You're planning on taking your Moka pot when you go camping and want to brew coffee on a gas stove? Or you just got your Moka pot and are using a gas stove at home? In this article we'll give you the recipe for the perfect Moka pot coffee on a gas stove. Let's dig in.
How To Make Moka Pot Coffee On A Gas Stove
Making coffee in a Moka pot is pretty simple. All you need is some hot water, coffee grounds, a heat source and a few minutes of your time. One of the biggest advantages of a Moka pot is that they're very small, especially keeping in mind the quality of the coffee they make. This is why stovetop coffee makers are a preferred choice for those who like camping as they can easily work on a gas stove. How do you make coffee on one though?
- If you're brewing your coffee at home you'll want to throw a wet towel in the freezer. This will help you stop the extraction of coffee quickly. If you're out camping don't worry. There are other methods you can try to stop your coffee from over brewing.
- Heat some water. It's best to heat water before you start brewing. Even if your Moka pot is of the highest quality, it's still a good idea to have hot water when you start the brewing process. If you don't, your coffee might burn while your water is heating and you don't want that.
- Pour the water in the Moka pot and add the coffee. You're almost ready to brew. Once you have the bottom chamber filled with water to the bottom edge of the safety valve and the filter basket filled with coffee you can close your Moka pot.
- Put the stovetop espresso maker on the stove. It's time to brew your delicious cup of coffee.
- Wait for the gurgling sound. When you hear that come out of your Moka pot, your coffee has found its way into the upper chamber and is finished brewing.
- Take the Moka pot away from the stove and cover it with the cold wet towel. This will immediately stop the extraction keeping your coffee from being over extracted.
6.1 If you're out camping you can dip the Moka pot into cold water for a few seconds. If there's no running water just put the Moka pot on the cold ground so it can cool off faster.
- Enjoy your Moka pot coffee.
Top Tips For Making Great Moka Pot Coffee
Even though the Moka pot is much easier to use than an espresso machine and some other coffee makers, there are still a few things you should know. These include the coffee beans you should use, the cleaning process after brewing and the brew time on different types of stove.
What Kind of Coffee?
When it comes to the coffee you're going to use, there are a few things you should know. The most important are the coffee grinds that work best with a Moka pot and give you the most delicious coffee.
As Moka pots use pressure to brew your espresso, you'll want to use a medium to fine grind. This will help you achieve an even extraction and a rich taste. If you use the wrong grind size, you might not get any coffee at all or get a bland cup of brew.
When it comes to the specific type of coffee grounds you use, this mainly depends on you. A regular cup of espresso is made with a medium roast. If you want a sweet but bold coffee from your Moka pot you can try using a light roast. This type of beans are roasted for less time so more of the natural flavor and caffeine are preserved. This is great if you like black coffee but want some fruity flavors in it.
If you are more into bitter coffee you might want to try a dark roast. This type of beans are left to roast significantly longer than a light roast and have a more bitter taste. Additionally with the longer roasting time, some of the caffeine is lost so you won’t get that much of a kick.
Something else that's worth mentioning is that it's always better to use freshly ground coffee. The more time has passed from the moment your coffee beans are ground to the moment you brew it, the more likely it is to lose some of its flavor. That's why we recommend considering the purchase of a coffee grinder.
Which Stoves Will Work?
The type of stove you have may affect how much time it takes you to brew a round of espresso. If you have an electric burner it'll work with basically any stovetop espresso maker out there and should take 3-5 minutes to brew.
Induction cooktops, on the other hand, are a bit more requiring. As these stoves use magnets to heat up they'll only work with a stainless steel pot. If you already own an aluminum Moka pot you have the option to purchase an adaptor or to use a cast iron pan as one.
When it comes to a gas burner, both aluminum and stainless Moka pots will work. It's better to use a stainless steel pot, though, as the metal is tougher and the open flame is less likely to damage its surface.
What About Cleaning?
You should always make sure you clean your Moka pot after brewing coffee. Usually a quick rinse will do the trick but you should always remove any coffee grounds stuck in the safety valve and seals. If the safety valve of your Moka pot is filled with coffee grounds your Moka pot could leak or even potentially explode.
If you own a stainless steel cleaning it is much easier. While you'll have to be careful when using detergents on an aluminum stovetop espresso maker, as they might ruin the surface, that's not an issue with stainless steel. You can even wash your Moka pot in the dishwasher. Get your stainless steel Moka pot now.
How Does a Moka Pot Work?
A Moka pot makes coffee by generating pressure. The brewing process starts by boiling the water in the bottom chamber. When it gets hot enough it turns into steam and finds its way up through the ground coffee in the filter basket. Then it continues up through the tower and into the coffee chamber. This is where you find your finished brew.
How To Choose The Best Moka Pot
Choosing the right Moka pot can be a complicated process with all the different models and the endless amount of information on the internet. The most important thing here is to pick a coffee maker that's the right size for your needs and that works on your stove.
Aluminum vs Stainless Steel
There are two types of stovetop espresso makers: aluminum and stainless steel. The original Bialetti Moka express was made of aluminum but despite that the modern stainless steel stovetop espresso makers have some major advantages.
The biggest of them is that the metal is significantly tougher. Not only are you going to be able to use your pot for longer, but you'll also be able to wash it with any dish soap you like and even throw it in the dishwasher. An additional advantage that stainless steel Moka pots have is that they won't affect the taste of your coffee. When it comes to an aluminum Moka pot, you'll have to throw out the first 2-3 rounds that you make to achieve the perfect brew.
Final Thoughts
It's no coincidence that coffee is the second most widely spread drink in the world (after water). Making a cup of strong coffee in a Moka pot is a fairly simple process and only requires a few steps. What's crucial when brewing Moka pot coffee on a gas stove is that you make sure you're using a high quality stovetop espresso maker. Get yours now.