Method. It essentially has three main parts.
· The bottom part is the pressure chamber where water poured is converted to steam to create the pressure. · The funnel filter is the middle part with a funnel and filter. The funnel draws up water and the filter prevents the grounds it has from falling off. · The top most part of the Moka pot is the collection chamber. The water forced through the coffee grounds is collected here When this assembly is placed on a heat source, like a stove, the water in the in the lower chamber boils to steam. As the pressure starts building up (limited by the safety valve) it forces the boiling water through the funnel, through the coffee grounds. The filter on the top chamber stops the grounds but lets the extract water flow. This beautiful fluid called espresso will get collected in the top chamber. Ready to drink. 1. Fill the bottom chamber with clean cold tap water till you reach just the safety valve. Fill to a level just below the safety valve. Stick to the water instructions put up already. No boiled water. No hard water 2. Add the coffee grounds to the funnel/filter. Make sure the grounds are larger than filter holes. Do not tamp the grounds by any chance as they absorb water and grow and also we are just dealing with 1-1.5 bar of pressure. That’s the pressure which a routine Moka pot creates and handles. Don’t get tempted to tamp like the professional baristas do :P 3. Place it on top of the bottom chamber and clear off the screwing area off any grounds that might be there. Remember we are dealing with pressurized containers so make sure you screw everything right and tight. 4. Screw in the top chamber too. Right and tight again. 5. Place this assembly on the stove top. Make sure the flames do not exceed the width of the base. It should not be very high neither the it should be very low 6. When the water finishes its journey through the pot from bottom to top a distinctive gurgling sound can be heard. That is the indication of the done-ness. 7. Switch off as soon as you hear this sound. Stir and serve immediately. |
what can be tweakedFirst of all let’s get one thing out of the way. Do not soap wash the Moka pot filter and the top chamber normally.
Most of the Moka pots are made of aluminium. When the hot slightly acidic coffee comes in contact with metal it gets a distinct metallic taste. On use the coffee’s essential oils form a layer on the metal and from the second or third use the metallic taste disappears. Washing the Moka pot with soap rids the pot of the oils and exposes bare metal to coffee every time. In fact for first 2-3 uses throw the coffee away to get the pot seasoned, get the safety valves and washers into place and ready for action. As soon as the coffee is served wash away the top chamber with cold water. After the pot cools down dis-assemble it and them wash off the grounds and wipe it with a cloth. · The stove flame can be regulated. Avoid extremes. Need an extra strong coffee may be you can lower the heat and slow the movement of water through the grounds and give it time to gather and extract more caffeine. o But a very low temperature my play havoc on the taste o A mid low to moderate flame should do. But don’t go beyond that. Don’t let the flame engulf the Moka pot like a witch’s crucible of holy fluids · The amount of coffee powder and the water is something you don’t want to tweak much with o More water and less coffee powder will over extract the coffee leaving a bitter taste and a bad morning too o Vice versa may not be that bad but the flavour does not come through very well. So stick to the ratio · BUY A POT WHICH SUITS YOU. Don’t buy an extra-large pot and make a tiny amount of coffee in it as the extraction pressure varies. A camping favourite and a portable friend. A Moka pot never lets you run out of coffee shots be it over the camp fire or at the comfort of your home. |