The Coffeehouse.... Baristi, Barista, Bariste

[struth]

Late coffee

[struth]

Espresso love came on
.. What can I say...

[Marco]

Forming a creamy love union?

Marco.

[struth]

And again.

Nice and glossy

[Yomanze]

New Bialetti Moka pot has arrived. Love these, in between drip coffee and espresso in flavour. Made in Italy since the 1930s... Under £30 on Amazon for this “9 cup” model, which is 2x British mugs.

Am brewing using Lavazza Red today.

[Marco]

Good stuff, Neil. I use a slightly smaller version of the same machine - used right it can produce great results

If you'd like a few tips on how to get the most from it, let me know, as I've picked up a few little things along the way... Are you just using it with pre-ground coffee or grinding your own beans? The latter is where it's really at!

Marco.

[Yomanze]

Good stuff, Neil. I use a slightly smaller version of the same machine - used right it can produce great results

If you'd like a few tips on how to get the most from it, let me know, as I've picked up a few little things along the way... Are you just using it with pre-ground coffee or grinding your own beans? The latter is where it's really at!

Marco.

I hand grind using a ceramic burr Hario grinder. It’s excellent (when modified with a fixing to resolve the floating burr issue) and a workout for free... what sort of grind size would you suggest?

[Marco]

I pretty much settled on two clicks anticlockwise from the 'zero' position, but of course it depends on bean size, and also to grind nice and slowly, using even strokes, so as not to 'burn' the beans and create a bitter flavour.

The most important things I've found to do, in terms of getting the best results from the Bialetti, are as follows:

1) Always pre-boil the water for filling the 'tank', rather than using cold water from scratch, in order to prevent, as much as possible, the resulting coffee produced from being 'boiled' for too long under heat. You want the pot sitting on top a hot stove for the minimum amount of time necessary.

2) Get as much (boiling) water into the tank as possible without it bleeding through into the coffee grinds. You want the level to sit *right underneath* the recommended 'nipple point' inside the tank/reservoir.

3) Get as much coffee into the filler as possible, if you want to create a nice 'thick', dark and rich tasting espresso-like coffee, which is what you should be aiming for. Neapolitan Moka pots are designed for producing STRONG coffee. If you don't like strong coffee, or prefer something 'subtler', then use a filter machine or cafetiere coffee pot, with a 'French Press' bean grind.

I've measured the quantity of coffee out in grams, in order to produce the results I like consistently, and do that every time I make some. You get better results with a *slight* amount of tamping/pressing down onto the grains with the blade of a flat knife or spatula, and smoothing off any excess, before popping the filler into the water tank (already filled with boiling water).

Then screw the top of the pot down onto the bottom water tank, *AS TIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE* and begin the heating process on your stove. You want to maximise the amount of pressure that the resulting coffee is produced under.

4) Better to bring the coffee to the boil slowly/gradually, than quickly, therefore always select no higher than a medium heat-setting on your stove. My control goes up to 10, in numerical steps, so I select 5. If you've got the mix right (coffee-to-water ratio, plus grind level), when the coffee begins to slowly 'spurt' into the chamber, it should create a slight froth/crema. If that doesn't happen, you haven't used enough coffee and/or the grind level is too coarse, and the coffee will taste weak.

5) While heating, keep the lid closed on the pot *only* until the point is reached where the first signs of coffee come through into the reservoir/chamber. Once done, lift the lid up for the remainder of the process. This markedly improves flavour, as you don't want liquid steam dripping into the chamber and diluting the coffee, which is what happens if the lid is left closed throughout the heating process.

6) Keep pot on the stove, and onto the heat, *only* until the coffee starts to 'spurt' vigorously into the chamber/reservoir and has filled it up. As *soon* as that happens, lift the pot off of the stove immediately and turn off the heat, then run the base of the pot/water tank under a cold tap, in order to halt the heating process. If you don't do that, the coffee will become overheated and taste bitter.

7) Finally, stir the coffee liquid inside the chamber/reservoir, before pouring into a cup or mug, in order to combine the mixture throughly. This also improves flavour.

Hope that helps and enjoy!

Marco.

[Gazjam]

Enjoying my Mokka pot again, and some top tips there Marco.
Hadn’t thought of #5, try that for my morning brew tommorow.

Ta!

[Yomanze]

Cheers Marco, I’ll give “the method” a go and let you know!