Here it is in text, if someone wants to save it :) Constants: 1. Boiling water in the boiler 2. Full basket of coffee 3. Avoid sputtering phase by cooling down the chamber under cold water Variables: 1. The lighter the roast, the finer the ground. 2. Less filled boiler will brew a bit earlier. Usually, dark roasts -> a bit less water, light roasts -> full boiler 3. Preheat the hob/relatively low heat on the gas hob 4. As soon as the liquid starts to flow, turn off the heat. For electric hobs, move it to the edge of the hob. Troubleshooting: If the sputtering phase starts before you think it's time (not enough coffee out etc): 1. Too fine of a grind 2. Too much heat
Another one was to aim for two-thirds weight out of the weight of the water you put in for lighter roasts. Two-fifths to three-fifths for darker roasts.
I remember the first time getting one these things and going for an extensive test run. 10-14 cups later I had figured out the optimal formula but no longer capable to sleep
James, those three videos about the Moka Pot are pure gold! The Moka Pot is my daily driver, so to speak, and I always followed your original guide video. I'm using a gas burner, and used to cook on medium heat all the way. Since your 2nd video, I use only low heat and hover the pot above when the coffee starts to come out. As a result, I almost get no sputters at all, and the coffee feels creamier and velvetier (or probably is just less bitter than with my old method). The internet is full of snake oil nonsense videos, thus I'm very glad someone is still having a scientific approach in 2022.
@RIDDLE0MASTER I've had a Moka Pot for over 15 years but only used a few times when I first got it, I obviously really didn't know how to. Since watching James's guide I have tried again and now I look forward to the weekend so I can indulge in a 6 cup Pot all to myself. It takes me quite a few hours to come down afterwards but I do get a lot done on my days off. I tend to do a 3/4 basket with Lavazza Rossa and now also use mineral water, it made a huge difference, the tap water is a bit pants around here. Very low gas, grab it on the first splutter and cool, add all to a mug then add some frothed up warm milk.
@@Sol3UK I also use a 6 cup pot. I use a manual grinder (which belonged to my great-grandma) with dark roasted Arabica, but during the working week, for the sake of convinience, I brew a pre-grounded coffee from a local Supermarket brand. Since the grind size is way smaller, I fill only about half of the basket (around 2 full tea spoons), otherwise, the safety valve goes off.
I love how James tries to disprove his own theories and really put his, and everyone else's, ideas to the test. Really makes me want to try it and must be great to finally be making the coffee you deserve each morning with his help. Good on ya.
Dear James, Your video has changed our experience of coffee. My wife and I were struggling to get anything other than a bitter brew from our Bialetti. We were about to give up. We talked desperately about switching to tea. Then, looking for a coffee maker on Amazon, I came across a comment (thanks to the author) urging us to watch your videos. And then it was a revelation! Every morning since, the delicious nectar has perfumed the house and delighted our palates. We follow your protocol to the letter. You're a benefactor, an enthusiast with an uncommon benevolent pedagogy. Thank you James Hoffman!
coffee and tea huh ? about a year ago - i started adding tea to my coffee before i got the moka a month ago - at first - i put the tea bag into the 15 oz cup of keurig brewed coffee for about 3 minutes after that - i put the tea bag in the path of the keurig brewed coffee flowing into the 16 oz cup ( used a metal filter that was positioned at the top of the cup and held the tea bag ) . now using the moka 12 cup ( 15 oz ) i tear open a large tea bag and mix it with the coffee grounds before brewing ( wonder why i never thought of doing that with the keurig ? - i use a reusable k-cup that i put my own ground coffee into it and i could have done it easily ) ( i will remember to do that in the future )
@@kablammy7may I ask how you came up with that idea and what does it tastes like, please? I've never heard of putting tea in coffee. Maybe I need to come out from under my rock LoL
I think in Italy we’re so used to burnt coffee coming out from over-filled moka pots that we end up liking that more than “proper” coffee. To me, overextracted, bitter, burnt coffee is associated to so many memories that has a magic on its own 😅
So true! I have always been waiting until the steam hisses out, trying to save each drop of expensive brew... and it's hard to beat the"vintage" looks of a burnt mocha pot (from the several brew where I distractedly forgot to add water)
Some consider that “proper” coffee and the whole point of the Moka. Also, I believe the effect from the caffeine is more notable. Hoffman is making recipes for tea drinkers to enjoy coffee, really.
So true. In Hungary we actually refer to the espresso maker by this seething/bubbling sound it makes while apparently ruining the coffee according to him: "kotyogós". I think he is a bit of a snob.
Two misconceptions you cleared up for me: 1: my family (and many Italian immigrants to Canada) called Moka coffee espresso around me when, clearly, it is quite different. 2: In my home, we always thought that the sputtering stage was just a sign the water was running out and the coffee was ready, rather than a sign that the system was overheating. The result of seeing this video is that my coffee has massively improved in quality (it is sweeter and more nuanced with less cutting bitterness). I brew Moka coffee every day of my life, so I couldn't be more thankful. Excellent content.
@@ackzz Its definitely not espresso using the classic definition. A Espresso is brewed with a ratio of around 1:2 with something like 8-10 bar of pressure.
I am in Chicago and I had the same misconceptions as well. I learned from an Italian citizen who lives in the US. I just could say "Ditto" to this whole reply.
Because of this video, I started with adding boiling water instead of ice cold water. My mokka coffee came out thick, not bitter and absolutely wonderful. Thanks internet and James!
I've never understood how anyone could drink the harsh muck that the mocha pot always made when I tried to use it, but I now understand that I was doing EVERYTHING wrong😂 maybe time to dust it off again and see if it can redeem itself (or I redeem it)
This was actually a complete gamechanger! I've never managed to make a particularly nice cup of coffee from my Moka pot, and with your help I just made one of the best cups of coffee I've ever had. Thanks James!
You are not alone... talking about the first part of your comment 😅...I hope to say the same about the second one... watching this video 5:00 in the morning...
Alright then; here is how you can make it even better. This guy is good, but I say my technique is even better. Put the upper part into the freezer for 10 minutes. Fill the water until the middle of the pressure release valve inside. Put the bottom part on your stove and on medium, boil the water WITOUT the coffee holder part, so open you can see the water. Fill your coffee holder part with coffee (you may have to compact it a little bit, depending on what coffee you use; this is a variable and you have to play with it to find the right compacting). When the water starts boiling take the bottom to the side and put in the coffee holder and assemble the upper part from the freezer. You need to tighten more than you used to, because of the cold expansion rate. Obviously you need a towel because one part is hot, the other is cold. Do this very quick and put back the assembled unit onto the stove with the lid OPEN. Once you see first sign of coffee, turn the stove to the lowest setting. Coffee will come out extremely slow now, releasing all the aroma in the coffee holder. Now wait with the lid open and see until coffee start sputtering. Now close the lid, put the stove to medium and wait a 3-5 more seconds, but NOT longer. Serve right away. You will see that this will bring out some extra aroma! Aroma is getting less, with heat. That is why you pre-chill the upper part. That way, the temperature in in the tub is a bit less.
@@mrtopcat2 interesting ... I'm using a 6 cup Venus on an induction hob. I noticed in the second video that the upper chamber got really hot on the stainless steel moka pot.. Which is probably why you put it in the freeze first?
@@paulwdoyle Yes. I have seen coffee start slightly boiling in the upper part, near wall areas and that is why I was coming up with this workaround of pre-chilling the upper part. Obviously, once assembled and brought to the stove, the upper part will quickly loose it’s chilled state. Yet, the pre-chilling effort still seems to help just enough to prevent all that upper boiling. By the way, I have both 3 cup and 1 cup units, but for some reason I am getting even better aroma with the 1 cup unit. Don’t get me wrong, I am getting awesome aroma with the 3 cup unit too. But so far, the 1 cup unit just beats it ever time. I think this may be due to different ratios and compacting, which I am still in the process of fine tuning. Oh and I am using Dallmayr Espresso Monaco.
Thank you James!!!! I've owned the Moka pot for like 10 years and I've been drinking burnt coffee for 10 years! Today, after 5 practice pots, 3-4 youtube videos and a few hours of frustration, I finally managed a high quality Barista, coffee-shop standard latte at home!! If you're on an electric stove, preheat the stove like James said (I put 5 out 9 - the highest setting) and do the temperature surfing technique while watching the flow rate like a hawk! Who would've known brewing a nice cup of coffee can be so difficult!!
I’ve been brewing moka pot for years (love it). I watched this, and all I did was 1) use a paper filter and 2) keep the spout from sputtering this time. And WOW. It’s like I just drank moka pot for the first time. Delicious. Thank you!
It was always intuitive to me that when it was sputtering, the coffee was overheating, so I would immediately pour the coffee so stop it. I'll refine that technique now. Also, whenever I got to the bottom of the cup and saw the fine coffee grounds I knew I should get some filters to keep that from happening. Maybe I will now. But my coffee is pretty damned good and early morning isn't the time to get too picky in my book. Using a Moka is time consuming enough.
The paper filter is a hot tip .. I use a #4 Cone Filter cut to fit with the lid from a Mason Jar.. makes 4 filters/ea. My biggest issue is overcooking it during the brew.
This video helped me a lot with my new moka pot! But I'd like to share some tips I had to find out by myself: smaller pots are more difficult to use in terms of heating (James says some things about this, they overheat very quickly), and if you have an electric stove like me, it's even more difficult. An Italian friend suggested me to use 2 burners in that kind of stove: one in a medium temperature until the coffee starts to flow and then quickly change it to another burner at low temperature. I tried it and it works very very well! That tip of putting the moka on the edge of the burner may work, but only sometimes... It is very difficult to replicate the temperature from one brew to another. You can also use only one burner at low heat for a longer time, but I found out that the coffee loses aroma and water evaporates more during that longer time, so you get lesser amount of it out... I hope somebody found this useful 💜🌈 enjoy your coffee😍
OMG! These tricks improved my drink on the Moka pot like...100%! I used a light roast coffee (yellow honey) yellow Catuaí from Minas Gerais and it tasted amazing. Thanks, Mr. Hoffmann! I love this channel so much!!! Greetings from Brazil :)
The difference between my morning coffee (before watching this video) and the coffee I made in the afternoon after I stumbled upon this was absolutely REMARKABLE. I don't think I've ever had a better coffee at home, and all it took was this perfect explainer of how the brew works. Thank you very much, good sir! ^o^
@@DokulilJiri A very small amount of salt mitigates bitterness. Old style boiled coffee folks used to add an egg shell. That makes actual chemical sense because the calcium in shell will react with acid in the brew and mellow it.
@@theeddorian I’ve put ground egg shells in with the grounds in a drip coffee machine. However, I found that too much really blunts the taste of the coffee and makes it bland. I think a small amount of acidity is important.
