A guide to achieving the best Moka pot of Eco Coffee.
First used in the 1930's, this must-have in virtually every Italian Kitchen is a classic, and a nice simple way to brew a more intense espresso style coffee.
What is a MokaPot?
A mokapot, or stove-top, coffee brewer was invnted by Signore Bialetti in the 1930's to help bring espresso style coffees to the kitchens of Italian families. It became sopopular it very quickly started appearing around Europe, America and the Middle East wihin a few years.
The stainless steel or aluminum body is designed to withstand the heat of hot stoves and resist damaging rust. A water chamber at the bottom of the device holds the water while it’s heated.
Directly above the water chamber is a coffee basket. This basket holds the grounds and features tiny holes on the bottom, allowing steam to rise and extract things (like oils, acids, flavors) from the coffee grounds.
Directly above the basket is the filter screen that allows the brewed coffee to rise (but not the grounds), via pressure, through a funnel, out a spout, and into the upper chamber.
Tip #1 - Setting Up
It's always recommended to pre-heat your water... The best way for this is to boil some water and leave to cool for a minute while your prepping your coffee.
Tip #2 - The Dose & Grind
The ideal grind for a mokapot is slightly coarser than espresso ground. You'll want to grind enough to fill the basket, for a 3-cup mokapot this is usually around 13g-15g.
"These are purely guidelines... you're the one brewing the coffee, you shouldn't have to BUT you can always adjust it to your taste" – Kieran Mitchell, Head Roaster
Tip #3 - Prep
Pour in your hot (but not boiling) water to the lower chamber, yp to just below the valve then add in your basket of ground coffee. Make sure there are no excess grounds around the edges, this can cause an incomplete seal and can affect the final brew.
Then screw on the upper chamber nice and finger-tight.
Place it on a hob/stove on a low-medium heat. Too hot and it will cause the water to boil too quickly and will create a under extracted coffee. This should take around 5 minutes to brew a strong, espresso-style cup of your favourite coffee.
Tip #3 - Which coffee should I use?
Our head roaster, Kieran, would recommend the Signature Blend for the MokaPot.
"These blends lend themselves to creating a slightly more bitter brew, the mokapot is a good way of creating a stronger, more bitter coffeeso, the slight acidity of the Signature compliments it realy well."
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