Coffee brewed with a moka pot is quite strong, a result of fine grinding and pressure-assisted extraction, but many people find the grind size for coffee grounds very difficult to get right.

Compared to other brewing methods, the coffee grounds used in a moka pot actually don't have very high grinding requirements! Coarser than the ultra-fine particles for espresso, close to fine salt is enough!

Grinds like the coarse granulated sugar texture for pour-over coffee or the flour-like texture for Turkish coffee are not recommended! Too coarse a grind makes the resistance of the coffee puck too low, which causes hot water to pass through too quickly and fail to extract enough coffee substances—in other words, it easily leads to under-extraction; while too fine a grind makes the resistance too high, and the hot water accumulates in the filter basket for a long time without coming out, creating a risk of explosion!!! So if you find that the water has been boiling for a long time but the liquid still hasn't come out after ages, it's best to turn off the heat source, readjust the grind, and then extract again—safety is the most important thing!

The amount of coffee grounds to use in a moka pot

Different sizes of moka pots use different amounts of coffee grounds, and coffee grounds of different coarseness have different volumes. At the same weight, the finer the grind, the smaller the volume of the coffee grounds! Changes in volume will affect extraction, so this is often why we use the manufacturer-recommended amount of grounds but still can't brew a delicious cup of coffee—the difference in grind creates a difference in extraction!

Therefore, we can simply fill the filter basket level with coffee grounds, which ensures a higher margin for error during extraction. The amount of grounds used to fill the basket level is the most suitable extraction amount for that size of moka pot and the current grind. Front Street then suggests that you record this value for easy adjustment of your extraction plan in the future~

The amount of water to use in a moka pot

The amount of water in a moka pot is also a matter of concern for many. You can take out the bottom chamber of the moka pot; inside the water reservoir of the bottom chamber there is a metal valve, and this thing is called the "pressure relief valve."

Its purpose is to prevent accidents where the pot explodes due to excessive pressure caused by too fine a grind or other factors. If too much water is added and it goes above this valve, the pressure relief valve may lose its pressure-relieving effect and increase the risk of the pot exploding. So Front Street would recommend controlling the water amount below this valve as the most suitable. Likewise, for better adjustment of extraction, Front Street would recommend measuring the amount of water poured in.

What kind of coffee beans are suitable for a moka pot

Front Street can say quite frankly that a moka pot is suitable for extracting all coffee beans. We can choose the specific beans to use according to our own needs. If you want to use moka pot coffee to make a latte, then a dark roast that can produce rich crema and a bitterness that won't be overpowered by the milk flavor is your first choice! If you want to use moka pot coffee to make a refreshing black coffee, then choosing a light roast with floral and fruity notes will be even better! The specific choice depends on your own needs.

Here at Front Street, we're using the highly praised Front Street Classic Blend coffee beans, a recipe combining beans from three origins—Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam—and using a dark roast, which maximizes the coffee's rich aroma and also lets everyone easily extract a rich and creamy crema. Whether making an Americano diluted with water or a latte paired with milk, it's very suitable. You can purchase and place an order at the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.

These are the points to note. Now let's move on to the tutorial for making moka pot coffee!

Steps for using a moka pot

Prepare the materials needed to make coffee: coffee grounds, water, a moka pot, and a heat source for heating.

1. Add water: First, add an appropriate amount of hot water. Because hot water can shorten the time needed to boil the water and let us get a cup of moka pot coffee faster!

2. Fill with coffee grounds: Put an appropriate amount of coffee grounds into the filter basket, then place the filter basket into the bottom chamber.

It should be noted that after pouring the coffee grounds into the basket, we'd better tap the basket lightly. The purpose of this is to allow the coffee grounds to naturally compress downward, fill the gaps, and reduce the occurrence of channeling. After filling, just use your finger to level the surface of the coffee grounds. Note that if the coffee grounds used are too fine, it's best not to tamp them, because this will increase the resistance of the basket and make it harder for hot water to pass through.

3. Tightly screw the top chamber and bottom chamber together: The point to note in this step is that if you filled it with hot water, it's best to use a damp cloth for insulation to avoid scalding yourself.

4. Place on the heat source and start brewing: There's not much to say about this point—just place the moka pot on a heat source capable of conducting heat and heat it.

5. Turn to low heat and wait for the coffee liquid to seep out: When we've brewed it until the moka pot makes an obvious sound, it means the hot water, pushed by steam, is about to overflow with the coffee substances, so at this point we need to lower the heat.

Otherwise, high heat will continuously produce steam, strengthening the pressure, and then the hot water, due to the pressure being too strong, will flow out at a faster speed, fail to extract enough coffee substances, and finally make the whole cup of coffee taste thin and weak. So when the coffee liquid is about to overflow, it's best to lower the heat.

6. Stop heating and wait for extraction to finish: When half of the coffee liquid has come out, we should turn off the heat source, because the residual heat inside the moka pot is already enough to "urge" out the remaining hot water.

7. Taste the coffee: Once the moka pot stops releasing liquid, we can pour out the coffee liquid and taste it!

If, when drinking moka pot coffee, we taste a strong burnt bitterness, then it indicates over-extraction, and we need to appropriately reduce the amount of extracted liquid—just end the extraction earlier next time! If it tastes too sour and has some off-flavors, then it's very likely under-extracted, and the grind can be adjusted. If the grind is in a state where it can't be adjusted, then we can increase extraction by slightly increasing the amount of water in the moka pot. After several tries, you'll know how to extract a delicious cup of moka pot coffee!~

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