Moka Pot Revisited
I thought the Moka Pot deserved another look. It is certainly worthy of one, and I have changed my approach since experimenting with it over the past few months. If you haven’t read my previous post on the moka pot, then do so before reading further, as this may not make a lot of sense otherwise.
Exciting news: I bought a new moka pot! My wife had been talking about checking out this place called Tuesday Morning’s which I was not familiar with, and although it was poorly lit, and not exceedingly clean, it had neat stuff for cheap, so I like it. I found a moka pot there that was larger than mine, and I heard from another coffee enthusiast that larger moka pots produce better coffee, and she was right. It produces more coffee than I would normally drink in a morning, but quality is everything, so it is more than worth it for me.
As for the change in approach, perhaps it is due to the larger size of my new moka pot, but I have found that it produces it’s best coffee when the stove is set to high, or just below high heat. Of course you have to watch it, if it’s in the heat for too long you will end up with very bitter coffee, and if it starts to boil over, quite a mess(learned from experience).
So the main points to take home are: bigger may be better, high heat works, and don’t let your moka pot go too long. Other than that, I just wanted to spend a little more time talking about the wondrous moka pot! Recently heard from a friend that my instructions assisted her as she broke in her new moka pot. So I consider it all worth while. As always, I welcome comments and questions, and enjoy your coffee!
I need to start getting more serious with my coffee. All geeks should be coffee geeks too.
Oh, did you know High Gravity started carrying products for roasting your own coffee beans?
I did not know that, I will have to check it out. Perhaps John Gabarino at Topeca would sell me some green beans.
I read that you can roast coffee beans on a stovetop popcorn maker, but it sounded like you would end up smoking up your house, and I am betting that you won’t end up with the best roast in the world.
Hey, gimme a post about Keurig. I’m staying with a friend who has one and it’s delicious and easy! But is it *real* coffee, or just the best unreal coffee I’ve ever had?
http://www.keurig.com/
-L
Well I’ve been searching for information on moka pots for some time now, and you are the first one to say, the bigger pot, the better coffee. Usually it’s writen otherwise… I beginning to feel confused. But maybe it is due to personal tastes. I haven’t tasted a coffee from a moka pot yet, but I consider buying one… maybe.
That is interesting that others have said the reverse. I am not drawing from some widely held conclusion on that, it is only my personal experience, as well as one other person that I know of who agrees with me on that matter.
My guess is that the larger quantity prevents the heat from increasing too quickly and makes one less likely to overheat the coffee. I suppose if done right, you might still be able to get a better cup from a smaller pot. The gasket is worn on my smaller moka pot so I haven’t used it in some time.
If you do decide to buy a moka pot, let us know what you think!