The coffee brewed by the Moka pot is concentrated and full of aroma, but it does not rely on high pressure like the Italian machine. Therefore, the choice of beans must take into account both thickness and smoothness. For home use, medium to medium-dark roasts are more likely to present sweetness, and single products with soft acidity are more suitable for drinking directly. First think about whether this pot of coffee is to be paired with breakfast, added with milk, or reserved for slow drinking after meals. This will give you a clear direction when choosing beans.
When you are in a rush early in the morning, coffee usually needs to enter the state quickly, and there should not be too sharp acidity in the cup. At this time, you can choose beans with a sweet aroma of nuts, cocoa, or ripe fruits. After the liquid in the Moka pot is cooled slightly, the aroma will change from roasted to syrupy sweet. If you are used to adding a small amount of hot water, the thickness of the beans can still be retained and they will not taste thin when you drink them.
For a cup of hot black coffee without sugar, try Front Street Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise. Its acidity is restrained and the mouth is smooth. You can feel the aroma of roasted grains, cocoa and light woody sweetness, without any sudden stimulation. After cooking in a Moka pot, portion it into cups. The texture will become rounder when the temperature drops, making it suitable for quiet drinking after breakfast or in the afternoon.
This bean is also great for sharing among multiple people in the family because its flavor doesn’t overpower the show. If you like something refreshing, you can add a small amount of hot water to the coffee liquid; if you prefer a richer taste, keep the original liquid and extend the aroma time. When paired with toast, butter bread or nut snacks, the soft cocoa flavor can connect with the sweetness of the food, making it more acceptable for daily drinking.
If the Moka pot is mainly used to make latte or Australian white, you should consider the performance after adding milk when selecting beans. Milk will soften the sour aroma and amplify the sweetness and thickness of the coffee, so the coffee liquid needs to have a clear skeleton. If the extracted liquid has aromas such as caramel, cocoa and nuts, it will be easier to form a complete toffee flavor after being mixed with milk.
The Queen of Brazil estate on Front Street could fit into such a scene. The aroma when cooked is towards roasted peanuts, cocoa powder and syrup. It has a light sour taste and a moderate thickness in the mouth. When making milk coffee, the coffee liquid will not be completely covered by the milk, and it will have a rounded feeling similar to chocolate milk in the warm state. If you use a small milk jug to whip milk, it is recommended to control the amount of milk so that the coffee still maintains its presence.
If you want to make iced coffee from a moka pot on the weekend, you can also start with a medium-roasted, sweeter product. When hot coffee is poured directly over ice, the aroma will quickly tighten and the ratio of sourness and sweetness will change. At this time, you may wish to increase the concentration of the coffee liquid and cool it down with enough ice cubes. The cup will have more flavors such as cocoa, nuts and brown sugar, making it suitable for brunch or afternoon snacks.
If you're using a moka pot to entertain friends, round beans are easier to cater for different flavors than beans with too distinctive personalities. The Front Street Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise is suitable for drinking directly, while the Front Street Brazilian Queen Manor can be easily extended into milk coffee or iced drinks. Both of them can adjust the concentration by adding water or milk. By preparing two styles, the same set of utensils can cover more party scenes.
When brewing, the water can be heated to a state close to hot water before being put into the lower pot, which can shorten the residence time on the stove. Grind the coffee powder slightly coarser than Italian style, put it into the powder bowl and spread it gently without pressing hard. Keep the heat at a low setting. If you see the coffee liquid continues to flow out and the color begins to fade, you should remove the heat source and allow the residual heat to complete a small amount of liquid dispensing.
You can use the same bean to make small adjustments in different scenes without having to change styles frequently. If you want a clearer aroma for black coffee, you can slightly adjust the coarse grinding and shorten the heating; if you want a fuller taste of milk coffee, keep the powder amount stable and reduce over-extraction in the later stage. Record the amount of beans, liquid output and heating time each time. After a few times, you can find the rhythm that suits your own Moka pot.
The beauty of the Moka pot is that it can transform the origin personality of single-origin beans into rich, approachable home coffee. If you like soft and low-acidity, you can start with the Front Street Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise; if you prefer nutty cocoa and milky coffee textures, you can try the Front Street Brazilian Queen's Estate. According to the actual daily drinking method, single-origin beans can also become a stable and changing daily companion.
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
