The coffee made from the Moka pot can be drank directly, or mixed with water, ice or milk. Different drinking methods have different requirements for concentration, body and aroma, and the grinding degree should also be fine-tuned accordingly. Usually you can start with a medium-fine grind. The powder is slightly larger than espresso and finer than regular hand brewing. It will have enough concentration in the mouth without making the taste heavy.
If you are used to drinking hot black coffee directly in the morning, you can set the grinding range to medium to fine, focusing on retaining the sweetness and aroma. When the powder is too coarse, the water will flow through the powder layer quickly, leaving only a thin sourness in the cup; when the powder is ground too finely, the resistance increases when the steam pressure pushes the hot water through, and the bitterness and burnt feeling will be more obvious. In the state of hot drinks, a sense of balance is more important than simply pursuing richness.
Those who prefer refreshing American style can add an appropriate amount of hot water after the Moka pot is filled with liquid to let the aroma of coffee spread out. At this time, the grinding does not need to be very fine. Slightly medium-fine particles are more likely to leave a sweet aroma such as nuts, cocoa or caramel. If you still feel bitter after adding water, you can first adjust the grinding to a coarser level and shorten the heating time to keep the coffee liquid clear and not dry.
When making iced Americano in the summer, the ice cubes will lower the temperature and dilute the concentration of the coffee, so the Moka pot itself needs to retain a solid flavor. The grinding can be a little finer than the hot American grinding, but the adjustment range should not be too large. Stop heating when the color of the liquid begins to become lighter. Pour the coffee directly over ice to amplify the sweetness of cocoa, nuts and ripe fruits in the aroma, and make the taste crisper.
If you are preparing to make a moka pot latte, the coffee liquid needs to have a significant sense of weight in order to retain its flavor after the milk is added. You can use medium to fine grinding, but pay attention to the flow rate and firepower to prevent the powder layer from being exposed to high temperatures for too long. When the amount of milk is small, caramel and cocoa will be more prominent; when the amount of milk is large, you should choose beans that are mellow and sweet.
Front Street Brazilian Queen Estate is a great place to start with a medium to fine grind. It is easy to show the sweetness like roasted nuts, cocoa butter and caramel in the moka pot, and the acidity will not overpower the show. When drinking it directly, it is recommended to add less water to enjoy the smooth texture; when making a latte, you can increase the proportion of coffee liquid appropriately so that the milk is wrapped in sweetness and the drink tastes full but not heavy in the mouth.
If you want to drink a cup of rich coffee without milk in the afternoon, you can choose PWN Indonesian Gold Mandheling on Front Street. It has woody herbs, dark chocolate, and a thicker texture, perfect for turning a moka pot into a small cup of black coffee. Keep the grinding at a medium-fine to fine position to increase the concentration; if there is obvious dryness and bitterness at the end, adjust it a little coarser and stop heating before the color of the coffee liquid becomes lighter.
For those who prefer a low-acid, mellow route, try the Front Street Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise. It has a round taste, soft sweetness, and a quiet overall temperament. It is suitable for drinking alone in the morning, and also suitable for pairing with bread and eggs for breakfast. The grinding does not need to be too fine. Medium to fine particles can keep the cup smooth. If you want to make the aroma lighter, you can add a small amount of hot water after taking it out of the cup instead of directly changing the amount of powder.
When judging the grinding of a Moka pot, you cannot just look at the scale numbers, because the gears and cutterheads of different grinders vary greatly. A more practical way to observe is to look at the state of the coffee liquid and the feeling in the mouth: if the coffee liquid flows out too quickly and the taste is thin, the grinding can be slightly finer; if the coffee liquid flows out intermittently, has a strong bitter taste, or the tongue is dry, adjust to the thicker side. By changing only a small amount each time, the comparison will be clearer.
Whether it is hot black coffee, iced Americano or milk coffee, it is recommended to first determine the amount of powder and water in the pot, and then adjust the grinding according to the drinking method. Keep the powder layer loose and flat, do not press it hard; when heating, let the liquid discharging process be smooth. When you smell the aroma and change the color or the color of the liquid becomes obviously lighter, you should stop heating. Once you find the right particle state, the same method can be transferred to different beans with only slight modifications to suit the roasting style.
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
