Moka Pot Mastered?

In this video we revisit the Moka Pot and, having spent some time refining our approach, we've come up with a method which works for us.
We'll share our recipe with you and have a look at some of the parameters which you can tweak to refine your brew.
Fancy winning one of these Moka Pots and a bag of our coffee? Follow this link to be in with a chance: www.carvetiicoffee.co.uk/page...
I'm afraid we can only ship within the Uk at the moment. This competition is now closed.
At the end of the video we will also decide whether this is a brewing method which deserves a space in our 'Hall of Fame'. What do you think?

[@Martiniization]

The way you covered every factor/variable so carefully is especially informative. A lot of food for thought and experimentation. Thank you very much.

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks for the feedback

[@timmarshall4881]

Always interesting Gareth thank you. I had to rewatch the part relating to hot and cold water. First time I don’t understand. Like you,I did dabble with the moka pot a long time ago but I didn’t pursue it. I have entered however for the fun. Coffee for me is something which does relate to the circumstance in which I drink it. There’s no perfect recipe and technique overall in my humble opinion. Once something works for one then that’s the perfect recipe for that person. Enjoyed the video. Tim

[@bunkyman8097]

Thank you sir, it is obvious you have done your homework and we coffee lovers thank you for it!! Thanks again.

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thank you 😁

[@raeelbakry5757]

Thank you for explaining this in simple terms. Most videos about the Moka pot make it so complicated to the point that I felt unworthy of even drinking a coffee made this way, let alone actually owning a moka pot. I felt like I needed a PhD. I will actually go out and buy one. Cheers

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks for the feedback. I’m trying to keep the videos as simple as possible to appeal to as many people as possible. There is plenty over complicated stuff out there!

[@philipkilmer790]

Finally, after watching a bunch of videos on using a Moka pot, someone who knows how to use one and has it down to convey so concisely-thank you!

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks for the great feedback. The intention was always to create accessible content which people found useful 😁

[@philipkilmer790]

@@carvetiicoffee Well, check this out: I searched videos before using a Moka pot for the first time yesterday, then again right after using it and getting just so-so coffee. When I found this video, I stopped searching and couldn’t wait till this morning to try again and I got a nice, thicker, slightly frothy rich espresso that was totally different from yesterday and really satisfying. This is the video I will send to loved ones for whom I also got Moka pots. Just subbed and hit the bell!

[@carvetiicoffee]

Again thanks so much for the feedback 👍 Believe me these videos are time consuming to make so it really helps to hear such positive results. Happy brewing over Christmas 😁

[@bernardparent8340]

Superb vidéo ,I did spend some time finding the best results for me : once the bottom of the moka pot is covered with coffee, tI take the moka pot out of the fire, let the coffee flow till it doesn’t flow anymore, then back to a gentle fire to finish the brewing. It takes between two & three minutes, that way you may experience a taste flirting with the Turkish Coffee, which might be to everyone’s taste, but it sure does it for me..Take care, Bernard.

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks for sharing your method. I'm not a huge fan of Turkish style coffee but I like what you are trying to do here. I might have to brush off my Moka Pot and have a go. Thanks again

[@andrijstorozenko5631]

When there is an eruption of light coffee, it is a sign that the water has washed away enough coffee to pass freely and simply release whatever pressure is left. Light, almost watery coffee at the end, this is evidence that the coffee has already been washed and is simply being re-extracted.

[@rodrigodepazos3771]

Perfect explanation!

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thank you 👍

[@BennyCFD]

I have a Moka Pot, I love it and have found a slower brew does give a better cup of coffee. It makes absolutely no difference whether you start with hot or cold water. I would bet in a blind taste test nobody could tell the difference.

[@samfraulino]

Ive seen a test with a guy who claimed he was a coffee master at a local shop, he said it's the world of differences, they made 4 coffees and he picked both made with room temp water as the best ones. LOL !

[@andrijstorozenko5631]

I discovered that when you pour hot water, the finished drink turns out sour. On one of the KZbin channels, it was advised to try to pour water at room temperature and remove it when the lighter coffee comes out and, you know, the acidity has disappeared.

