out at the top, wait 10-15s and remove the pot from the stove
- With the lid open, wait until all the coffee has reached the top
- Your Moka is ready!
Somehow I don't like it
Case 1: The coffee tastes too bitter or generally too strong.
Solution: Adjust the grinding level to a coarser one.
Case 2: The coffee is too weak, tastes too sour, or gets to the top too quickly.
Solution: Adjust the degree of grinding finer.
If you still don't like the coffee, you may want to switch beans or methods. Especially if the taste is too bitter, it is worth switching to medium/light roasts or trying out pour-over methods.