I remember many years ago, in Cremona, my hostess placed the pot in a saucepan of just simmering water which she stirred continuously. I remember it was exquisite!
Brilliant! ...I think! The old double boiler trick! It doest say not to! In the directions, maybe it would be safer than placing direct to element of toastmaster elect. Burner. Hmmm mmm very interesting! That way you don't burn out all the carbon in the stainless mocka pot. Thing is it's adding an extra complicaprocedure. proceedure.
Gotta tell ya! Being Italian, I've been brought up on this from a little lad to present day and in recent decades tried so many different ways to tweak for the best results, but never thought I ever had it perfect. Until watching this! I suppose my most recent 'tweak' is about 95% there. I'm now gonna hit that 99-100% mark, owing you a big shout out! Thank you for this Sir! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤🇬🇧
The idea of using low heat was a complete game changer! I've breen brewing with James' old technique for a long time, but once I started to use low heat instead of maximum the coffee started to taste much better. Thank you!
One thing I'd add as if you're going to be pouring coffee from the pot into separate cups, you must stir it first as there's a definite layer of dark coffee at the bottom and thinner coffee at the top. You can see this in moka pots with a see-through upper chamber.
I loved this series!! I'm Cuban, and the Moka Pot is the traditional way we make our coffee! We call the Moka a 'Colador' :) Fun way to experience the classic "colada": In a seperate cup, put like 5/6 tablespoons of white sugar, and when the first few drips come out from the Colador, pour into the sugar cup and whisk away with a fork! You're looking to develop the sugar into a creamy/foamy texture with a light brown color. When the rest of the coffee is done, you pour it into the cup of foam, and serve your "shots" out of that cup!
@@RamtheCowy It is! I asked around for the term and it's called "Espuma" or like google says 'culinary foam' so you're essentially using the sugar mixture to make the shot appear as if it has milk in it and give it that frothy, creamy texture.
I'd hear somewhere that Cubans also put the sugar directly in the pot with the coffee grounds, maybe using brown sugar? Was someone playing a prank on me or is this actually done in Cuba too?
@@writerboz I personally haven't heard that done before, and we usually stick to white sugar from my experience. The only time I've put brown sugar in coffee funny enough is recent due to my Puerto Rican husband lmao The only thing I can think close to this is when you're done mixing the espuma, the finished coffee is poured on top of it. I won't knock the thought process though given the state of Cuba- it might be easier to mix all that together because rationing in general is a huge dilemma there, and to make the espuma you need a decent amount of sugar- to people in areas better off, it may not be a lot, but it's a heck of a lot in Cuba.
I’ve been making a coffee in the same Alessi 9090 moka pot for the best part of 35 years, then I came across this video and now I realise I’ve been enjoying burnt coffee for all those years. Just after one test the difference in flavour and texture is incredible.
James, An absolutely amazing technique for creating (or improving) a delicious cup of coffee from a Mocha Pot. I adopted your technique in front of my “very traditional” Italian family at our weekly weekend get together, and had all sipping with eyes closed and smiles and saying “Perfetto” .. Quite the compliment from self acclaimed “coffee experts”. Thank you so much for sharing!
What a difference! I boiled my water, left the lid open and pulled it off the hob just as it started to sputter. Result? The best moka pot coffee I've ever made. I could enjoy some filter papers but I had almost no sludge as I ground it slightly more than I do for pourover but less than for espresso. THANKS.
This series has been wonderful! You've inspired me to break out my moka pot after more than a year of brewing with only the Aeropress. Thanks to you, I brewed my best moka pot coffee ever this morning! Boiling water, low heat, and the right grind size led to a nice even cup with almost no unpleasant bitterness. Bravo!
I never really liked moka pot coffees, but I stayed curious and it got me here. Aaaand it changed a lot. I used to make all mistakes possible. From cold water to allowing it to spurt, and I got very bitter, unpleasant beverages. No more :) Much better, this video is really a gamechanger for me.
Reached a phase where I had to start from scratch w my moka bc nothing (except a professional made Americano) tasted good. Thank you!!! Success!!! The whole method about starting w hot water, monitoring the heat has changed all. Also did a major moka cleanup. The most delicious stovetop espresso in years, clean, full bodied, not edgey. Pure yum. Thank you!
I followed all your advice, and I truly could not believe how delicious the coffee I got was. I have some dark roast beans that I manually grind, and I tend to add cold water to the pot, and I tend to let the pot brew closed until it doesn’t sputter anymore because I thought that’s when it was done. With your advice here, the bitter flavor I thought was normal is entirely gone, and what’s left is an extremely rich and delicious brew. Thank you so much, I’m never changing this technique
Good information. There's a bit more here than I could absorb, but applying just two elements of the technique (pre-boil the water, and don't let the pot splutter) produced big improvement in the taste of the coffee. I appreciate the advice!
I have added 3 changes to my practice: 1. Use boiling water 2. Manage temp / avoid sputtering, etc 3. Add paper filter I brew a 50/50 blend of the Illy Intenso and Lavazza Red I can get at my supermarket My cost per cup is 2p higher. The taste is £1 better. I think 85p of that is thanks to the filter Thanks, friend.
My family is Cuban and we used the thin cylindrical style moka pots for most of my childhood. I've always just been used to the bitterness but I'm excited to try these steps to see if I can get something less bitter and a bit more extracted
You did it! You rescued my coffee! Thank you so much. I’ve used moka pot for years, always bitter. I just brewed my fist cup of smooth Moka Pot coffee thanks to you
I only recently began brewing coffee at home after I was given 3 different sized moka pots as a present, and have since always struggled with reducing the bitterness. I didn't really know if I just needed a lighter roast or if I was doing something wrong during the brewing process, and this video has given me a lot of different, small changes I can make one by one to figure out what creates the best result for my taste buds, so thank you very much! This has been super helpful and insightful :)
i tested this out, and i got my coffee less bitter with cold water in the pot and setting my electro stove to 7 out of 9, it is a slower cooking process but tasted way better than with hot or nearly boiling water.
Can you send me one of them? I just blew up mine, forgot to turn off the gas. Otherwise, these tricks really have helped getting my coffee to taste like real coffee and not just burnt out tarr 👌
i have a 12 cup - 15 oz moka pot today - i tried putting my induction plate on high for a minute or so then turned it down to the lowest setting - ( at this setting - the induction power goes on for 5 seconds - during that time it starts at about 250 watts and goes up to 400 watts - then it shuts off for 5 seconds and repeats ) it took a few minutes for the water to begin brewing out the top and it ran quite slow during the process up to the end it is correct that the coffee is less bitter when you don't let it froth wildly at the end
I once accidentally ground my coffee beans "too coarsely", but then noticed that the coffee tasted so much better to me. Since then I always use a grinding degree of 5.5 from 1 to 8.for my simple dark espresso blend. Many guests also tell me that they have never had a better coffee from a bialetti. 🤷♂
Just been given a 1 cup moka pot for my birthday this week. It's tiny, and more adorable than a week old kitten. Already cutting aeropress filters to size. The tip about taking it off the heat as soon as coffee start to come through is super helpful. Going to have fun perfecting my morning shot. Thank you.
I was using my Bialetti “incorrectly” for YEARS, burnt/bitter coffee from leaving it on the heat until the boiler was empty. Definitely going to try adding a paper filter to see how I like it.
Another great option is to consider a different filter. I have changed my filter in 3 cup version and it significantly improved the extraction. The filter is made by E&B labs from Italy. It's called competition filter for Moka pot. I love it.
sameee! i've been making burnt coffee with moka pot for 2 years now. tried the techniques in this video, now my coffee is so smooth i'm not used to it, lol
I bought a Moka pot out of necessity after moving across the US, since I needed something relatively inexpensive to brew coffee at home. For months, I couldn't get over just how bitter unpleasant the coffee was. After watching this video and using this technique just once, I can confidently say that my cup of coffee is much sweeter, more nuanced, and significantly less bitter. The notes of plum and wine promised on the bag of beans I purchased was there, and the taste was oddly reminiscent of a maduro cigar.
I switched over to stating the brew with hot water a few years ago, when you first mentioned it. It does make for a richer, sweeter and less bitter brew
I was always frustrated with coffee. I thought that I just need a really expensive espresso machine to make good tasting coffee, but through your videos I learned how much there actually is to a Moka Pot. It's so much fun to change the way I brew a little from time to time and see how the coffee can shift a tiny bit in taste. I never thought that I can control so much flavor and bitterness with such a simple stove top brewer. I love your videos, great work!
This method is golden!! My god the coffee came out so good. I extracted exactly 2/3rd of the water. The taste of the coffee was so different compared to my previous all in all out technique. Thank you so much, James
Thank you for this breakdown. Been using my Moka pot for over a decade and never thought to check out better techniques! What a difference in curbing the bitterness! Thank you!
I used this method for the first time today and can honestly say this is the best cappuccino I ever made with my moka pot. I had been brewing it way too long. I never thought to brew with the lid open and watch for the flow to change! Nor had I been starting with hot water. This was a truly excellent cup of coffee. Much more flavor clarity. Thanks so much. Now please do a video on how you keep your teeth so white while drinking all that coffee.
I just tried using my potbelly stove, same as if I was using an electric hob, and moved the pot to the edge when it started flowing. Wonderful coffee, not too bitter nor underextracted, no sputtering. The fact that I didnt need to rush over to close its lid is even better than the coffee. Normally it'd leave half of the water in the lower part. I checked, the bottom is almost dry. We all knew that Potbelly stoves are perfect for Turkish coffee but honestly, I won't be using gas for moka pot ever again (at least during winter)
I bought a one cup version at the thrift store today for $6.00 and made a beautiful cup of coffee as per your technique. I worked perfectly on the small simmer burner on my gas stove. No sputtering....just a perfect slow flow from beginning to end.
Hello James, I've had great success with your series of espresso videos. When I recieved my first moka pot, I was thrilled to find this video. Everything you have mentioned here is extremely helpful. I watched this video three times before trying this. As you advised, I measured the water and coffee to a 10:1 ratio; preheated my electric stove and then pre-boiled the water. After filling and assembling my moka pot, I sat it on the stove's burner with the lid open. Then, being careful not to let the moka pot get too hot while observing a slow flow rate through the lift tube's outlet, I then removed the pot at the first sign of sputtering. I was amazed at how great my coffee tasted. The smooth but intense flavor and how I could taste the coffee in my mouth for hours afterwards! So, thank you very much for all the great videos!
Just tried a dark roast, which under normal conditions, tasted bitter. The coffee I just had, trying it the way you explained, was absolutely fabulous with rich flavours of plum and chocolate 🍫🤗 Thank you, I have never had it explained to me how to use one properly before and now I will have another one 🤗
I've owned my (Bialetti) moka pot for over 10 years and I thought I was able to extract some pretty ok coffee from it. But with this video I understand it so much better and I feel I can start tweaking my brew even more. Thanks a lot!