[@seymour5000000]

Thank you!

[@channelsixtynine069]

I determined the Moka pot and French Press were going to be my primary brewing methods. When I got my first Moka pot is was a 6-cup Bialetti. From the start I've always used a heat diffuser between the gas flame and the pot. I have never had over-extraction and I've consistently produced a rich flavored coffee with no bitter taste. My guess is, the diffuser protects the pot and protects the coffee from burning.

[@carvetiicoffee]

I think you’re right with regards to the heat diffuser. Also the volume of the pot might have a part to play. With more water the brew process is likely to be slower.

[@channelsixtynine069]

@@carvetiicoffee It was after watching a number of KZbin videos on Moka pot brewing, that I arrived at the idea of trying a heat diffuser. Other users complained about the same problem you were having and the difficulty of getting the heat just right. The Bialetti instructions .... I always read instructions .... recommend keeping the gas flame under the pot and not letting it lick up the sides. That is probably the cause of the burnt coffee, before it starts extracting. So I used the diffuser from first go to eliminate both problems. A diffuser will probably help with the smaller pots as well. From a safety perspective, a smaller pot won't risk falling over on the gas stove trivet.

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree a diffuser would likely be that way I would go if I used a Moka pot on a regular basis

[@channelsixtynine069]

@@carvetiicoffee It seems to work. I still haven't had a coffee with a bitter taste to it, in other words, no burnt coffee.

[@jonscott442]

Great video. What grind setting do you recommend on a Wilfa svart?

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks. There is a Moka pot setting on the Svart but I tended to go a little coarser, more in the AeroPress zone. The aim was to get the flow under control so you might have to experiment.

[@pjpiper7]

Fantastic synopsis, Gareth. Many thanks. Been there, done that with overcooked Moka on the Aga back in the day before I ditched it!! I presume that when getting the flow rate spot on has something to do with the temp setting of the hob? Any advice?, I do appreciate that all hotplates are different. Just had an Aeropress of your Pablo Emilio Montoya, and it is delicious. Keep up the good work

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks for the feedback on the coffee. Much appreciated. Our hob is controlled by the temp of the oven which was set to 150° Back right tends to be coolest for us and I located the moka pot somewhere in that location. Probably took three or four brews to get the nice rate in the video. Then in all honesty it was easy to make brew after brew on the hob. Very consistent.

[@LeungMac]

@@carvetiicoffee do you reckon on a household stove top, taking the pot on and off the stove would serve to control the brewing temperature and the flow rate as well? I’ve been doing that trying to get more extraction, but I think it resulted in a bitter cup of coffee. I may venture shorting the brewing time just a bit to see how it goes.

[@carvetiicoffee]

I’ve been thinking about this band to be honest I don’t have an answer. My gut feeling is that a consistent application of heat is going to generate better results. Maybe you need to play with the heat a little and possibly look at a heat diffuser which might help.

[@LeungMac]

@@carvetiicoffee just got a new hob, gotta test it out

[@carvetiicoffee]

Let me know how you get on 👍

[@neme7725]

This was fantastic! Gonan go okay with my Moka pot some more now. Did you use cold or room temperature water ? Also, do you have thoughts on cleaning the Moka pot ?

[@carvetiicoffee]

Generally my water will be room temperature as I use a filter jug which sits out in the kitchen. No real thoughts on cleaning the Moka pots aside from avoiding dishwashers!

[@neme7725]

@@carvetiicoffee yes that's what I assumed after researching the video! I've been really focussing on finding and controling the perfect flow, and so far my coffee keeps getting better and better! Thank you so much for such a helpful guide and for sharing your thoughts

[@carvetiicoffee]

You’re welcome. Thanks for the great feedback 👍

[@LeungMac]

I had muddy coffee lately, must have messed up my grind. I’ve tried putting in an aero press filter between the top of the dose and the bottom of the gasket, and it almost filtered out all sediment. However, now I’m wondering whether i can go finer, or get the heat control to make the brew slower or fast to dial In. I can brew only once a day to it’s really hard to experiment.

