Because the Moka pot uses the same extraction method as the coffee machine, which is pressurized extraction, it can produce strong coffee that is closer to espresso. In addition, when using freshly ground coffee, since the aroma substances can only be obtained once, in theory, if you want the coffee to taste good, you must control the appropriate parameters and extract it only once. Because of this, with the spread of coffee culture, more and more friends are buying Moka pots. Not only because the coffee produced is strong enough, but also because it is compact and convenient, and the price is also popular.
Although it is not difficult to operate, if you are a novice without any extraction experience, you will inevitably encounter some difficulties. So today, Front Street will take stock of the three most common complications encountered during the use of Moka pots! Includes corresponding solutions!
1.The coffee is sprayed directly
Under normal operating conditions, the Moka pot coffee liquid oozes out at a gentle and uniform speed without any impact. But if the coffee liquid you see is rushed out in a strong form, it can form a water column. Then there must be some misunderstanding in the operation or parameters.
This situation is divided into two types. One is that the coffee liquid spurts out directly at the beginning, and the other is that the coffee liquid suddenly changes from slow to fast when it is halfway through extraction. The water column can even form a "double ponytail" shape!
The first situation is because the resistance of the powder is not enough at the beginning! This causes the coffee liquid to be sprayed out directly under the propulsion of powerful steam. In this case, we need to increase the powder cake resistance by increasing the amount of powder, finer grinding, or pressing the coffee powder;
Then another situation is because the firepower continues to be abundant during the extraction process! When the coffee liquid breaks through the powder cake, the resistance of the powder cake to hot water will gradually decrease. As the extraction progresses, we need to remove the fire source from the Moka pot. Otherwise, the powder cake will no longer be able to hinder the penetration rate of hot water due to insufficient resistance. The coffee liquid will rush out in a flash, forming a water column. When it is too turbulent, it is easy to burn people, so you need to pay attention.
2. The coffee liquid cannot come out
Contrary to the previous situation, in this case, the Moka pot cannot produce liquid after boiling for a long time. One thing to note here: If the Moka pot cannot discharge liquid after being in it for a long time, and the water level does not exceed the pressure relief valve when filling water, then we'd better stop extraction. Because this can easily cause the Moka pot to explode.
There are many reasons why the Moka pot cannot dispense liquid, such as grinding too finely, too much powder, filling too tightly, etc. These operations will greatly increase the resistance of the powder cake, and there will be very few gaps for water to flow, so the coffee liquid will not come out even after cooking for a long time.
Even if it emerges, the coffee liquid will most likely be in a bitter over-extraction state because the extraction time is too long, so we'd better make timely adjustments after the incident occurs.
3. The extracted coffee liquid has no oil.
Because the Moka pot also uses pressurized extraction, it can also produce coffee crema that is closer to that of an espresso machine. It's not so much oil as it is bubbles filled with carbon dioxide. Because the pressure of the Moka pot is not as high as that of the coffee machine, the oil extracted by it will not be as dense and long-lasting as the coffee machine, and will dissipate quickly. But it’s not like nothing!
If you barely see any bubbles in the Moka pot when you extract it, then the problem is most likely the following four points: the roasting degree of the coffee beans is too light, the grinding is too coarse, the roasting date of the coffee beans is too long, and the use of pre-ground powder for extraction.
The Moka pot is a pressurized extraction method. The coffee is made under high temperature and fine grinding, and the extraction time is short. If it is made with lightly roasted coffee, it will not bring oil. Due to the high hardness of the beans, the water absorption is poor, so it is easy to gush out, resulting in insufficient extraction. Therefore, if you want your Moka pot to have rich bubbles, you should use freshly roasted coffee beans with rich caramelization aroma such as medium-dark roasted Front Street PWN Gold Mandheling, Front Street Commercial Blend, Front Street Black Cocoa Blend, and Front Street Queen’s Estate.
(The latter two are due to insufficient carbon dioxide to fill the bubbles)! Of course, the core problem must be insufficient pressure.
So when we see that the coffee liquid extracted from the Moka pot has no bubbles, it is best to adjust the grinding first, or increase the amount of powder, and judge whether it is a freshness problem with the beans/coffee powder by observing the seepage speed of the coffee liquid~
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