Thanks a lot! This technique has been the ultimate game-changer in my Moka pot brew. At first, I regretted buying this as I could not understand why my coffee tastes so bitter, but now after watching your videos, it has improved a lot. P.S. To all the viewers, kindly watch all three videos. The scientific approach really helps understand what you were doing wrong.
The things James learned through a series of controlled experiments took me about 10 years to figure out by myself. Aside from the paper filter, I really have to try that. The difficult part is to brew on unfamiliar stoves. It's almost as if the stove is part of the brewer, which is a bit annoying.
I agree! I went from brewing on a gas stove to a cheaper exposed electric (one of those old ones where you put your pots right on the coil), and it completely changes the flow of how you brew. I will have to try his suggestion of preheating the hob to see if that brings it more in line with what I'm familiar with.
its the same when cooking. you can make a perfect meal on your stove with your pots. try doing the same in another house and suddenly youre an amateur again.
That's the whole reason for getting the heating plate, as it will cool down at the same rate regardless of which stove you use, meaning all you have to worry about is when you need to turn off the stove because the residual heat of the plate will be a constant.
@@kuurbis The most difficult are the coils that have no true "low" setting and only pulse the heat on and off in order to provide an average of a low temperature. They are maddening.
The stove is absolutely part of the brewer. We just got a new stove this past week and now I have to learn how it performs and what quirks it may have.
Hey James. This is fantastic. My moka pot is a ridiculously high ratio of water to coffee - around 16:1 instead of 10:1. So I weighed the water and the coffee tastes amazing! Top extra tip inspired by your 'stop swirling your espresso' episode - stir the brewed coffee in the moka pot before pouring. Thanks so much!
Two personal tips to "improve" this amazing technique (thanks James): - I think is better to place the paper filter in between the metal filter and the silicon piece, because the paper can interfere with the pot sealing, unless you close it too hard (and even so). - Wet a kitchen towel with cold water and place it close to the fire. When the brew is ending, you can just place the moka ON the towel, and wrap the lower part of the mola (boiler) with the tower. Even if you are not cooling the boiler so it is not hot at all, you are cooling it enough to stop de brewing. Furthermore, you can serve the coffe immediately, so the brewed coffe stays less time in the moka. You safe time, you safe water, and you avoid accidents by not rushing the get a hot moka under the water.
Wow. Amazing tutorial on a Moka pot. I came across a Moka pot 25 years ago and had no idea there was a technique to gaining a flavorful cup of coffee from Moka pot. Now I know! The sputtering at the end of the brew was not something I avoided but didn't know any better. Thank you.
Our espresso machine broke so decided to try the moka pot my parents gifted us and has sat in the cupboard since, used this video as a tutorial on how to use it as I had no clue and this is genuinely the best coffee I've ever made at home. Thank you so much!
Been using a Moka pot for many years and had no idea the sputtering was bad. I do turn the electric burner off as soon as the coffee starts flowing, using only residual heat it provides, but there's always that sputtering at the end. Will modify my technique accordingly!
In fact, splashing doesn't make coffee worse. Hot steam successfully escapes from the coffee maker and rushes to the top without affecting the already prepared coffee. It's just possible that the temperature is causing the water to get hotter towards the end and move through the coffee with more pressure, taking the last flavor more intensely, making the coffee more full bodied. Thus, the first part of the finished coffee contains a lower concentration of coffee than the last part. Because of this, it seems that the coffee is bitter, but in fact there is simply a greater concentration of coffee. This is all solved simply by adding a little more hot water and then the aroma will become the same. But by stopping the process early, you're just missing out on the rest of the coffee bean aroma. I would still recommend waiting for all the water and steam to exit the coffee maker. After that, pour the coffee into a thermal bottle and drink it diluted with a small amount of hot water to taste - this way you can extract the maximum aroma from the coffee beans. The most important thing, if you cook coffee in a copper cezve, is to prevent the coffee from long boiling, losing useful substances. This does not happen in a geyser coffee maker because coffee is not brewed, but only passes hot water and steam through itself, so you can only spoil coffee if you overexpose the coffee maker, allowing the finished coffee to boil in the upper part of the coffee maker.
I have a 1-cup Bialetti I bought as a souvenir in Italy that is really more of a novelty than a practical brewer, but I struggled to appreciate it as the few times I've used it the coffee turned out bitter or sour. I followed the instructions from series precisely just now and managed to produce something with virtually no bitterness and some strong fruit flavors instead! Incredible advice as always - thank you, James, for continually inspiring us to brew better coffee.
Great advice James. I modified my 3 cup Moka Pot by removing and replacing the coffee basket floor, adding a small mesh basket and adding 32 grams of high quality bottle washer ball bearings to absorb the initial heat. Controlling the flow and temperature is key. Paper filter 👍🏻 Not advisable for everyone to try😱, super smooth coffee.
James, This has been a game changer! I always though the sputtering phase was a necessary part of the Moka Pot experience. I started applying your techniques (starting with the pre-boil) and have seen consistent and repeatable brews that are easier and way more flavorful! I also really appreciate the way you deliver your content that is very informative and dense with information. Thanks!
It's amazing that such a relatively simple device has so many variables that can lead to a great tasting cup of coffee to one that is very bitter and difficult to enjoy. I think timing is quite a crucial element with a Moka pot. I have always found that once I add boiling water to the water chamber (especially if the Moka pot is cold) that the water cools down a little bit. So before I add the basket I tend to put the water chamber onto the stove for a few minutes to maintain a good temperature. As soon as I start to see little small bubbles in the water chamber the water is likely hot enough ready to add the basket and get everything tightened down. Then I reduce the stove heat essentially you want a steady but slow stream. For the basket I tend to use a metal prong to get rid of any clumps (a dry basket is crucial here if you've just washed the basket make sure the piece is completely dry before adding coffee otherwise you risk clumps before even beginning to brew). Heat is also very important too hot and it will brew too quick and lead to bitterness, too cold and you'll be heating up the coffee in the basket for no reason which can also lead to bitterness and LONGER wait times (important for the first cup of a morning).
I’ve arrived at the same procedure after years of trial & error & tweaking. One of the things I’ve done very recently is to add the aero press paper filter & the results have been wonderful!
Dude! This video was an absolute game-changer! My mum gifted me a moka pot and i've spent the better part of a year brewing it wrong. I followed your tips and the taste I got was life-altering! Thank you for this!
A slight alteration to your technique that I find works for me is to have a pot with water (a bit warm) on the stove next to where I'm brewing. Just before the sputtering phase starts, I just plunge the bottom of the Moka pot into the pot of warm-ish water, and it immediately stops the brewing/sputter. It's just a bit easier/faster than running to the sink.
@@davereichert Yes, I did wonder if that was the reason. In future I will use warm instead of cold straight from the tap, because I've noticed a large hissing sound when plunging in in the pot !! So, I think you are dead right, Well done !!
Thank you for digging into the details on this! I love my Moka and have one (3 cup) almost every day over my lunch. I'm happy to learn that I have done essentially what you have suggested here. I will add the needle distribution tool technique. Also, as I'm on an electric burner I boil my tea pot, drop my temp from high/10 down to 4, and place my Moka onto that same burner. Going forward, once the coffee begins to flow, I'm going to drop the heat even more and pull the Moka half off the burner and see how that works.
I've been struggling to get a decent cup out of my moka pot for years, and thanks to you I've finally got it. The final piece of the puzzle however was grind consistency. I tired this method using grounds from a blade grinder a couple years ago and had horrible results, but my housemate just got a Fellow Ode and it made all the difference. Thanks James ❤
i strongly empathise. i am early on my coffee journey but the levels of inconsistency of a moka pot in perfect conditions do not compare to the inconsistency of a moka pot with a blade grinder now, comparably, i feel like it's absolute magic yeah, it's a little different every time, and it can be sub-par, but it's never completely ruined nor unbearably burnt
Wow, talk about “Your doing it all wrong”, having been using Moka pots for over 50 years, (I don’t drink tea, or alcohol and I hate normal water, I only drink coffee) I followed your instructions to the letter, lid up and watching intently as the nectar slowly and quietly flowed into the top chamber, then poured into a pre-heated mug, nectar from the Gods, best mug of coffee I’ve had in years, thank you James for sharing, definitely worth a sub. 👍😃
As a new convert to the coffee brewing world I have found James’ videos very enlightening. I started with an Aeropress and have now added a Moka pot to my arsenal. I am really enjoying the whole process and improving my coffee with every brew, can’t wait to try the tips from this video.
I’ve truly benefited from this. Having learned how to brew my Moka pot in Italy, I thought I knew the deal. I was doing it so wrong! This experience leaves such a better cup and I’ve enjoyed my Moka so much more. Thanks so much!!
This was GOLDEN! I got the smallest Moka pot as a gift from my parents 3 years ago and still haven’t managed to learn how to use it! Will try out your tips today 💛
My Italian family has been using the moka since the beginning of time. We all agree that it tastes best when the basket is only about half full. It’s not like regular espresso but it tastes fantastic.
Stumbled across this video by accident, but had recently invested in a Mokka Pot. I was literally using water from cold and brewing it until all the liquid had finished. Had my first drink today with your method and it is so much less bitter, makes a beautiful cup..now I have to invest in the aeropress filters because a little coffee ground makes its way into the cup, thank you for the awesome video
Never used a Moka pot before but since I was tired of paying the high price to get a good latte I thought I would give it a try. I was fortunate enough to find your video before I started making my own brew and have to say that my home brewed latte was every bit as good as the ones I had to go out to enjoy. Thanks for your simple but educational instructions.
I've been starting my mornings with a Bialetti coffee for three years now and I'm happy to hear that I am doing most of the steps you mentioned correctly. I did learn a few things and can't wait to try them out with my next cup. Thank you for putting this up!
This is almost exactly how I brew my moka pot. I tend to stop the brew a bit earlier though, and use a wet rag to stop the brewing before any sputters at all. I have had the sweetest, richest, most delicious-tasting cups with a moka pot, and also the most bitter, harsh cups as well. It is such a fun device, and has lots of variables to play with. I like the discussion about the roasts though. When I was using moka as my daily driver, I found that every new bag of beans I got would need to be dialed in a bit (with regard to heat, flow rate / time, when to stop). It makes a bit more sense hearing you talk about the roast level and grind and water amount.
For some reason i like to tweak my moka pot so it can make espresso like. To do that, we need a finer grind size. Don't worry to using finer grind size like espresso, to avoid clogging, you can use paperfilter on the top and bottom of your coffee, as long as you don't tamping your coffee, it will flows normal. And dont forget to look about brew rasio for your coffee you use.