[@carvetiicoffee]

Grinders always produce fine particles and the finer you go the finer these go as well. So it looks like you’ve reached a specific point with your grinder where the fines are just to small. Some grinders are more successful at going finer, others not.

[@aarongranger]

Mine gets muddy if I get impatient and try to brew too quickly. The aero press filter helps, but most of my sediment issues come from too much heat applied too quickly.

[@carvetiicoffee]

I bet everyone gets a little impatient when brewing coffee! Those fine particles in your grind will be forced through the mesh if the pressure is high. I’ve just bought a Shimmy Coffee Sieve to try which removes finer particles. I might give it a go!

[@BennyCFD]

Make sure the filter is at the top. Maybe try two, It will give more back pressure and more steeping time. If you have the time and patience you can make a slower brew.

[@shahdeep8659]

Are comercial moka pots available with much bigger capacity say 20Kg of coffee powder per batch??

[@carvetiicoffee]

I have no idea to be honest though I wouldn’t fancy using one with that much water under pressure!

[@timmarshall4881]

Having watched this video again Gareth, one thing that struck me was the question of a ratio with a moka pot. You used 175ml water to 16g coffee which is just over 10-1 ratio. Do you decide on the amount of coffee which produces a good flow rate or do you use a specific ratio of coffee to water?

[@carvetiicoffee]

Hi Tim for this video it was a lot of research into what everyone else was doing and then combining it with the size of the basket I had. I then investigated increasing and decreasing the dose to see what impact it had. This bought in a combination of flow rate and strength - smaller doses had a negative impact on flow while larger doses have the coffee a strength I did not want.

[@LeungMac]

Someone just fills the boiler right below the pressure release valve, but eyeball the out coming amount of coffee to control the brew ratio. I wonder if that could help.

[@andrisstanga5938]

@@LeungMac Exactly! The ratio should be more calculated on the volume in the upper chamber after brewing. There's always water left in the lower chamber that is never absorbed by the coffee or entering the brew. So the proper ratio can only be calculated from the upper chamber volume.

[@BennyCFD]

The water volume and coffee amount is predetermined. Add water to the pressure release valve, and fill the coffee holder to the top without compacting it........... It's not like a pour over.

[@agent475816]

You're supposed to use a medium-fine grind size for the moka pot not course.

[@carvetiicoffee]

Rules are made to be broken. You use the grind size you want to create the coffee you enjoy drinking. I prefer a coarser grind. Makes the coffee world more interesting.

[@ot7stan207]

my moka pot coffee tastes like death in a cup lol and soil. ill try to use cold water this time, more coarse and will lower the heat.

[@tagscuderia]

Fantastic, I’ve been waiting for this video! 👍 Whilst I love the Moka, I’ve never really experimented with grind size (fear of “wasting” coffee) so this is really interesting; I definitely grind finer, more akin to a V60, but traditionally it’s my mountaineering brew and is the only time that I use sugar (in coffee), shock horror 😅 And a Bialetti Moka pot absolutely deserves a place on the shelf! Not only is it a design classic and breathtakingly elegant in its brewing function, but more people need to revisit it, away from “stovetop espresso” misnomers and pre-ground supermarket espresso coffee, or worse still... Lavazza Rossa 😨

[@tagscuderia]

After being inspired to try different grind settings... On a ROK grinder I tried 5-7, 12, 20 and my taste preference is to the 5-7 range. Coarser and I could have been brewing with an Aeropress; which in its own right is interesting, who knew that the Moka was flexible?! I drink espresso 99% of the time and favour fruity, high acidity coffees so I guess that our contrasting findings are understandable. A low temp burner remains key for me, above all other variables. Thanks again for the video 👍

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks for sharing 👍 I figure maybe the flow rate was where we differed mostly. I think if the coffee brewed quicker I’d need a much finer grind to compensate. I was also after a filter coffee type experience as opposed to an stronger brew. I gave up using gas burners under the Moka Pot as it was difficult to slow the whole thing down. I’d love to head outdoors and light a fire in a sensible location, then make a pot in the embers! Currently working on a Flat White in the Fells concept!

