Moka pots are often heated on a fire and extracted using steam pressure, so Moka pots are also called direct-fire espresso pots. Because it can also make espresso, Moka pots are always compared with authentic espresso machines. So what are the differences between the two?
The Moka pot uses the same pressurized extraction method as the espresso machine, so it can also extract coffee with a similar high concentration and golden butter on the surface. And its price is only around a few hundred yuan. Compared with thousands of espresso machines, the Moka pot seems to be cheap. Because of this, the Moka pot is often hailed as the "replacement of the Italian coffee machine."
But here comes the question. With such a big price difference, can the coffee brewed by a Moka pot really replace the espresso extracted by an espresso machine? This is a question Front Street gets frequently these days.
Let’s talk about the conclusion first! If you just want the coffee brewed in the moka pot to be the base for making various fancy coffees like espresso, then of course you can. But if what you want is to use Moka pot coffee to completely replicate the performance of espresso, such as the taste and taste, then it will be very difficult to say that it is not possible, or at least very difficult. Why? Because the extraction pressure of a Moka pot is not as high as that of a coffee machine!
Although Moka pots and espresso machines both use pressurized extraction, the pressure used by Moka pots during extraction is much smaller than that of espresso machines! Generally, the extraction pressure of an espresso machine is around 9bar, while the extraction pressure of a two-valve Moka pot is 3~4bar. The difference is 2~3 times. The main reason why there is such a difference is that their design principles are different.
The pressure of the espresso machine is provided by an independent pressure pump in the body. After the extraction starts, the pressure pump will start to operate, applying high pressure to the water flow to extract coffee quickly and efficiently. The Moka pot relies on the vapor pressure generated by the heated water source to push the water flow for extraction. However, because the pressure is limited by the heat source and the structure of the pot body, the extraction pressure of the Moka pot will not be that high.
Since the pressure is not as high as that of an espresso machine, the Moka pot cannot extract a cup of high-concentration coffee in a short time like a coffee machine. Front Street often shares an example of using the same amount of powder, the same grind, and then using a moka pot and a coffee machine to extract the same liquid weight. When using a Moka pot for extraction, Front Street will specifically reduce the firepower when discharging the liquid to extend the extraction time. But even so, the final coffee concentration will be much lower than espresso.
The coffee beans used by Front Street are the Front Street classic blend in the bean list. This is a recipe composed of three origins: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It uses deep roasting, which can highlight the mellow aroma of the coffee to the greatest extent, and also allows everyone to easily extract the rich and dense coffee oil. It is very suitable for making American style diluted with water or latte with milk. You can buy it at the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.
The amount of Front Street Classic Italian Blend coffee powder is 20g, the grinding degree is 1.0 of Galileo Q18, and the liquid is 40ml. The steps for using a Moka pot to brew coffee at FrontStreet Coffee are as follows:
1. Pour an appropriate amount of hot water that is about to boil into the pot.
2. Pour the ground coffee powder into the powder trough
3. Install the powder trough on the lower pot, and then tighten the upper pot
4. The pot is opened and heated
5. When coffee liquid pours out of the pot, pick up the Moka pot and move it away from the heat source
By measurement, the concentration of moka pot coffee will be much lower than that of espresso. The two taste very similar. After all, they use the same classic blend of Front Street coffee. It is mellow and acid-free, with flavors of chocolate, caramel, nuts, cream, and cookies. But the difference in concentration still makes them very different when making fancy coffee and the fancy coffee they make.
(Moka pot coffee on the left, espresso on the right)
In the article "How to Make a Delicious "Latte" with Moka Pot Coffee", Front Street shared that when using espresso to make a latte, the ratio of coffee to milk will be 1:5. Because the concentration of espresso is high enough, even if more milk is added, the taste of the coffee will not be easily masked, and the taste will not be thin;
When using coffee brewed in a Moka pot to make a "latte", the ratio will be adjusted to 1:4. Because the concentration of the coffee in the Moka pot is not that high, the amount of milk needs to be appropriately reduced so that the taste of the coffee will not be masked by the milk. But even so, the "latte" made with moka pot coffee will still be inferior to that made with espresso, both in texture and taste.
Not only that, when we make some coffee that requires high concentration like Dirty, Moka pot coffee cannot be replaced. Since the concentration is not that high, when we use a moka pot to make dirty coffee, the layering effect will be lost quickly. Not only the concentration, but from the comparison picture above, we can also find that the "fat" of Moka pot coffee is also thinner than that of espresso. Similarly, this is also caused by insufficient pressure.
Although we can see that the coffee is very rich in "fat" when the coffee comes out of the Moka pot, in fact, most of it is foam produced by the squeeze of the valve. Their stability is much lower than that of espresso foam (fat), so they will dissipate quickly not long after the coffee is made.
So we can know that Moka pot coffee can be used as a base to make most fancy coffees like espresso, but it cannot completely replace it. After all, the birth of Moka pot/Moka pot coffee was not to replace the coffee machine/espresso, but to give everyone a more convenient coffee making tool. By simply adding water, filling powder, and heating, we can easily get a cup of high-concentration coffee.
In addition, the extremely affordable price also makes it easier for everyone to buy. You can purchase a very convenient espresso-making tool without breaking the bank. So, if you just want to find a device to make coffee and supplement your daily coffee addiction, as long as the amount is not very large, then the Moka pot is completely enough to meet your needs~
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