It is February 2023, and I just made the most satisfying cup from my moka pot using this technique. Thanks James. I shall be using my Bialetti more often.
This video helped me understand the brewing better, and now I've been doing it for a while it's really become so much easier. I get the right brew nearly every time without too much effort. To me it seems better to take it off the heat a little bit before it starts sputtering, to let it continue for just long enough so that it doesn't sputter at all. Once you get the timing on that just right (which might take a while) you'll get the most amount of coffee without any bitterness :)
In fact, splashing doesn't make coffee worse. Hot steam successfully escapes from the coffee maker and rushes to the top without affecting the already prepared coffee. It's just possible that the temperature is causing the water to get hotter towards the end and move through the coffee with more pressure, taking the last flavor more intensely, making the coffee more full bodied. Thus, the first part of the finished coffee contains a lower concentration of coffee than the last part. Because of this, it seems that the coffee is bitter, but in fact there is simply a greater concentration of coffee. This is all solved simply by adding a little more hot water and then the aroma will become the same. But by stopping the process early, you're just missing out on the rest of the coffee bean aroma. I would still recommend waiting for all the water and steam to exit the coffee maker. After that, pour the coffee into a thermal bottle and drink it diluted with a small amount of hot water to taste - this way you can extract the maximum aroma from the coffee beans. The most important thing, if you cook coffee in a copper cezve, is to prevent the coffee from long boiling, losing useful substances. This does not happen in a geyser coffee maker because coffee is not brewed, but only passes hot water and steam through itself, so you can only spoil coffee if you overexpose the coffee maker, allowing the finished coffee to boil in the upper part of the coffee maker.
@@develmax The fact that the coffee is coming out with steam means that the coffee has been extracted at too high a temperature. Nowadays it is considered unacceptable to brew coffee at temperatures above 96°C as it allows bitter chemical compounds to be released, and no hot water does not fix that.
thats right! and that is why the smaller mokapots, ie under apparently 6cup, are really problematic to use for most ppl. And even w / the 6cup and up, lighter roasts are also too tricky if not impossible to get decent results.@@alinaqirizvi1441
My family is Dominican and we grew up drinking coffee from what we call a greca (which I now know is a moka pot). Always thought sputtering was oh it’s done lmao😂Love making coffee in my greca everyday 😊
This is how we Cubans have brewed our coladas ☕ as well but we call the Moka "La Cafetera Cubana." 😆 It amazes me how this machine actually brews the best coffee ever!
Cheers from Thailand. I started making moka pot coffee three weeks ago. I have revisited your moka pot series countless of time. I have tried making moka pot coffee everyday and kept coming back to the series. The more I try , more I understand what you explain. I love the heat plate technic. It is a huge moka pot hack and the great investment ever for me. It helps me to have less worries on the temp control and sputlering phase so I can focus on other factors. Great series with entertaining knowledge.
Here I am again, having absolutely no desire for coffee or learning about it and yet I watch the whole video. I suppose James is just such an enjoyable chap to listen to. Whatever the case, I'm learning stuff and that can't be bad. Good stuff, James =)
This might just change the way I brew! I've been making my coffee in a 1-serving percolator and I just bought a 3-servings percolator in Italy. I actually never thought about putting boiling water in the reservoir, but I will do from now on! Thanks a lot James!
Hey James, excellent video as always! I generally focus on the color of the liquid coming through the spigot. As soon as it becomes more translucent and lighter in color, I run cold water to stop any more liquid coming through. I'll get a little more than a third of the initial liquid. The flavour is more intense and perfect for a Cuban Cortadito.
Using an aeropress filter in the moka pot is genius! It totally elevates the taste of moka pot coffee. Also, there are health risks associated with unfiltered coffee, so the filter is useful for that. Thank you for this video!
This was really helpful. I always used to start with high heat, I thought that's making my brewing faster. Now I'm using your technique of starting with low flame. The results are pretty great I'm getting more coffee as well as better taste.
I have been using the moka pot every morning for about 5 years now. I make enough coffee in one go for myself and my partner. I found that the best quick way is to use less coffee and leave it loose. Then hot water in the bottom. I put it on the smallest burner on low and keep the heat on until it's just about to start sputtering. Then I quickly take the heat off and cool it under the tap. You definitely want a slightly coarser grind than espresso, but nowhere near as coarse as filter coffee. The quicker the water passes through the extractor, the better. Otherwise it burns. Defo the biggest beginner mistake is overfilling with coffee. Very different to espresso.
Excellent video. We would boil the pot till it stopped spluttering. Now we heat the pot till the coffee appears and turn off the element. I watch it till the first bloom of bubbly extract and then take it off the element and allow the pot to finish with residual heat in the pot. No spluttering or over boiling. The end result is smooth and flavoursome. Thank you for the lesson. Huge improvement. Mick
The most helpful thing was removing the pot (2 cups) from the fire entirely. I have bigger yields and the coffee is cleaner and smoother. Another thing is that if the sputtering phase happens i put the coffee really fast in my cup and throw away the rest. Thanks a lot for these videos.
For those who put cream/milk and sugar, I substitute condensed milk. If you’ve never tried it, you’re missing out. Put the desired amount in the bottom of your cup and you can even layer the coffee on top. Condensed milk is a game changer!
Thank you James for a most erudite explanation of Moka essentials. I’ve just bought an induction Bialetti in Italy after spending way too much money on maintaining my Italian single group over the years. It’s time to simplify and I feel sure your advice will steer me in the right direction for better Moka coffee when I get home to Australia. Cheers.
Thanks James! The only time I make coffee at home is using my moka pot to prep "espresso" for Martinis and these tips noticibly improved the flavour and consistency of my brews. Champion!
incredible! I sticked with brewing at lowest possible temperature and stopping the brew when it‘s not anymore liquid but bubbles coming out in the chamber. The difference in taste is impressive, thank you very very much for these great tips!
Same here, but sometimes I have noticed a small tear in the paper filter which I'm not sure what the cause is. Still, a much better brew with the filter plus the other tips in this video.
I think this was the sinceriest moka content I've ever laid eyes on since I've been try to understand it. I've always looking for pattern, for "same techniques -> same results", but this video shows that it's more about pay attention to each detail than the autopilot. I'll play that again an amount of times to absorb all information. Thanl you!
So I just made my first moka pot coffe this weekend and I didn't like it because it was sooo bitter. After I tried this, is still a bit bitter, but the taste is so much better. Now the challenge for myself is getting better and better. Will I get obsessed to get the best coffee I can? We'll see 😂 Thank you so much for the tips James!
@@ercanozdogan4747 Any recommendations on how much water to add to the brewed coffee for americano? 1:1? 2:1? I guess maybe it will come down to personal taste?
Awesome tips!!! The brew I’m getting is much less bitter and very clean now. Current circumstances forced me to use a moka pot for my brews and after making the the recommended adjustments I’m in love!
This technique has revolutionized my mocha pot coffee, it is now my favorite way to brew my morning coffee. Thank you so much for sharing from your bottomless well of knowledge ❤️
I always had a bitter result and was definitely overheating the brew - it would spit and sputter. I tried removing the moka pot as soon as it started up spitting. I found the result was far more balanced and not nearly so bitter. It tasted smooth and I didn't detect any bitterness. I also used a bit less water in the chamber since I use a dark roast. I'm very pleased with the results. Thank you for the video!
Here it is in text, if someone wants to save it :)
Constants:
1. Boiling water in the boiler
2. Full basket of coffee
3. Avoid sputtering phase by cooling down the chamber under cold water
Variables:
1. The lighter the roast, the finer the ground.
2. Less filled boiler will brew a bit earlier. Usually, dark roasts -> a bit less water, light roasts -> full boiler
3. Preheat the hob/relatively low heat on the gas hob
4. As soon as the liquid starts to flow, turn off the heat. For electric hobs, move it to the edge of the hob.
Troubleshooting:
If the sputtering phase starts before you think it's time (not enough coffee out etc):
1. Too fine of a grind
2. Too much heat
Thanks you so much for this !
Just concise enough to fit in one screenshot! Perfection 👨🏻🍳🤌🏼💋✨
You forgot to mention the aeropress filter :)
Another one was to aim for two-thirds weight out of the weight of the water you put in for lighter roasts. Two-fifths to three-fifths for darker roasts.
Not all heros wear capes
I remember the first time getting one these things and going for an extensive test run. 10-14 cups later I had figured out the optimal formula but no longer capable to sleep
😂😂😂😂😂😂I need that energy
I wondered why my coffee were so strong, turns out I got the 6 shot model and I was drinking all of it
What ratio of coffee to water did you find was best, and do you tend to go for a darker or lighter roast?
I binge watched all of James' espresso videos and started to test out our office espresso machine (at 6 pm). 1.5 hours of sleep later that night :)
Please give us that optimal formula good sir
James, those three videos about the Moka Pot are pure gold! The Moka Pot is my daily driver, so to speak, and I always followed your original guide video. I'm using a gas burner, and used to cook on medium heat all the way. Since your 2nd video, I use only low heat and hover the pot above when the coffee starts to come out. As a result, I almost get no sputters at all, and the coffee feels creamier and velvetier (or probably is just less bitter than with my old method). The internet is full of snake oil nonsense videos, thus I'm very glad someone is still having a scientific approach in 2022.
@RIDDLE0MASTER I've had a Moka Pot for over 15 years but only used a few times when I first got it, I obviously really didn't know how to. Since watching James's guide I have tried again and now I look forward to the weekend so I can indulge in a 6 cup Pot all to myself. It takes me quite a few hours to come down afterwards but I do get a lot done on my days off. I tend to do a 3/4 basket with Lavazza Rossa and now also use mineral water, it made a huge difference, the tap water is a bit pants around here. Very low gas, grab it on the first splutter and cool, add all to a mug then add some frothed up warm milk.
@@Sol3UK I also use a 6 cup pot. I use a manual grinder (which belonged to my great-grandma) with dark roasted Arabica, but during the working week, for the sake of convinience, I brew a pre-grounded coffee from a local Supermarket brand. Since the grind size is way smaller, I fill only about half of the basket (around 2 full tea spoons), otherwise, the safety valve goes off.
I love how James tries to disprove his own theories and really put his, and everyone else's, ideas to the test. Really makes me want to try it and must be great to finally be making the coffee you deserve each morning with his help. Good on ya.
Yep, this is one of the best snake oil nonsenses on the tubeyou.
@@stephen300o6 You are factually Incorrect.
