You're not sure for how long you should brew coffee in your Moka pot? Or you don't know if a Moka pot is worth it? Let's see how long it takes to prepare the Moka pot, brew the coffee and clean up.
Brewing Coffee in a Moka Pot Breakdown
Brewing and drinking your favorite coffee in a Moka is always a good start of the day. There's always so much to do in the morning, though, and so little time. Whether you have to walk the dog, feed the cat, take the kids to school, get dressed or go to work, knowing exactly how much time your coffee is going to take can massively help you organize your day. A good start is knowing that your Moka pot is made of high quality metals. This will help you be sure that it'll heat evenly and quickly. Get your high quality stainless steel Moka pot now.
Grinding Coffee - 30-40 seconds
You'll only need to perform this step if you're buying your coffee as whole bean. Hardened coffee enthusiasts always make sure they grind their own coffee before each brew as this is the best way to make sure you're getting the best taste out of your coffee. If you're buying your coffee ground you'll save some time in the morning but you'll have no way of knowing when the coffee was ground and that might mean you'll make bad coffee.
Pro tip: Throw a damp towel in the freezer before you start. You'll need it later to stop the brewing process and give yourself the perfect cup of coffee.
Disassembling the Moka Pot ~ 30 seconds
If you're buying your coffee pre-ground your brewing process will start with this step. To be able to add the water and coffee into the Moka pot, you'll need to unscrew the lower and the upper chamber. Then you'll need to make sure all the sealing gaskets are intact and in place and that there's no coffee left behind from a previous brew.
Heating Water - 3-4 minutes
Even though it's not mandatory to heat your water before you pour it in the Moka pot, it's highly recommended. If you don't, you risk your coffee additionally roasting in the filter basket while the water gets hot. This might happen as Moka pots are designed to heat evenly to evenly extract the coffee and give you a delicious brew. While you're waiting for the water to heat, though, the coffee will also get hot and potentially roast and burn.
Pro tip: If you're using an electric stove leave it on, as you're nearly ready to brew and if you turn it off, it'll need more time to heat up again and use more electricity.
Filling the Moka Pot and Assembling ~ 1 minute
When you have your coffee ground and water heated it's nearly time to start brewing. You'll only need to pour the water into the bottom chamber and put the coffee into the filter basket. When pouring the water you'll want to make sure it doesn't cover the safety valve. In the worst case scenario this might make your Moka pot explode and leave you with coffee all over your ceiling.
Brewing Coffee - 2-3 minutes
When you have the Moka pot put together it's time to start brewing. You should know that if you're using an induction stove, it won't work with an aluminum Moka pot. Induction stoves use electromagnets to generate heat and aluminum is not a magnetic metal.
Once you've put your Moka pot on the hot stove, the water will reach boiling temperature. When that happens, the steam will force its way through the beans above and continue onto the tower, ending up in the top chamber. Once you hear the gurgling sound, it's time to take the Moka pot away from the heat, turn off the stove, and cover the pot with the wet towel from the freezer.
Cleaning
When you're done brewing you'll want to wash your Moka pot. This way you'll ensure that it doesn't get moldy and there's no old coffee left behind. If you don't, this might ruin the taste of your next brew.
You start by disassembling the Moka pot and taking all the seal gaskets, and the filter basket out. Then, if you have a stainless steel Moka pot, you can wash it with dish soap, as if you were washing any other piece of kitchen equipment.
If you own an aluminum Moka pot, though, you'll need to be careful. You shouldn't use any strong detergents or dish soaps, as they might ruin the surface of the metal. Additionally, you'll want to be careful not to scratch as this might make it oxidize. We recommend washing such a Moka pot with warm water and a dish sponge with no dish soap or if you have a weaker one, just a drop of it.
Moka Pot Brew Going Wrong. What Can You Do?
Even if you got the amount of your water and your coffee right you might still be getting poor coffee. If your coffee has a metallic taste, that's most likely because you're using your Moka pot for the first time after purchase or because you've washed off the seasoning. Don't worry, you'll only need to brew a few rounds and the taste will improve. Let's see what else might go wrong though.