[@tagscuderia]

@@carvetiicoffee My flow rate is slower than yours by the looks of things 😅 I've never timed it, but it oozes out from start to finish and never spits; my Moka tip to friends was always that if you needed the lid, you were doing it wrong! I use an electric halogen hob, and always on its lowest setting (pre-boiled water). I hate, bit strong... dislike, gas hobs but have had good results on my Alpkit Koro stove by using a diffuser plate; coffee always tastes better outdoors though 🙂 Flat white in the Fells... colour me intrigued!! Look forward to seeing what you've come up with.

[@carvetiicoffee]

Great shout re the diffuser. It is something I’ve been considering testing out to temper that gas flame. Also agree about the lid being open. I’ve tentatively agreed to a post lockdown coffee challenge from a fellow KZbinr! The aim is to produce the best coffee on the fells! I think I need to practice 😊

[@LeungMac]

@@tagscuderia oh I wonder if stove top was killing the coffee. An electric bob is in its way, it’s supposed to be distributing heat more even, steady and controllable. Can’t wait to test it out.

[@sO_RoNerY]

That brand hasn't been around for a long time, it is Bialetti.

[@marshalandreas5660]

what about 6 cup moka dosing?

[@carvetiicoffee]

I’d use twice the amount of coffee, so 32g and fill the bottom chamber to just below the valve.

[@mphsb]

Does anyone recommend a stainless steel Moka Pot?

[@carvetiicoffee]

I’ve heard good things about the Bialetti range though never tried them.

[@hungrycamperfilms]

Did I missed the giveaway? 😬

[@dima1353]

I independently came up with same recipe. Adjusted for the fact that in my moka the lower chamber is smaller and there is only 100 ml of water. I increasingly see people talking about fine grinding - but I have never had consistent results with finer grinds than for hario. I also fill a 3-cup moka with about 16 grams. I see how people fill the basket fuller but I have about a millimeter of free space, as you have in the video. Not all mine brews looks nice and smooth. Sometimes there are pulsations (not aggressive) and coffee comes out longer - brew can take a minute or more. But it's never wasted. There is something magical about moka, any coffee made from it is worth drinking. It feels like this method is guarded by coffee gods. It may not be perfectly extracted, but using medium roasts I have not had a single time that I wanted to pour coffee into sink. Even in the case of the ugliest looking brews. For some reason, moka coffee is never tastes really hollow. Possibly because strength compensate imperfect extraction - if the coffee is sour, I dilute it a little with water - Still better than any americano. It is worth mentioning how well moka works with not best quality coffee. These are tough times and I rarely buy a high quality coffee now. I have found that Aeropress works better with cheap coffee than Hario. It allows make some adjustments that are impossible in hario. But moka is still better. As an experienced 3rd wave barista, this even infuriates me a little. It doesn't need a scale, precise control, it's a fundamentally intuitive and volumetric tool - and it makes better coffee than me with all my knowledge and other show-offs. It is still unclear to me how other people get consistent results with fine grinds. I haven't mastered this point yet. If I heat too slowly with a fine grind, coffee just doesn't come out. And then i must to raise temperature, moka by that time is very hot and then coffee will definitely come out with a pulsation. Maybe because I'm not using the original bialetti ? Or is it my impatient nature that doesn't allow me to heat up the moka slowly but surely ?

[@user-rb2uz6qt5h]

Hi I am new to the moka pot and it's my favourite thing I love realy strong espresso kud I b conciderd for the give away plz

[@TheMrWiesbaden]

if you want to really master the moka pot, you might want to check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q16zloybntaDgrc this was the video that was an absolute game changer regarding the quality of the brew.

[@carvetiicoffee]

Thanks for the suggestion 👍

[@tommihommi1]

If I had a less shitty stove I'd use my moka pot a lot more

[@LeungMac]

Lol, if I had a espresso machine I’d use the Moka pot a lot less. I think it’s the closest thing to an espresso without a machine yet easy to make.