You’ve seen it in every European AirBnB. It sits by the stove at your friends house who is always serving you the best coffee. You finally found one for a great price and it makes your kitchen look romantic. You filled the water reservoir, filled the basket with ground coffee, and turned the stove on high. It boiled over, tasted burnt and metallic, and now sits there idle and never to make coffee again. The infamous Moka Pot!
Don't write off this amazing brewing method yet. Like all things in life, the more you understand it, the better results you can get. The Moka Pot can make you an amazing cup of coffee if you follow some simple steps. The items you need are in your home already, if not, can be easy to find at your local coffee shop.
- Moka pot
- Hot water kettle/microwave safe pitcher
- Bar towel
- Fresh ground coffee
- Stove top (of course)
- Your favorite mug
As always, grinding your coffee right before brewing will ensure the best results. For a Moka Pot, you want to grind your coffee as course as table salt. Grind enough to fill the basket of your Moka pot. Grind amount may vary since most Moka pots come in different sizes. A standard 4 cup Moka pot will need about 17 grams of coffee. Even out the mound of coffee with your finger.
Now you want to warm your water. Bring your water to a boil on the stove, or heat your water in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes.
Fill the reservoir to the fill line. Place the coffee filled basket into the filled reservoir. Use a towel to protect your hand from the now hot base and screw the base to the top of the Moka Pot. Don’t over tighten, but make sure the seal is secure.
For the stove top, aim for a medium-high heat. You don't want the water to boil to fast. Leave the lid of the Moka Pot open for the first few minutes of brewing. As the stream of coffee starts to run, in will be dark in color and start to gradient. The water will rumble as the color turns to an opaque honey. Close the lid and pull it off the burner. You will need to run cool water in the sink, and place the base of the Moka Pot under the stream. The cool water will stop steam from continuing to build, and help stop the brewing process. Skipping this step will make your coffee taste metallic and burnt.
Pour the coffee into your mug and sip away! You may also decide to cut the coffee with water, since the flavor tends to be robust from a Moka Pot.
Cleaning your Moka Pot is simple. Undo the base from the top, separate the base from the coffee basket and rinse well with soap and water. Let it air dry and it will be ready to use again shortly!
Don’t be afraid of brewing with the Moka Pot. Created in 1933, this brewing method has been serving humans for generations. You will come to love and respect the coffee brewed from your very own Moka Pot.
I look forward to coffee with you.
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