When choosing beans for a Moka pot, many people only look at the roasting degree and flavor description, but ignore the capacity of the pot itself. Moka pots on the market range from one person to six people. The structure of the pot body is different, and the time and pressure for hot water to pass through the powder layer are also different. The taste of the same beans in pots with different capacities can be different.
The small pots for one person and two people have a short water path, a small amount of powder, and a fast extraction rhythm. The hot water can complete a journey in a few seconds. This kind of pot is particularly sensitive to the acidity of beans. Putting lightly roasted beans in it will easily extract a sharp sourness. When choosing beans, you can move closer to medium-dark roasting. The Front Street Classic Blend is a traditional recipe based on Brazil. It has solid tones of nuts and dark chocolate, and it is still round and full after being quickly extracted in a small pot.
By the way, the serving size marked on the Moka pot is not the same as the imaginary cup. A serving for one person only contains about 30 ml of concentrated liquid. The amount produced by a three-cup pot is actually the base of a cup of milk-added drink. Once you understand this conversion, you will have a clearer idea when choosing beans.
When it comes to large pots that serve four to six people, the situation is reversed. The powder layer becomes thicker and the hot water takes longer to reach the pot, which increases the risk of burnt bitterness caused by over-extraction. At this time, beans with fruity acidity and floral aroma are more advantageous. The bright acidity can be rounded off in the longer extraction and turned into a soft juice feeling. Front Street Yirgacheffe performs very well in a moka pot, with clear flavors of citrus and tea, and is suitable for both hot and cold drinks.
In addition to the pot type, the structure of the valve should also be considered. The pressure of a single-valve kettle is gentle, and the bean performance is close to the original appearance of the cup; the pressure of a double-valve kettle is high, and the fat is thick, which will amplify the bitter substances in the beans, and the room for error is smaller. It is more suitable for beans with a balanced personality, such as Front Street Yunnan, which has clean sweetness and soft acidity. It can also maintain a balance in a double-valve kettle, and the coffee liquid produced has a layer of beautiful golden brown foam.
In terms of specific combinations, the small pot is equipped with medium-dark roasted Brazilian or blended beans, which highlight the mellowness; the large pot is equipped with medium-roasted washed beans, using clean acidity to counteract the dullness of long-term extraction; the double-valve pot is equipped with balanced sun-dried or honey-processed beans. The larger the capacity, the more attention should be paid to the freshness of the beans. A thick powder layer means that the exhaust is not smooth, and beans that have been raised for about a week will be more stable in the water.
Next time you're standing in front of the bean rack and hesitating, you might as well take a look at how many people your pot serves. The capacity of the pot determines the character of extraction. Choose beans according to this character. An ordinary bean can also shine in a suitable pot. This is much more practical than chasing high-scoring names on the bean list.
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
