There are hundreds of coffee brewing devices on the market, yet there is actually no definitive answer as to which coffee device brews the best-tasting coffee, because everyone's taste preferences differ. Even with the same coffee beans, using the same coffee device and the same amount of time, the acidity, bitterness, sweetness, body, and strength that each person perceives will vary. Not to mention using different coffee devices and different brewing variables — then the taste of each cup of coffee becomes even more endlessly varied.

Besides the espresso and pour-over coffee commonly seen in coffee shops, many people's first real encounter with coffee-making actually starts with the moka pot, because it is not only attractive and convenient, but also affordable and very easy to operate, making it especially approachable for beginners.

But Front Street Coffee has also noticed that some friends pursue a sense of ritual even more, such as the increasingly rare siphon coffee, where the cool equipment plus the unique operating process make people want to buy one and try it at home after just one experience. So what is the difference between these two coffee-making methods? And how big is the difference in taste? Next, please listen to Front Street's detailed analysis.

What is a moka pot?

A moka pot uses the steam pressure of boiling hot water to pass directly through coffee grounds and extract the essence of the coffee. The brewed coffee has a richer mouthfeel and aroma, with a thin layer of coffee oils on the surface — this is the charm of Italian coffee.

Compared with other coffee devices, the design of the moka pot is very simple. The entire structure is divided into only 3 parts: the upper chamber that holds the coffee liquid, the middle filter basket, and the lower chamber that holds water for heating. When we heat the moka pot, the water in the lower chamber is heated first and turns into steam, creating a certain pressure that pushes the steam from bottom to top. After the hot water rises and reacts with the coffee grounds, the continuously increasing pressure pushes the extracted coffee liquid up into the upper chamber, and then we get the rich coffee liquid we need.

The extraction method of the moka pot is similar to the pressurized espresso we commonly see. After the water boils in the lower chamber, it produces steam, and the accumulating steam creates a certain pressure, forcing hot water through the coffee grounds, dissolving flavor substances that flow with the coffee liquid and spurt forcefully into the upper container. Brewing coffee with a moka pot reaches about 1.2 to 3 atmospheres of pressure. The increase in pressure concentrates the coffee flavors even more, so coffee brewed with a moka pot also has a full-bodied mouthfeel.

Common moka pots on the market are divided into two types of devices: single-valve and dual-valve. When using a dual-valve moka pot to make coffee, a pressure-gathering valve is added on the original basis. The increase in pressure also raises the concentration of the coffee and brings out more coffee oils. Although a moka pot cannot compare with a standard espresso machine's more than 9 atmospheres of pressure, if we just want to drink a cup of rich, full-bodied coffee in our leisure time at home, Front Street believes that a moka pot is also a very good choice.

What is a siphon?

A set of instruments that looks like lab science equipment, paired with a halogen lamp or alcohol lamp. Through the firelight, you can see bubbles surging up in the hot water. When the coffee grounds are added, a refreshing aroma wafts over. After the temperature drops, the liquid quickly flows back and becomes deep in color. Take a small sip, and the taste is rounded and balanced. Compared with other brewing methods, comfort and healing are Front Street Coffee's strongest impressions of the siphon.

The English name of the siphon is "SIPHON," so it is also called a siphon pot. It uses the thermal expansion and contraction caused by water vapor after water is heated to push the hot water in the lower chamber up to the upper chamber to merge with the coffee grounds. When the temperature decreases, the water flows back into the lower chamber through the vacuum tube, thereby obtaining coffee liquid. As for the origin of the siphon, we can trace it back to the early 19th century, nearly a hundred years earlier than pour-over. According to relevant records, in 1826, German physicist Johann Norremberg invented the siphon using equipment in the laboratory. His original intention was to demonstrate the power of steam to students, so he did not apply for a patent, and his design did not become popular. It was not until the mid-19th century that this device was improved by the French inventor Marie Fanny Amelne Massot, and the upper-lower convection siphon was born. She obtained the relevant patent in 1842, and only then did this device enter the market for sale.

Around the same period, Scottish engineer Robert Napier designed his Napier Coffee Pot. This device also used the vacuum principle to brew coffee. Although it won an award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1856, Napier never applied for a patent for it. Since then, vacuum brewing devices of the same type began to become popular throughout Europe and spread to places such as the United States. However, due to the later invention of automatic drip coffee, Americans' use of the siphon gradually declined.

How do you use a moka pot? What flavor characteristics does moka pot coffee have?

Before brewing coffee, we need to prepare fresh coffee beans, water, a grinder, a heating gas stove (or induction cooker), and our protagonist — the moka pot. For the coffee beans, Front Street selected Front Street's own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans," a blend of Honduras Sherry and natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry in a 7:3 ratio.

First remove the base of the moka pot and add pure warm water to the lower chamber. This can shorten the brewing time and also prevent the coffee grounds from being heated too quickly, which can easily make the flavor burnt and bitter. Control the water amount to about 0.5 cm below the pressure relief valve line. The safety valve is there to prevent the extraction channel from being blocked by coffee grounds that are ground too fine, which could cause the moka pot to explode. If the safety valve is submerged by water and the extraction channel is also blocked, the consequences of a high-temperature moka pot exploding are unimaginable.

To extract a rich black coffee, the grind size needs to be much finer than regular pour-over. The Front Street store uses an EK-43s grinder with a setting of 0.5. The amount of coffee grounds is controlled according to the size of the moka pot. Here at Front Street, we use a three-cup Bialetti classic pot, with 18 g of coffee grounds.

Pour the ground coffee into the filter basket, fill it to nine-tenths full, level it with your finger, and then place it into the base. There is no need to tamp it forcefully; a layer that is too tightly packed can easily block the water from moving upward, thereby affecting extraction.

Next, screw the upper chamber and lower chamber tightly together, wipe the body dry with a towel, and place it on a gas stove or induction cooker to heat. When using an open flame, be careful to control the flame so that it does not exceed the range of the moka pot's base.

Just wait for the moka pot to heat up. When you hear a hissing sound, turn to low heat, and the coffee liquid and oils will slowly flow out. When you see the coffee liquid in the upper chamber reach half full, you can turn off the heat source and move the pot to the table, using the residual heat and pressure inside the pot to continue extracting the remaining coffee liquid.

Finally, pour the extracted coffee liquid into a cup. You can taste it directly, and the flavor will be very rich and solid, with a strong whiskey aroma, vanilla, cream, and the sweet-tartness of berries on the palate, along with the aroma of roasted nuts. For friends who usually like to drink Americano, Front Street suggests diluting it with 70–80°C hot water at a ratio of 1:5, stirring, and then drinking it. At this point it will show a fresh fruity sweetness and acidity. If you prefer coffee with milk, then you can pair moka pot coffee with milk, and it will taste sweet like chocolate and cream cookies.

Is brewing coffee with a siphon difficult to operate? What flavor does siphon coffee have?

This time, Front Street will use a fast-paced extraction method and pair it with a light-roast coffee bean — Kenya Asalia! So the water temperature will be relatively high, around 92°C, meaning it is sealed when the lower chamber boils until it bubbles frequently. Since the extraction time is not long, only 60 seconds, and the coffee beans are relatively light-roasted, we will use a grind that is "two degrees" finer than pour-over here: 9 on the EK43, with a 90% pass-through rate on a No. 20 sieve. The coffee-to-water ratio is 1:14, meaning 20 g of coffee grounds paired with 280 ml of hot water.

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.