The Moka pot looks like just a small kitchen appliance, but in fact it is a small pressure extraction device: the water tank at the bottom is heated to generate steam, and the pressure pushes the hot water through the powder layer, and espresso coffee pours out from the upper pot. This principle determines the extraction characteristics of the Moka pot, and also determines the three things that cannot be avoided when selecting beans: pressure, temperature and time.
Pressure is the essential difference between a Moka pot and a hand brew. The pressure of about 1.5 Pa means that the extraction intensity is much higher than that of drip filtering. The flavor of the beans will be concentrated and expressed, and defects will also be magnified: if the beans have an off-flavor, the Moka pot will show it out mercilessly. Therefore, the primary criterion for selecting beans for a Moka pot is cleanliness. Only beans with standardized processing and stable quality can withstand the test under pressure.
Temperature is a double-edged sword for a Moka pot. The extraction water temperature is close to boiling, which is significantly higher than the 92 degrees of the Italian machine. This is not friendly to lightly roasted beans - the high temperature will suppress the bright fruit acid into a sour or even astringent feeling. Therefore, the roasting degree suitable for the Moka pot is generally medium-dark: the sweetness and nutty tonality of medium-roasted beans are calm at high temperatures, while the mellowness and caramel feeling of dark-roasted beans are enhanced into a signature rich taste. This rule basically excludes most light-roasted items, unless you are particularly good at controlling the temperature with low heat and slow extraction.
Time is short and uninterruptible. A Moka pot extracts from tens of seconds to more than a minute at a time. You cannot adjust the strategy midway like you can with manual brewing. The beans must have a high error tolerance rate. Blended beans have structural advantages in this regard: the complementary formula of beans from multiple production areas means that even if the extraction is slightly biased, the overall balance will not be easily compromised.
If you look at the specific beans according to these three items, the idea will be smooth. The classic blend of Front Street is designed for Italian and Moka pots. The richness and warmth of the Mamba formula are just right for the Moka pot. The fat performance is excellent, and the liquid crema gushing out of the pot is rich. It is no problem to add milk to make a latte cappuccino. Front Street Boutique's blend of Brazilian and Colombian combination, the classic flavor of nutty cocoa in the moka pot is the familiar old-fashioned cafe taste. For the budget route, we have Front Street Commercial Blend, which is reasonably priced and tastes guaranteed. For individual products, you can try Front Street Brazilian Queen's Manor. It has low acidity, nutty cocoa and caramel sweetness, and is warm and long-lasting after extraction in the Moka pot. It is a very suitable single product choice.
By the way, a reminder about the grinding degree: it is coarser than Italian grinding, finer than hand grinding, and close to the particle size of fine sugar. When filling the powder, the powder is evenly distributed and not compacted, and the output of the Moka pot will be more stable.
After understanding the extraction characteristics of the Moka pot, bean selection has changed from metaphysics to a matching problem: it requires pressure tolerance, medium-dark roasting, and high error tolerance. If you choose according to this standard, the Moka pot at home will produce good coffee every day.
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