Dear James,
Your video has changed our experience of coffee. My wife and I were struggling to get anything other than a bitter brew from our Bialetti. We were about to give up. We talked desperately about switching to tea. Then, looking for a coffee maker on Amazon, I came across a comment (thanks to the author) urging us to watch your videos. And then it was a revelation! Every morning since, the delicious nectar has perfumed the house and delighted our palates. We follow your protocol to the letter. You're a benefactor, an enthusiast with an uncommon benevolent pedagogy. Thank you James Hoffman!
dude. Awesome
I did switch to Tea and it's also fine.
You can like both tea _and_ coffee.
coffee and tea huh ?
about a year ago - i started adding tea to my coffee
before i got the moka a month ago -
at first - i put the tea bag into the 15 oz cup of keurig brewed coffee for about 3 minutes
after that - i put the tea bag in the path of the keurig brewed coffee flowing into the 16 oz cup ( used a metal filter that was positioned at the top of the cup and held the tea bag )
.
now using the moka 12 cup ( 15 oz )
i tear open a large tea bag and mix it with the coffee grounds before brewing ( wonder why i never thought of doing that with the keurig ? - i use a reusable k-cup that i put my own ground coffee into it and i could have done it easily ) ( i will remember to do that in the future )
@@kablammy7may I ask how you came up with that idea and what does it tastes like, please? I've never heard of putting tea in coffee. Maybe I need to come out from under my rock LoL
I think in Italy we’re so used to burnt coffee coming out from over-filled moka pots that we end up liking that more than “proper” coffee. To me, overextracted, bitter, burnt coffee is associated to so many memories that has a magic on its own 😅
and put 2 spoons of sugar in it...
Same thing in Algeria. Is it even morning if you don't wake up to the sound of a sputtering moka pot and the smell of slightly burnt coffee?
So true! I have always been waiting until the steam hisses out, trying to save each drop of expensive brew... and it's hard to beat the"vintage" looks of a burnt mocha pot (from the several brew where I distractedly forgot to add water)
Some consider that “proper” coffee and the whole point of the Moka. Also, I believe the effect from the caffeine is more notable.
Hoffman is making recipes for tea drinkers to enjoy coffee, really.
So true. In Hungary we actually refer to the espresso maker by this seething/bubbling sound it makes while apparently ruining the coffee according to him: "kotyogós". I think he is a bit of a snob.
Two misconceptions you cleared up for me: 1: my family (and many Italian immigrants to Canada) called Moka coffee espresso around me when, clearly, it is quite different. 2: In my home, we always thought that the sputtering stage was just a sign the water was running out and the coffee was ready, rather than a sign that the system was overheating. The result of seeing this video is that my coffee has massively improved in quality (it is sweeter and more nuanced with less cutting bitterness). I brew Moka coffee every day of my life, so I couldn't be more thankful. Excellent content.
Their is no such thing as Moka Coffee, a Moka pot is used to make espresso, don't be a mangiacake
@@ackzz Its definitely not espresso using the classic definition. A Espresso is brewed with a ratio of around 1:2 with something like 8-10 bar of pressure.
Anonymous Cantor. Thanks for sharing. Nice you have this Moca Pot everyday. It is new to me and I too learned a lot from this video.
@@TheDestrikter not only that but by definition espresso is brewed between 8 and 10 bars of pressure, whereas a moka pot only reaches roughly 1 bar.
I am in Chicago and I had the same misconceptions as well. I learned from an Italian citizen who lives in the US. I just could say "Ditto" to this whole reply.
Because of this video, I started with adding boiling water instead of ice cold water. My mokka coffee came out thick, not bitter and absolutely wonderful. Thanks internet and James!
So much to learn ❤
I've never understood how anyone could drink the harsh muck that the mocha pot always made when I tried to use it, but I now understand that I was doing EVERYTHING wrong😂 maybe time to dust it off again and see if it can redeem itself (or I redeem it)
how do you assemble this thing after pouring boiling water in the base?
@@mdobrychlop carefully
@@mdobrychlopuse a tea (dish cloth) towel or oven glove to hold the base..
This was actually a complete gamechanger! I've never managed to make a particularly nice cup of coffee from my Moka pot, and with your help I just made one of the best cups of coffee I've ever had. Thanks James!
You are not alone... talking about the first part of your comment 😅...I hope to say the same about the second one... watching this video 5:00 in the morning...
Alright then; here is how you can make it even better. This guy is good, but I say my technique is even better. Put the upper part into the freezer for 10 minutes. Fill the water until the middle of the pressure release valve inside. Put the bottom part on your stove and on medium, boil the water WITOUT the coffee holder part, so open you can see the water. Fill your coffee holder part with coffee (you may have to compact it a little bit, depending on what coffee you use; this is a variable and you have to play with it to find the right compacting). When the water starts boiling take the bottom to the side and put in the coffee holder and assemble the upper part from the freezer. You need to tighten more than you used to, because of the cold expansion rate. Obviously you need a towel because one part is hot, the other is cold. Do this very quick and put back the assembled unit onto the stove with the lid OPEN. Once you see first sign of coffee, turn the stove to the lowest setting. Coffee will come out extremely slow now, releasing all the aroma in the coffee holder. Now wait with the lid open and see until coffee start sputtering. Now close the lid, put the stove to medium and wait a 3-5 more seconds, but NOT longer. Serve right away. You will see that this will bring out some extra aroma! Aroma is getting less, with heat. That is why you pre-chill the upper part. That way, the temperature in in the tub is a bit less.
@@mrtopcat2 interesting ... I'm using a 6 cup Venus on an induction hob. I noticed in the second video that the upper chamber got really hot on the stainless steel moka pot.. Which is probably why you put it in the freeze first?
@@paulwdoyle Yes. I have seen coffee start slightly boiling in the upper part, near wall areas and that is why I was coming up with this workaround of pre-chilling the upper part. Obviously, once assembled and brought to the stove, the upper part will quickly loose it’s chilled state. Yet, the pre-chilling effort still seems to help just enough to prevent all that upper boiling. By the way, I have both 3 cup and 1 cup units, but for some reason I am getting even better aroma with the 1 cup unit. Don’t get me wrong, I am getting awesome aroma with the 3 cup unit too. But so far, the 1 cup unit just beats it ever time. I think this may be due to different ratios and compacting, which I am still in the process of fine tuning. Oh and I am using Dallmayr Espresso Monaco.
Amazing how these little tricks can improve your coffee experience.
My dad and I have bonded for the past couple of months over the Moka pot, and trying to get a perfect brew. Can't wait to try this with him!
Awww that's so wholesome! Have fun with your dad!
Imagine having dad
Ahh same dude, my dad use to try and make a espresso every morning for my mum and sometimes when she’d sleep in id drink it, best coffee i ever had…
Hi dad
Just realised i meant cappucino*
Thank you James!!!!
I've owned the Moka pot for like 10 years and I've been drinking burnt coffee for 10 years!
Today, after 5 practice pots, 3-4 youtube videos and a few hours of frustration, I finally managed a high quality Barista, coffee-shop standard latte at home!!
If you're on an electric stove, preheat the stove like James said (I put 5 out 9 - the highest setting) and do the temperature surfing technique while watching the flow rate like a hawk!
Who would've known brewing a nice cup of coffee can be so difficult!!
I’ve been brewing moka pot for years (love it). I watched this, and all I did was 1) use a paper filter and 2) keep the spout from sputtering this time. And WOW. It’s like I just drank moka pot for the first time. Delicious. Thank you!
It was always intuitive to me that when it was sputtering, the coffee was overheating, so I would immediately pour the coffee so stop it. I'll refine that technique now. Also, whenever I got to the bottom of the cup and saw the fine coffee grounds I knew I should get some filters to keep that from happening. Maybe I will now. But my coffee is pretty damned good and early morning isn't the time to get too picky in my book. Using a Moka is time consuming enough.
La mia se daño la agarradera porque la flama de mi estufa la hizo h aguada
The paper filter is a hot tip .. I use a #4 Cone Filter cut to fit with the lid from a Mason Jar.. makes 4 filters/ea. My biggest issue is overcooking it during the brew.
This video helped me a lot with my new moka pot! But I'd like to share some tips I had to find out by myself: smaller pots are more difficult to use in terms of heating (James says some things about this, they overheat very quickly), and if you have an electric stove like me, it's even more difficult. An Italian friend suggested me to use 2 burners in that kind of stove: one in a medium temperature until the coffee starts to flow and then quickly change it to another burner at low temperature. I tried it and it works very very well! That tip of putting the moka on the edge of the burner may work, but only sometimes... It is very difficult to replicate the temperature from one brew to another. You can also use only one burner at low heat for a longer time, but I found out that the coffee loses aroma and water evaporates more during that longer time, so you get lesser amount of it out... I hope somebody found this useful 💜🌈 enjoy your coffee😍
OMG! These tricks improved my drink on the Moka pot like...100%! I used a light roast coffee (yellow honey) yellow Catuaí from Minas Gerais and it tasted amazing. Thanks, Mr. Hoffmann! I love this channel so much!!! Greetings from Brazil :)
oi karina! tudo bem? cê pode me passar a marca de café q cê comprou?
@@PedroSoaresLou tem Catuaí amarelo bom e com preço bom na unique cafés, que é uma marca de São Lourenço. Eles entregam no Brasil inteiro.
@@PedroSoaresLou Como o Matheus disse, tem na Unique 😉
The difference between my morning coffee (before watching this video) and the coffee I made in the afternoon after I stumbled upon this was absolutely REMARKABLE. I don't think I've ever had a better coffee at home, and all it took was this perfect explainer of how the brew works. Thank you very much, good sir! ^o^
look up adding salt
@@rocketsmall4547 salt ?
@@DokulilJiri like tiny amount.
@@DokulilJiri A very small amount of salt mitigates bitterness. Old style boiled coffee folks used to add an egg shell. That makes actual chemical sense because the calcium in shell will react with acid in the brew and mellow it.
@@theeddorian I’ve put ground egg shells in with the grounds in a drip coffee machine. However, I found that too much really blunts the taste of the coffee and makes it bland. I think a small amount of acidity is important.
I remember many years ago, in Cremona, my hostess placed the pot in a saucepan of just simmering water which she stirred continuously.
I remember it was exquisite!
Now there is an additional technique that James should investigate!
Brilliant! ...I think! The old double boiler trick! It doest say not to! In the directions, maybe it would be safer than placing direct to element of toastmaster elect. Burner. Hmmm mmm very interesting! That way you don't burn out all the carbon in the stainless mocka pot. Thing is it's adding an extra complicaprocedure. proceedure.
Gotta tell ya! Being Italian, I've been brought up on this from a little lad to present day and in recent decades tried so many different ways to tweak for the best results, but never thought I ever had it perfect. Until watching this! I suppose my most recent 'tweak' is about 95% there. I'm now gonna hit that 99-100% mark, owing you a big shout out! Thank you for this Sir! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤🇬🇧
The idea of using low heat was a complete game changer! I've breen brewing with James' old technique for a long time, but once I started to use low heat instead of maximum the coffee started to taste much better. Thank you!
