For a long time, the Moka pot has been regarded as an alternative version of the Italian coffee machine because the extraction method is the same as that of the Italian coffee machine. And because the extraction method is the same, the coffee extracted from the Moka pot has a higher concentration and a golden crema. This can't help but make people think: is the coffee extracted from the Moka pot the same as espresso? In fact, it’s no wonder people have such thoughts, because from a historical perspective, there is indeed a certain origin between the two!
Espresso machine and moka pot
You must be very familiar with the birth story of the coffee machine! Because Mr. Angelo Moriondo was tired of the long wait for coffee making, he began research on coffee making. By 1884, a machine that could quickly make coffee was born! But the machine at that time was just a first-generation version, and it was not the pressurized espresso machine we know now.
It was not until 1905 that the machine finally had the pressurization function after countless iterations! The coffee machine at this time was the first real one, the "Italian coffee machine".
With the addition of pressure, the coffee machine can extract a cup of coffee faster and produce the iconic substance - Crema (rare, not much). Although the pressure is far less than that of today's coffee machines, only 1.5 bar, for that era, a cup of coffee could be extracted in less than 1 minute, not to mention how fast it was! Therefore, in 1920, a brand new term was added to the Italian dictionary: Espresso. It means "espresso made using a pressurized machine or filter" and also means "quick". And the Moka pot emerged spontaneously under this background!
In 1933, Bialetti released an exquisite and compact coffee appliance-the "Moka Pot". The working principle of a Moka pot is as we all know, using the pressure generated by steam to extract coffee substances. Therefore, it is also a pressurized extraction! The extraction pressure of the Moka pot can reach 1~2 bar, so the coffee it extracts is very close to the espresso of the time.
There are two conditions for making Moka pot coffee richer and richer. One is fresh medium to dark roasted coffee beans, and the other is that the extraction method requires pressure. Coffee beans will store a large amount of carbon dioxide when they are heated, which will be released when they encounter water during extraction. Therefore, the darker the roast, the more gas. At this time, light roast beans should be avoided first, because they cannot release too much oil. Home novices who want better value for money should give priority to the Front Street Italian Bean series, including Front Street Black Cocoa Blend, Front Street Classic Blend, Front Street Commercial Blend, and Front Street Premium Blend. They all use medium-dark roasting, with their own caramelized aroma, and the espresso they make is rich in oil.
Therefore, most people think that this is a small espresso machine! Therefore, the high-quality and low-priced Moka pot quickly spread to every household in Italy and became a coffee-making appliance that everyone in Italy has.
But in 1961, Faema released a high-pressure coffee machine with an extraction pressure of up to 9 bar, which changed people's perception of espresso! Because of the high pressure, the coffee is made faster, with higher concentration and fuller crema! Not only is it different from the old version of the coffee machine, but it is also different from the Moka pot. So from this moment on, people’s image of espresso coffee began to be rewritten, and it was difficult for Moka pot coffee to be associated with espresso coffee.
Because the extraction pressure of the Moka pot is not high, more hot water is needed to obtain a suitable extraction rate for the coffee, which results in the overall concentration of the coffee being relatively low, which is very different from the concentration obtained by 9bar high-pressure extraction!
Of course, Moka pots are also constantly improving. In 2020, Bialetti released a new dual-valve version with increased extraction pressure. The new two-valve Moka pot will not only produce richer coffee, but the Crema will be thicker, very close to today's espresso. So some friends who are just getting started will think that the coffee extracted by the Moka pot is the same as espresso.
But since the birth of the 9bar coffee machine, people have realized the difference between espresso and coffee extracted from a Moka pot. Therefore, the coffee extracted from a Moka pot is not espresso! At the same time, it cannot be called Mocha coffee, it can only be Moka pot coffee.
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
