You're wondering if a three cup Moka pot will be enough for you? Or maybe a six-cup is better just to be safe? There are a few things you should consider to get the most out of your pot. Let's see why the Moka pot size important and how you can choose the right one.
Why Is the Moka Pot Size Important?
You are probably wondering why the size of a Moka pot is so important. That's something every coffee enthusiast has asked themselves at some point. After all if your Moka pot is too small, you can make another round and if it's not, you can simply put less coffee and pour less water and you'll be fine, right? Well, not exactly.
The size of your Moka pot can make a big difference to the quality of your coffee. Not only is it going to determine how long it takes you to brew a cup of joe, but it's also very important when it comes to how strong your coffee is going to come out and how long it takes to brew it.
You should carefully consider what would be the right fit for your needs. Something that can help you here is that most Moka pot models come in different sizes. Head over to our catalog and get your high quality Moka pot for 3, 6 or even 9 cups.
Can a Large Moka Pot Make Less Coffee?
If you're just getting into the Moka pot world of coffee, you're probably asking yourself that question. The simple answer is not, it can't. Actually it's better to say that yes, a large capacity Moka pot can make less coffee but it's not going to be good.
A Moka pot can brew you a cup of coffee by generating pressure. This means that if you don't fill your Moka pot with enough coffee and pour less water, your coffee will come out bland, burnt or not come out at all. That's because as the Moka pot heats up, the water in the bottom chamber starts to evaporate, turn into steam and look for its way up. If there's not enough water, the pressure will be too low which will mean that it's not going to extract your coffee.
If you put less coffee in the filter and the right amount of water you're not going to get a good brew as well. That's because as the water goes through the coffee it'll over extract it. This will burn the grounds and give you a bitter cup of coffee.
What Moka Pot Sizes Are There?
When it comes to Moka pot sizes there are a lot you can choose from. Even though the original Bialetti Moka pot was made to brew three cups of Moka pot coffee at once, now you can find a Moka pot as small as 2 oz or one cup. Moka pot sizes go to the other extreme as well. Even though most regular models go to 9 cups, there are some large capacity Moka pots that give you as much as 12 cups of Moka pot coffee with a single brew.
How Do You Choose the Perfect Moka Pot?
Choosing the right Moka pot can be a tricky task. You should consider many different aspects and if you aren't used to making Moka pot coffee it might be even harder as you won't know for sure how much coffee you'll need. Let's see what will help you choose the right size Moka pot.
How Many Ounces Make a Cup of Moka Coffee?
The ounces of coffee that your Moka pot can make is crucial to picking the right size. Up until now we've referred to different Moka pot sizes by number of cups of coffee they can brew. This is usually very easily understood as we all know how much a cup of coffee is but we have more of a general idea how much is two ounces (the actual size of a cup of Moka pot coffee).
Now, let's talk business. How many ounces of coffee are you going to drink? As we already mentioned a cup of coffee is considered two ounces. This will give you more or less the same amount of caffeine as a cup of regular drip coffee. That is because due to the high pressure that a Moka pot generates, you get more extraction and more flavor out of your coffee.
What this means for you is that if you usually start your day with a large cup of coffee, you'll probably be looking at two or three cups of Moka pot coffee, which is around 6 ounces. If you're only making coffee for yourself you'll be interested in a three cup Moka pot. If you're sharing a household with a partner or a roommate and they're drinking the same amount of coffee, then probably a six cup Moka pot will be the best option.
Do You Usually Make Moka Pot Coffee Just for Yourself?
Whether you're only making coffee for yourself is crucial to picking the right size of Moka pot. As we mentioned, Moka pot cups are rather small and you'll need a larger capacity if you're planning to brew coffee for your family, friends or roommates.
Even though a cup of coffee is equal to 2 oz in the Moka pot world, that's still not enough coffee for most. We usually find ourselves doing a double or a triple shot around the office. That's still less coffee than a large drip coffee but it has the same amount of caffeine.
To sum up, when calculating how much capacity you'll need, you should count each cup on the label as half a cup. That would mean that for a proper cup of Moka pot brew, you'll need two cups. What this means is that if you're making coffee for your partner and you, you'll need to make 4 or even 6 cups of coffee. For each additional family member you should add two cups.
How Often Do You Drink Moka Coffee?
Even though we wouldn't recommend making your daily dose of coffee in the morning and leaving for later, if your days are very busy, that's also a good approach. If you're busy at work, looking after children, remodeling the house or simply running errands, you might want to brew your daily coffee and put in a thermos for the rest of the day.