One thing I'd add as if you're going to be pouring coffee from the pot into separate cups, you must stir it first as there's a definite layer of dark coffee at the bottom and thinner coffee at the top. You can see this in moka pots with a see-through upper chamber.
shake it in the pot before pouring.
I saw they do that in Italy.
I pour into the cups, evenly distributing in 3 steps
The lighter stuff at the top is my favourite!
Good tip, thanks
I loved this series!! I'm Cuban, and the Moka Pot is the traditional way we make our coffee! We call the Moka a 'Colador' :)
Fun way to experience the classic "colada": In a seperate cup, put like 5/6 tablespoons of white sugar, and when the first few drips come out from the Colador, pour into the sugar cup and whisk away with a fork! You're looking to develop the sugar into a creamy/foamy texture with a light brown color. When the rest of the coffee is done, you pour it into the cup of foam, and serve your "shots" out of that cup!
that sounds delicious!
@@RamtheCowy It is! I asked around for the term and it's called "Espuma" or like google says 'culinary foam' so you're essentially using the sugar mixture to make the shot appear as if it has milk in it and give it that frothy, creamy texture.
Really nice tip! I'll try that. Hello from Mexico
I'd hear somewhere that Cubans also put the sugar directly in the pot with the coffee grounds, maybe using brown sugar? Was someone playing a prank on me or is this actually done in Cuba too?
@@writerboz I personally haven't heard that done before, and we usually stick to white sugar from my experience. The only time I've put brown sugar in coffee funny enough is recent due to my Puerto Rican husband lmao
The only thing I can think close to this is when you're done mixing the espuma, the finished coffee is poured on top of it.
I won't knock the thought process though given the state of Cuba- it might be easier to mix all that together because rationing in general is a huge dilemma there, and to make the espuma you need a decent amount of sugar- to people in areas better off, it may not be a lot, but it's a heck of a lot in Cuba.
I’ve been making a coffee in the same Alessi 9090 moka pot for the best part of 35 years, then I came across this video and now I realise I’ve been enjoying burnt coffee for all those years. Just after one test the difference in flavour and texture is incredible.
James,
An absolutely amazing technique for creating (or improving) a delicious cup of coffee from a Mocha Pot. I adopted your technique in front of my “very traditional” Italian family at our weekly weekend get together, and had all sipping with eyes closed and smiles and saying “Perfetto” .. Quite the compliment from self acclaimed “coffee experts”.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Is your family Brad Pitt?
@@whothennow24 Gorlami😅
@@whothennow24 BRAD
FRESH COFFEE
BEANS
"Perfetto
What a difference! I boiled my water, left the lid open and pulled it off the hob just as it started to sputter. Result? The best moka pot coffee I've ever made. I could enjoy some filter papers but I had almost no sludge as I ground it slightly more than I do for pourover but less than for espresso. THANKS.
This series has been wonderful! You've inspired me to break out my moka pot after more than a year of brewing with only the Aeropress. Thanks to you, I brewed my best moka pot coffee ever this morning! Boiling water, low heat, and the right grind size led to a nice even cup with almost no unpleasant bitterness. Bravo!
Same! So good 😊
I’ve been stuck to my Aeropress for years but I’m gonna dust off one of my 3 moka pots tomorrow. Exciting moments in a troubled world! Thank you 🙏
I never really liked moka pot coffees, but I stayed curious and it got me here. Aaaand it changed a lot. I used to make all mistakes possible. From cold water to allowing it to spurt, and I got very bitter, unpleasant beverages. No more :) Much better, this video is really a gamechanger for me.
Reached a phase where I had to start from scratch w my moka bc nothing (except a professional made Americano) tasted good. Thank you!!! Success!!! The whole method about starting w hot water, monitoring the heat has changed all. Also did a major moka cleanup. The most delicious stovetop espresso in years, clean, full bodied, not edgey. Pure yum. Thank you!
I followed all your advice, and I truly could not believe how delicious the coffee I got was. I have some dark roast beans that I manually grind, and I tend to add cold water to the pot, and I tend to let the pot brew closed until it doesn’t sputter anymore because I thought that’s when it was done. With your advice here, the bitter flavor I thought was normal is entirely gone, and what’s left is an extremely rich and delicious brew. Thank you so much, I’m never changing this technique
Good information. There's a bit more here than I could absorb, but applying just two elements of the technique (pre-boil the water, and don't let the pot splutter) produced big improvement in the taste of the coffee. I appreciate the advice!
Low heat too.
Hahaha same here
bialetti says on their site to use room temp water
I have added 3 changes to my practice:
1. Use boiling water
2. Manage temp / avoid sputtering, etc
3. Add paper filter
I brew a 50/50 blend of the Illy Intenso and Lavazza Red I can get at my supermarket
My cost per cup is 2p higher. The taste is £1 better.
I think 85p of that is thanks to the filter
Thanks, friend.
My family is Cuban and we used the thin cylindrical style moka pots for most of my childhood. I've always just been used to the bitterness but I'm excited to try these steps to see if I can get something less bitter and a bit more extracted
You did it! You rescued my coffee! Thank you so much. I’ve used moka pot for years, always bitter. I just brewed my fist cup of smooth Moka Pot coffee thanks to you
I only recently began brewing coffee at home after I was given 3 different sized moka pots as a present, and have since always struggled with reducing the bitterness. I didn't really know if I just needed a lighter roast or if I was doing something wrong during the brewing process, and this video has given me a lot of different, small changes I can make one by one to figure out what creates the best result for my taste buds, so thank you very much! This has been super helpful and insightful :)
i tested this out, and i got my coffee less bitter with cold water in the pot and setting my electro stove to 7 out of 9, it is a slower cooking process but tasted way better than with hot or nearly boiling water.
Can you send me one of them? I just blew up mine, forgot to turn off the gas. Otherwise, these tricks really have helped getting my coffee to taste like real coffee and not just burnt out tarr 👌
i have a 12 cup - 15 oz moka pot
today - i tried putting my induction plate on high for a minute or so then turned it down to the lowest setting - ( at this setting - the induction power goes on for 5 seconds - during that time it starts at about 250 watts and goes up to 400 watts - then it shuts off for 5 seconds and repeats )
it took a few minutes for the water to begin brewing out the top and it ran quite slow during the process up to the end
it is correct that the coffee is less bitter when you don't let it froth wildly at the end
I once accidentally ground my coffee beans "too coarsely", but then noticed that the coffee tasted so much better to me. Since then I always use a grinding degree of 5.5 from 1 to 8.for my simple dark espresso blend. Many guests also tell me that they have never had a better coffee from a bialetti. 🤷♂
I think the coarse grind actually prevents it from being over-extracted, so you get a smoother cup and less bitter taste.
Just been given a 1 cup moka pot for my birthday this week. It's tiny, and more adorable than a week old kitten. Already cutting aeropress filters to size. The tip about taking it off the heat as soon as coffee start to come through is super helpful. Going to have fun perfecting my morning shot. Thank you.
Oxo cold brew filters fit perfect
@@MD-th6lj Cheers for that. 👍
Cuter than a kitten?
Are you looking for a fight my good sir?
@@reubenk1615 Let me have a coffee or two first.
Hi, how is the moka vs aero press?
I was using my Bialetti “incorrectly” for YEARS, burnt/bitter coffee from leaving it on the heat until the boiler was empty.
Definitely going to try adding a paper filter to see how I like it.
Yes, add the filter and avoid the 'angry-sputtery phase'. Your brew will improve (well, mine did anyway). Enjoy!
wow how was that? probably cleaner and sweeter cup of coffee
@@rafaspam Exactly, less bitter and sweeter.
Another great option is to consider a different filter. I have changed my filter in 3 cup version and it significantly improved the extraction. The filter is made by E&B labs from Italy. It's called competition filter for Moka pot. I love it.
sameee! i've been making burnt coffee with moka pot for 2 years now. tried the techniques in this video, now my coffee is so smooth i'm not used to it, lol
I bought a Moka pot out of necessity after moving across the US, since I needed something relatively inexpensive to brew coffee at home. For months, I couldn't get over just how bitter unpleasant the coffee was. After watching this video and using this technique just once, I can confidently say that my cup of coffee is much sweeter, more nuanced, and significantly less bitter. The notes of plum and wine promised on the bag of beans I purchased was there, and the taste was oddly reminiscent of a maduro cigar.
I switched over to stating the brew with hot water a few years ago, when you first mentioned it. It does make for a richer, sweeter and less bitter brew
I was always frustrated with coffee. I thought that I just need a really expensive espresso machine to make good tasting coffee, but through your videos I learned how much there actually is to a Moka Pot. It's so much fun to change the way I brew a little from time to time and see how the coffee can shift a tiny bit in taste. I never thought that I can control so much flavor and bitterness with such a simple stove top brewer.
I love your videos, great work!
This method is golden!! My god the coffee came out so good. I extracted exactly 2/3rd of the water. The taste of the coffee was so different compared to my previous all in all out technique.
Thank you so much, James
Thank you for this breakdown. Been using my Moka pot for over a decade and never thought to check out better techniques! What a difference in curbing the bitterness! Thank you!
I used this method for the first time today and can honestly say this is the best cappuccino I ever made with my moka pot. I had been brewing it way too long. I never thought to brew with the lid open and watch for the flow to change! Nor had I been starting with hot water. This was a truly excellent cup of coffee. Much more flavor clarity. Thanks so much.
Now please do a video on how you keep your teeth so white while drinking all that coffee.
I just tried using my potbelly stove, same as if I was using an electric hob, and moved the pot to the edge when it started flowing. Wonderful coffee, not too bitter nor underextracted, no sputtering. The fact that I didnt need to rush over to close its lid is even better than the coffee. Normally it'd leave half of the water in the lower part. I checked, the bottom is almost dry.
We all knew that Potbelly stoves are perfect for Turkish coffee but honestly, I won't be using gas for moka pot ever again (at least during winter)
I bought a one cup version at the thrift store today for $6.00 and made a beautiful cup of coffee as per your technique. I worked perfectly on the small simmer burner on my gas stove. No sputtering....just a perfect slow flow from beginning to end.
I think you paid too much for it ! I've bought so many different ones at different thrift stores for much cheaper!
@souadghazal2533 Thrift store prices vary wildly by region, unfortunately. That sounds about right for my area.