Coffee Comes Out Bland
You know the coffee from a Moka pot is supposed to be strong but yours isn't? Well, there might be a few reasons why that might happen.
- You didn't put enough coffee grounds. To make sure you're going to brew delicious coffee in your Moka pot, you always need to fill the filter basket with coffee. Make sure you don't tamp it though.
- Your coffee is too coarsely ground. The perfect grind for a Moka pot is medium to fine. As the Moka pot uses pressure to brew coffee, the water stays in contact with it for just a very short time. That's why if the grind you're using is too coarse, it won't be in contact with water for long enough and you're going to get a poor extraction.
- You've tamped your coffee. If you tamp the coffee in the filter basket of the Moka pot, you'll get channeling as a result. This happens when the grinds are too tightly packed together and the water can't go through them evenly. What happens is, it finds the softest spots in the coffee and only flows through there. If that happens you won't only get a bland but also burnt coffee.
Coffee Comes Out Burnt
If your Moka pot is giving you burnt coffee, there's probably something wrong in your brewing process. Let's see the most common mistakes.
- Your coffee is ground too finely. As we previously mentioned, your coffee should be a medium to fine ground. This will achieve a perfect extraction. If it's too fine, though, your coffee will be over extracted and taste burnt.
- You didn't use the wet towel trick. Depending on when you take you Moka pot away from the stove you might need to use the wet towel from the freezer or not. If you don't use it, though, and take the Moka pot when the coffee is done brewing, you risk over extracting it. That's why we recommend you to use the towel. It makes everything easier.
- You coffee is a dark roast or simply over roasted. You might be doing everything right and still end up with burnt coffee. In that case it's probably the beans you're using. You might've picked a dark roast by mistake or looking for a stronger brew. If you want a stronger coffee you'll need to go for a light roast, though. It'll also give you a fruity flavor that's not going to taste burnt.
Coffee Is Sour
Sour coffee would mean that too much time has passed from the moment the beans were ground to the moment you brewed the coffee. This is why it's best to buy your coffee whole bean and grind it yourself. We know that a good coffee grinder can be quite the investment, especially if you're not that much of a coffee enthusiast. That's why we would recommend buying coffee that has the date it was grounded on the packaging. This way you'll know how long you have to drink it all and still have a delicious flavor.
Brewing Takes Too Long
If your coffee takes too long to brew, you've probably poured too much water or there's a loose seal. Something else that might have happened is that you started with cold water. This would mean that it needs more time to heat up.
You'll know if it's a loose or a worn out seal, if there's steam coming out of it. Don't worry though, they're easy to find and replace yourself. You can find one for cheap on Amazon or a good coffee accessories store. Your Moka pot will be ready for the next brew in no time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Moka Pot Coffee as Strong as Espresso?
Even though the coffee you brew in a Moka pot is pretty strong, and significantly stronger than the one a drip coffee maker would give you, it's around half as strong as espresso. This is because due to the pumps in the espresso machine, it can generate a significantly higher pressure.
A cup of Moka pot coffee is a little bigger than an espresso shot so you'll get around the same amount of caffeine. If it's still not enough, you can simply go ahead and drink an entire batch from a three cup Moka pot.
Can a Moka Pot Explode?
Even though it's highly unlikely, a Moka pot can actually explode. Don't worry, though, there are a few big things you should get wrong for that to happen. If you always make sure your safety valve is clean and the water isn't covering it, any excessive water pressure will be let out and nothing will happen.
Is a Stovetop Espresso Maker the Same as Moka Pot?
Yes a stovetop espresso maker (or stovetop coffee maker) is the same as Moka pot. It got this name as the brewing method is very similar to how espresso is made. You start off with water and relatively finely ground coffee. Then the water is heated and pressure is generated which forces its way through the coffee and gives you your final brew.
Final Word
Coffee made in a Moka pot is one of the best ways to start your day. Before you start you will want to know how long your brew is going to take you. The good news is that the entire process including the grinding and the cleaning of the Moka pot won't take more than 10 minutes.
To make sure you get the best coffee out of your Moka pot, you will need a high quality coffee maker. The best option is a stainless steel Moka pot as it'll work on any stovetop and is significantly more durable. Get your high quality Moka pot now.