If you usually drink two or three coffees per day, you should go for a three or six cup pot. This would caffeinate you and give you enough energy to go through your day without stopping. If you drink 3-4 cups of coffee each day you should first make sure it's not unhealthy for you as a high caffeine intake can have negative effects on your health. If you've made sure that it's not bad for you, you should consider a six or even a nine cup pot to make sure you have enough brew for the whole day.
What You Need to Know About the Moka Pot?
Even though the Moka pot is a pretty simple device, there are a few things you should know to make an educated choice. If you better understand how a Moka pot works and what makes a good Moka pot, you can be sure that you'll pick the right model for you.
How Do Moka Pots Make Coffee?
A Moka pot makes coffee by heating water to its boiling point and pushing it through the coffee grinds. This extracts a lot of flavor and caffeine out of them to give you a strong delicious cup of coffee.
The process starts by pouring water into the bottom chamber, putting the filter on top and filling it with coffee. You then close the Moka pot with the top chamber, in which you can also find the tower.
Then, when you put the pot on the hot stove, the water will heat up and start boiling. If there's an excess of steam, some of it will be let out through the safety valve. The rest will find its way up through the coffee and up the tower. The final stage is the coffee filling up the top chamber. You'll know that the coffee is done brewing by the gurgling sound that's going to come out of the Moka pot.
Pro tip: you should start with hot water as this will keep your coffee from burning before it's brewed. Also, before you start brewing your Moka pot coffee, throw a damp tower in the freezer. When you hear the gurgling sound, cover the pot with it and this will stop the extraction process, giving you the perfect cup of Moka pot brew.
Do Moka Pots Make Espresso?
No, the coffee that comes out of the Moka pot is not espresso and Moka pot's can't give you an espresso. You're probably asking yourself this question because the Moka pot is also referred to as a stovetop espresso maker. This is because an espresso is also made using water pressure. In fact, espresso means "pressed out" in Italian.
Even though Moka pot coffee is around half as strong as espresso, it's still pretty strong so you're going to get a lot of energy out of a single round of brew. The biggest difference is that you're not going to get a lot of crema with your Moka pot coffee due to the lower pressure.
Aluminum vs Stainless Steel Moka Pot
The first Moka pot was made of aluminum but as a lot of time has passed since then, now there are also stainless steel models. Actually, many would argue that a stainless steel pot is better.
There are a few reasons for that but the main one is that they're significantly more durable. As stainless steel is a nonporous metal, it's not going to oxidize and is more resistant to scratches and cracks. Additionally, your coffee is not going to have metallic taste and you'll be able to brew a round even on an induction stove.
The downsides to stainless steel Moka pots are that they're usually a little more expensive and that they're not such great heat conductors. This means that your coffee is going to take slightly more time to brew.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can You Do with Leftover Coffee?
It's a shame when you don't finish your coffee on time and you have to leave it. If that happens it's best to pour it in an airtight container and put in the fridge or a freezer. While the coffee is not going to be fresh, it'll certainly be drinkable and can give you an energy boost later on during the day.
How Can You Tell Your Moka Pot Size?
The best way to know the size of your Moka pot is to look for a label or find the original box. If they're long gone, you can see how much coffee comes out of it. If it's 2 oz, then it's a one cup model, 6 oz means 3 cups, 12 oz - a 6 cup and so on. Each cup equals 2 oz.
What's the Perfect Grind Size for Moka Pot Coffee?
When you start the brewing process you have to always make sure you're not using the wrong grind size. As a Moka pot brews coffee by geenrating pressure you'll want to use a finer ground coffee than drip coffee. For the perfect Moka coffee you'll want to use a slightly coarser grind than you would for a shot of espresso. If you're using an aconical burr grinder you'll want to set it around 8-12. If you're buying pre-ground coffee it's best to look for a medium-fine ground.
How Do You Clean a Moka Pot?
Cleaning a Moka pot is a relatively straightworward process if you own a stainless steel model. You'll want to simply want to wash the pot as you would any other piece of kitchen equipment.
When it comes to aluminum models (like the Bialetti Moka Express), it's a little more complicated. if a quick rinse doesn't suffice, you'll want to get some lemon juice and mix it with boiling water. Then fill the pot and let it sit like this for a few hours. Then you'll want to go through the brewing process as if you were making a shot of coffee. When you're done, make sure you rinse the pot thoroughly to get rid of the lemon smell.
Final Word on Moka Pot Size
The size of a Moka pot is very important to the taste of your coffee and your overall coffee experience. If you usually drink a lot of coffee, then you should get a bigger size. Same goes if you're making coffee for more people - the more coffee drinkers, the bigger the pot should be.
Even if you get the right size of Moka pot, though, it might still not be what you need. You should always make sure you get high quality kitchen equipment and that's especially true for your Moka pot. Get your stainless steel LuxHaus Moka pot that's made of food safe stainless steel and a lifetime quality guarantee now.