Just make sure it's made of Stanley Steel and NOT aluminum. Aluminum seeps out little by little and with time could cause sickness
Hello James,
I've had great success with your series of espresso videos. When I recieved my first moka pot, I was thrilled to find this video. Everything you have mentioned here is extremely helpful. I watched this video three times before trying this. As you advised, I measured the water and coffee to a 10:1 ratio; preheated my electric stove and then pre-boiled the water. After filling and assembling my moka pot, I sat it on the stove's burner with the lid open. Then, being careful not to let the moka pot get too hot while observing a slow flow rate through the lift tube's outlet, I then removed the pot at the first sign of sputtering. I was amazed at how great my coffee tasted. The smooth but intense flavor
and how I could taste the coffee in my mouth for hours afterwards! So, thank you very much for all the great videos!
Just tried a dark roast, which under normal conditions, tasted bitter. The coffee I just had, trying it the way you explained, was absolutely fabulous with rich flavours of plum and chocolate 🍫🤗 Thank you, I have never had it explained to me how to use one properly before and now I will have another one 🤗
what was the ration exactly that u used?
I've owned my (Bialetti) moka pot for over 10 years and I thought I was able to extract some pretty ok coffee from it. But with this video I understand it so much better and I feel I can start tweaking my brew even more. Thanks a lot!
Thanks a lot! This technique has been the ultimate game-changer in my Moka pot brew. At first, I regretted buying this as I could not understand why my coffee tastes so bitter, but now after watching your videos, it has improved a lot.
P.S. To all the viewers, kindly watch all three videos. The scientific approach really helps understand what you were doing wrong.
Of all of them out there, this is far and away the best take on the fundamentals of a good brew. Thanks!
The things James learned through a series of controlled experiments took me about 10 years to figure out by myself. Aside from the paper filter, I really have to try that. The difficult part is to brew on unfamiliar stoves. It's almost as if the stove is part of the brewer, which is a bit annoying.
I agree! I went from brewing on a gas stove to a cheaper exposed electric (one of those old ones where you put your pots right on the coil), and it completely changes the flow of how you brew. I will have to try his suggestion of preheating the hob to see if that brings it more in line with what I'm familiar with.
its the same when cooking. you can make a perfect meal on your stove with your pots. try doing the same in another house and suddenly youre an amateur again.
That's the whole reason for getting the heating plate, as it will cool down at the same rate regardless of which stove you use, meaning all you have to worry about is when you need to turn off the stove because the residual heat of the plate will be a constant.
@@kuurbis The most difficult are the coils that have no true "low" setting and only pulse the heat on and off in order to provide an average of a low temperature. They are maddening.
The stove is absolutely part of the brewer. We just got a new stove this past week and now I have to learn how it performs and what quirks it may have.
Hey James. This is fantastic. My moka pot is a ridiculously high ratio of water to coffee - around 16:1 instead of 10:1. So I weighed the water and the coffee tastes amazing! Top extra tip inspired by your 'stop swirling your espresso' episode - stir the brewed coffee in the moka pot before pouring. Thanks so much!
Two personal tips to "improve" this amazing technique (thanks James):
- I think is better to place the paper filter in between the metal filter and the silicon piece, because the paper can interfere with the pot sealing, unless you close it too hard (and even so).
- Wet a kitchen towel with cold water and place it close to the fire. When the brew is ending, you can just place the moka ON the towel, and wrap the lower part of the mola (boiler) with the tower. Even if you are not cooling the boiler so it is not hot at all, you are cooling it enough to stop de brewing. Furthermore, you can serve the coffe immediately, so the brewed coffe stays less time in the moka. You safe time, you safe water, and you avoid accidents by not rushing the get a hot moka under the water.
Wow. Amazing tutorial on a Moka pot. I came across a Moka pot 25 years ago and had no idea there was a technique to gaining a flavorful cup of coffee from Moka pot. Now I know! The sputtering at the end of the brew was not something I avoided but didn't know any better. Thank you.
Our espresso machine broke so decided to try the moka pot my parents gifted us and has sat in the cupboard since, used this video as a tutorial on how to use it as I had no clue and this is genuinely the best coffee I've ever made at home. Thank you so much!
Been using a Moka pot for many years and had no idea the sputtering was bad. I do turn the electric burner off as soon as the coffee starts flowing, using only residual heat it provides, but there's always that sputtering at the end. Will modify my technique accordingly!
Dude same! I always let it heat a bit more until the air flow was visible. Now I know it’s bad
@@rizzoli7 Was it better in your opinion after you changed?
@@agent475816 yup, coffee is much less acerbic and actually tastes like espresso. Heavy and rich.
The sputtering isnt bad, its supposed to happen! Its what lets you know to stop
In fact, splashing doesn't make coffee worse. Hot steam successfully escapes from the coffee maker and rushes to the top without affecting the already prepared coffee. It's just possible that the temperature is causing the water to get hotter towards the end and move through the coffee with more pressure, taking the last flavor more intensely, making the coffee more full bodied. Thus, the first part of the finished coffee contains a lower concentration of coffee than the last part. Because of this, it seems that the coffee is bitter, but in fact there is simply a greater concentration of coffee. This is all solved simply by adding a little more hot water and then the aroma will become the same. But by stopping the process early, you're just missing out on the rest of the coffee bean aroma. I would still recommend waiting for all the water and steam to exit the coffee maker. After that, pour the coffee into a thermal bottle and drink it diluted with a small amount of hot water to taste - this way you can extract the maximum aroma from the coffee beans.
The most important thing, if you cook coffee in a copper cezve, is to prevent the coffee from long boiling, losing useful substances. This does not happen in a geyser coffee maker because coffee is not brewed, but only passes hot water and steam through itself, so you can only spoil coffee if you overexpose the coffee maker, allowing the finished coffee to boil in the upper part of the coffee maker.
I have a 1-cup Bialetti I bought as a souvenir in Italy that is really more of a novelty than a practical brewer, but I struggled to appreciate it as the few times I've used it the coffee turned out bitter or sour. I followed the instructions from series precisely just now and managed to produce something with virtually no bitterness and some strong fruit flavors instead! Incredible advice as always - thank you, James, for continually inspiring us to brew better coffee.
Great advice James. I modified my 3 cup Moka Pot by removing and replacing the coffee basket floor, adding a small mesh basket and adding 32 grams of high quality bottle washer ball bearings to absorb the initial heat. Controlling the flow and temperature is key. Paper filter 👍🏻
Not advisable for everyone to try😱, super smooth coffee.
James,
This has been a game changer! I always though the sputtering phase was a necessary part of the Moka Pot experience. I started applying your techniques (starting with the pre-boil) and have seen consistent and repeatable brews that are easier and way more flavorful! I also really appreciate the way you deliver your content that is very informative and dense with information. Thanks!
It's amazing that such a relatively simple device has so many variables that can lead to a great tasting cup of coffee to one that is very bitter and difficult to enjoy. I think timing is quite a crucial element with a Moka pot. I have always found that once I add boiling water to the water chamber (especially if the Moka pot is cold) that the water cools down a little bit. So before I add the basket I tend to put the water chamber onto the stove for a few minutes to maintain a good temperature. As soon as I start to see little small bubbles in the water chamber the water is likely hot enough ready to add the basket and get everything tightened down. Then I reduce the stove heat essentially you want a steady but slow stream. For the basket I tend to use a metal prong to get rid of any clumps (a dry basket is crucial here if you've just washed the basket make sure the piece is completely dry before adding coffee otherwise you risk clumps before even beginning to brew). Heat is also very important too hot and it will brew too quick and lead to bitterness, too cold and you'll be heating up the coffee in the basket for no reason which can also lead to bitterness and LONGER wait times (important for the first cup of a morning).
I’ve arrived at the same procedure after years of trial & error & tweaking. One of the things I’ve done very recently is to add the aero press paper filter & the results have been wonderful!
Why did you need it?
@@peterscuba didn't need it...tried it...& liked it better.
Dude! This video was an absolute game-changer! My mum gifted me a moka pot and i've spent the better part of a year brewing it wrong. I followed your tips and the taste I got was life-altering! Thank you for this!
A slight alteration to your technique that I find works for me is to have a pot with water (a bit warm) on the stove next to where I'm brewing. Just before the sputtering phase starts, I just plunge the bottom of the Moka pot into the pot of warm-ish water, and it immediately stops the brewing/sputter. It's just a bit easier/faster than running to the sink.
I do exactly the same, but use cold water in the pot. Is there a reason for using warm water instead of cold ??
@@daveweststand3508 lessening the likelihood the pot will crack under thermal shock.
@@davereichert Yes, I did wonder if that was the reason. In future I will use warm instead of cold straight from the tap, because I've noticed a large hissing sound when plunging in in the pot !! So, I think you are dead right, Well done !!
@@davereichert huh... good point, I was using cold water too. I don't mind the chaos of it but I would mind if the pot cracked.
Thank you for digging into the details on this! I love my Moka and have one (3 cup) almost every day over my lunch. I'm happy to learn that I have done essentially what you have suggested here. I will add the needle distribution tool technique. Also, as I'm on an electric burner I boil my tea pot, drop my temp from high/10 down to 4, and place my Moka onto that same burner. Going forward, once the coffee begins to flow, I'm going to drop the heat even more and pull the Moka half off the burner and see how that works.
I've been struggling to get a decent cup out of my moka pot for years, and thanks to you I've finally got it. The final piece of the puzzle however was grind consistency. I tired this method using grounds from a blade grinder a couple years ago and had horrible results, but my housemate just got a Fellow Ode and it made all the difference. Thanks James ❤
i strongly empathise. i am early on my coffee journey but the levels of inconsistency of a moka pot in perfect conditions do not compare to the inconsistency of a moka pot with a blade grinder
now, comparably, i feel like it's absolute magic
yeah, it's a little different every time, and it can be sub-par, but it's never completely ruined nor unbearably burnt
Wow, talk about “Your doing it all wrong”, having been using Moka pots for over 50 years, (I don’t drink tea, or alcohol and I hate normal water, I only drink coffee) I followed your instructions to the letter, lid up and watching intently as the nectar slowly and quietly flowed into the top chamber, then poured into a pre-heated mug, nectar from the Gods, best mug of coffee I’ve had in years, thank you James for sharing, definitely worth a sub. 👍😃
As a new convert to the coffee brewing world I have found James’ videos very enlightening. I started with an Aeropress and have now added a Moka pot to my arsenal. I am really enjoying the whole process and improving my coffee with every brew, can’t wait to try the tips from this video.
How do those two compare taste wise?
I’ve truly benefited from this. Having learned how to brew my Moka pot in Italy, I thought I knew the deal. I was doing it so wrong! This experience leaves such a better cup and I’ve enjoyed my Moka so much more. Thanks so much!!
Always let it sputter. Now I understand why my coffee was always bitter 😢. Thanks for sharing your experience.
We obviously like bitter coffee! Ours of any size always splutter and we have 5 different size pots!
Same, now it makes sense!
