Espresso excursion
I spent the last week as an excursion to espresso. Back in 1990s I bought this nice Alessi moka pot. It has an "handy" lever lock, which still works reliably after 25 years of use. Although, I have not actually used this moka pot much lately. Only thing that I have had to do is to buy a new rubber ring seal. Luckily this pot is still in production. And why not! It is a classic beauty, and very functional.
Brewing espresso with moka pot I have pretty much learned from my big brother, who has lived somewhat 30 years in Catalonia, and has used to brew and drink espresso every day. But there are of course good instructions all over the web these days.
As mentioned on my earlier coffee post , I am pretty lazy, and still using ready grind coffee. I probably should experiment using freshly roasted and grind coffee, because that is required to get crema on top . Crema is of course not must to have, but freshly roasted and grind coffee of course also makes the coffee taste better.
Back in 1990s, and again during last week, I also experimented extra filtering with paper filter. This is not necessary, but if one wish to get rid of all dregs, then that is easily done by cutting such from coffee machine filters. Purists may wish to use bleached filter paper and rinse it before use .
Somewhat the only step that I find extremely important is to use moderate heat. As said on the instructions I referred to: "You don’t want to boil the water in the pot but rather to create a gradual, controlled extraction." But I also now followed the suggestions to heat the water first in the kettle, and heat the coffee cup with hot water before pouring the coffee into.
It is often also suggested to leave the lid open. If no other reason to do so, then at least it provides an enjoyment to watch how the coffee starts to run. When you use moderate heat, it should not even splatter much.
If you have used to sweeten your espresso with sugar, I recommend making a "sweetener" of your own. When the very first drips of espresso starts to run into upper pot, pour a teaspoon of it into a stone cup or mortar. Then start adding there sugar, and try to grind and whip it into a foamy extraction. You can store it in the fridge and add little of it into your espresso (or any coffee). It gives a nice crema on top of your drink, and much better sweetness than plain sugar.
Last but not least, do not afraid to wash your stainless steel moka pot in the dishwasher. This is also something I learned from my big brother, who has several moka pots in use. If you use aluminum moka pots, then of course those had to be washed by hand. And also the rubber seal ring should not be put in the dishwasher. Again, purists may frown, but it is not your moka pot I am "spoiling". You do as you please =P
UPDATE Feb 21, 2020:
➽ How to make great coffee with your moka pot on Yuppie Chef
➽ The Great Paper Coffee Filters Debate: Bleached vs Unbleached by Brendan Nemeth on Perfect Daily Grind
I also forgot to mention and illustrate the "right" method to empty the moka pot funnel:
And naturally do that on top of a bowl or compost, not over the kitchen table =,D