This video has improved my quality of life. Thank you.
This completely changed my results, I was doing it very wrong for years and now I can make a perfect cup without the bitterness!
This was GOLDEN! I got the smallest Moka pot as a gift from my parents 3 years ago and still haven’t managed to learn how to use it! Will try out your tips today 💛
Do it! It’s such a fun little ritual, and these tips made my good espresso go to awesome 👍
My Italian family has been using the moka since the beginning of time. We all agree that it tastes best when the basket is only about half full. It’s not like regular espresso but it tastes fantastic.
Agree!!
I have just been given a manual grinder. What setting should I use on the manual grinder?
@user-bm6xc1qh6i my hand grinder is levels 1-6, I use level 2
@@TazBo-wd2ig I find that a slightly coarser grind than normal espresso works best.
Stumbled across this video by accident, but had recently invested in a Mokka Pot. I was literally using water from cold and brewing it until all the liquid had finished. Had my first drink today with your method and it is so much less bitter, makes a beautiful cup..now I have to invest in the aeropress filters because a little coffee ground makes its way into the cup, thank you for the awesome video
Never used a Moka pot before but since I was tired of paying the high price to get a good latte I thought I would give it a try. I was fortunate enough to find your video before I started making my own brew and have to say that my home brewed latte was every bit as good as the ones I had to go out to enjoy. Thanks for your simple but educational instructions.
I've been starting my mornings with a Bialetti coffee for three years now and I'm happy to hear that I am doing most of the steps you mentioned correctly. I did learn a few things and can't wait to try them out with my next cup.
Thank you for putting this up!
This is almost exactly how I brew my moka pot. I tend to stop the brew a bit earlier though, and use a wet rag to stop the brewing before any sputters at all. I have had the sweetest, richest, most delicious-tasting cups with a moka pot, and also the most bitter, harsh cups as well. It is such a fun device, and has lots of variables to play with. I like the discussion about the roasts though. When I was using moka as my daily driver, I found that every new bag of beans I got would need to be dialed in a bit (with regard to heat, flow rate / time, when to stop). It makes a bit more sense hearing you talk about the roast level and grind and water amount.
so a medium-dark roast will require less water according to james? it will reduce the bitterness that comes with it. and makes it thicker i presume?
For some reason i like to tweak my moka pot so it can make espresso like. To do that, we need a finer grind size. Don't worry to using finer grind size like espresso, to avoid clogging, you can use paperfilter on the top and bottom of your coffee, as long as you don't tamping your coffee, it will flows normal. And dont forget to look about brew rasio for your coffee you use.
It is February 2023, and I just made the most satisfying cup from my moka pot using this technique. Thanks James. I shall be using my Bialetti more often.
This video helped me understand the brewing better, and now I've been doing it for a while it's really become so much easier. I get the right brew nearly every time without too much effort. To me it seems better to take it off the heat a little bit before it starts sputtering, to let it continue for just long enough so that it doesn't sputter at all. Once you get the timing on that just right (which might take a while) you'll get the most amount of coffee without any bitterness :)
In fact, splashing doesn't make coffee worse. Hot steam successfully escapes from the coffee maker and rushes to the top without affecting the already prepared coffee. It's just possible that the temperature is causing the water to get hotter towards the end and move through the coffee with more pressure, taking the last flavor more intensely, making the coffee more full bodied. Thus, the first part of the finished coffee contains a lower concentration of coffee than the last part. Because of this, it seems that the coffee is bitter, but in fact there is simply a greater concentration of coffee. This is all solved simply by adding a little more hot water and then the aroma will become the same. But by stopping the process early, you're just missing out on the rest of the coffee bean aroma. I would still recommend waiting for all the water and steam to exit the coffee maker. After that, pour the coffee into a thermal bottle and drink it diluted with a small amount of hot water to taste - this way you can extract the maximum aroma from the coffee beans.
The most important thing, if you cook coffee in a copper cezve, is to prevent the coffee from long boiling, losing useful substances. This does not happen in a geyser coffee maker because coffee is not brewed, but only passes hot water and steam through itself, so you can only spoil coffee if you overexpose the coffee maker, allowing the finished coffee to boil in the upper part of the coffee maker.
@@develmax The fact that the coffee is coming out with steam means that the coffee has been extracted at too high a temperature. Nowadays it is considered unacceptable to brew coffee at temperatures above 96°C as it allows bitter chemical compounds to be released, and no hot water does not fix that.
thats right! and that is why the smaller mokapots, ie under apparently 6cup, are really problematic to use for most ppl. And even w / the 6cup and up, lighter roasts are also too tricky if not impossible to get decent results.@@alinaqirizvi1441
My family is Dominican and we grew up drinking coffee from what we call a greca (which I now know is a moka pot). Always thought sputtering was oh it’s done lmao😂Love making coffee in my greca everyday 😊
Same!
It's a "greca" in PR too!
This is how we Cubans have brewed our coladas ☕ as well but we call the Moka "La Cafetera Cubana." 😆
It amazes me how this machine actually brews the best coffee ever!
This video is too complicated. Bustello rocks n i dont have greca just use small thin pot
That part is true, traveling in Latin American countries, the Caribbean, they told me "listen for the sputter" to tell when it's done
Cheers from Thailand. I started making moka pot coffee three weeks ago. I have revisited your moka pot series countless of time. I have tried making moka pot coffee everyday and kept coming back to the series. The more I try , more I understand what you explain.
I love the heat plate technic. It is a huge moka pot hack and the great investment ever for me. It helps me to have less worries on the temp control and sputlering phase so I can focus on other factors.
Great series with entertaining knowledge.
Here I am again, having absolutely no desire for coffee or learning about it and yet I watch the whole video. I suppose James is just such an enjoyable chap to listen to. Whatever the case, I'm learning stuff and that can't be bad. Good stuff, James =)
I was thinking the same thing
Lol i dont even drink coffee but might buy one just to try it
This might just change the way I brew! I've been making my coffee in a 1-serving percolator and I just bought a 3-servings percolator in Italy. I actually never thought about putting boiling water in the reservoir, but I will do from now on! Thanks a lot James!
Hey James, excellent video as always! I generally focus on the color of the liquid coming through the spigot. As soon as it becomes more translucent and lighter in color, I run cold water to stop any more liquid coming through. I'll get a little more than a third of the initial liquid. The flavour is more intense and perfect for a Cuban Cortadito.
just pour it, no need to cool it down
Using an aeropress filter in the moka pot is genius! It totally elevates the taste of moka pot coffee. Also, there are health risks associated with unfiltered coffee, so the filter is useful for that. Thank you for this video!
This was really helpful. I always used to start with high heat, I thought that's making my brewing faster. Now I'm using your technique of starting with low flame. The results are pretty great I'm getting more coffee as well as better taste.
I have been using the moka pot every morning for about 5 years now. I make enough coffee in one go for myself and my partner.
I found that the best quick way is to use less coffee and leave it loose. Then hot water in the bottom. I put it on the smallest burner on low and keep the heat on until it's just about to start sputtering.
Then I quickly take the heat off and cool it under the tap.
You definitely want a slightly coarser grind than espresso, but nowhere near as coarse as filter coffee.
The quicker the water passes through the extractor, the better. Otherwise it burns.
Defo the biggest beginner mistake is overfilling with coffee. Very different to espresso.
Tried technique this morning. Used very small (6" diameter) cast iron skillet as diffuser on electric stovetop. Worked well.
Excellent video. We would boil the pot till it stopped spluttering. Now we heat the pot till the coffee appears and turn off the element. I watch it till the first bloom of bubbly extract and then take it off the element and allow the pot to finish with residual heat in the pot. No spluttering or over boiling. The end result is smooth and flavoursome. Thank you for the lesson. Huge improvement. Mick
The most helpful thing was removing the pot (2 cups) from the fire entirely. I have bigger yields and the coffee is cleaner and smoother.
Another thing is that if the sputtering phase happens i put the coffee really fast in my cup and throw away the rest.
Thanks a lot for these videos.
For those who put cream/milk and sugar, I substitute condensed milk. If you’ve never tried it, you’re missing out. Put the desired amount in the bottom of your cup and you can even layer the coffee on top. Condensed milk is a game changer!
oh nice ! Thankyou !! Sounds like a candy cup, Im going to try !!
The Vietnamese way!
So agree. Condensed milk user for 60 years
Purchased my first Moka pot yesterday and followed these recommendations while making my first brew. Very happy with the results! Thanks very much!
Thank you James for a most erudite explanation of Moka essentials. I’ve just bought an induction Bialetti in Italy after spending way too much money on maintaining my Italian single group over the years. It’s time to simplify and I feel sure your advice will steer me in the right direction for better Moka coffee when I get home to Australia. Cheers.
Thanks James! The only time I make coffee at home is using my moka pot to prep "espresso" for Martinis and these tips noticibly improved the flavour and consistency of my brews. Champion!
incredible! I sticked with brewing at lowest possible temperature and stopping the brew when it‘s not anymore liquid but bubbles coming out in the chamber. The difference in taste is impressive, thank you very very much for these great tips!
I've bought the aero press paper filters, and this was a game changer for me, they smoothed the texture of my brew, just love it!
Same here, but sometimes I have noticed a small tear in the paper filter which I'm not sure what the cause is. Still, a much better brew with the filter plus the other tips in this video.
I think this was the sinceriest moka content I've ever laid eyes on since I've been try to understand it. I've always looking for pattern, for "same techniques -> same results", but this video shows that it's more about pay attention to each detail than the autopilot. I'll play that again an amount of times to absorb all information. Thanl you!
So I just made my first moka pot coffe this weekend and I didn't like it because it was sooo bitter. After I tried this, is still a bit bitter, but the taste is so much better. Now the challenge for myself is getting better and better. Will I get obsessed to get the best coffee I can? We'll see 😂 Thank you so much for the tips James!
Try add some water to make americano
@@ercanozdogan4747 Any recommendations on how much water to add to the brewed coffee for americano? 1:1? 2:1? I guess maybe it will come down to personal taste?
Awesome tips!!! The brew I’m getting is much less bitter and very clean now. Current circumstances forced me to use a moka pot for my brews and after making the the recommended adjustments I’m in love!
This technique has revolutionized my mocha pot coffee, it is now my favorite way to brew my morning coffee. Thank you so much for sharing from your bottomless well of knowledge ❤️
Same! Now I want to have guests over and brag how good my moka pot is 😂😂
I always had a bitter result and was definitely overheating the brew - it would spit and sputter.
I tried removing the moka pot as soon as it started up spitting. I found the result was far more balanced and not nearly so bitter. It tasted smooth and I didn't detect any bitterness.
I also used a bit less water in the chamber since I use a dark roast. I'm very pleased with the results. Thank you for the video!