MOKA POT

 

BREW THIS IF:

You like your coffee small and strong or mixed in with water/milk
You kinda want an espresso machine but don’t want to spend thaaaaaat much
You want to watch the cool coffee fountain that it makes
You’re looking for something portable and easy

THE BREAKDOWN:

To those new to coffee, Moka pots might look like some funky Tesla Truck jug. It’s only once you unscrew the top and open up the lower water tank, middle filter basket and upper chamber that you get a sense of what it’s capable of.

The moka pot goes onto your stove straight up near the fire. Don’t worry though, the good ones handle that with ease. There, the water in the bottom heats, gets pressurised, shoots through the funnel tube and goes into the coffee. It continues higher and comes out of the spout in the middle of the collection chamber like a Victorian fountain. You’ll know it when you see it. 

It has certain quirks that you gotta keep in mind while brewing but provided you follow through, the brews it makes are tiny, power packed and delicious. A bit like an espresso, but not quite that intense or sharp. 

DOPE RECOMMENDS:

Dark Matter, Andromeda, Baarbara, Swarnagiri

THE DETAILS:

For 3 cup Moka Pot. Multiply as needed.

Coffee: 10-12 gm
Grind Size: Fine
Water: 120 ml 
Brew Time: 2 min
Extras: Cloth

The Ratio: 1:10

RECIPE: 

  1. Put the water on to boil and unscrew to separate the 3 parts of the Moka pot.

  2. Pre-boiling your water might seem strange at first but if there’s a solid reason why it helps. It also prevents the grounds from cooking due to the extra time the water would otherwise take. The moka pot is entirely metal and that could leave a metallic taste in your coffee. 

  3. Pour in your hot water into the bottom water tank. Keep an eye out for the valve on the side -  that’s your safety valve. Don’t fill water beyond that.

  4. Place the middle filter on top of the bottom water tank.

  5. Add your 10 to 12 gm of coffee into the middle filter. Don't press down to pack it, you're going to need a little bit of space there. 

  6. Wrap a cloth around bottom water tank to hold it in place and screw on the top. Make sure it's firm and evenly screwed on both sides. This needs to be a closed body for the pressure to do its thing. 

  7. Remove the cloth and by the handle put it on the stove at a low/medium low heat. 

  8. In about 2-4 minutes, the water will rise to the top, passing through the coffee and giving you some great smells too!

  9. If you wanna look at it you can pop the lid for a bit but close it before it reaches the top. Spoiler: There’s some sputtering in the end. 

  10. Boom! You just brewed some dope coffee. 

Pour it into a mug/demitasse, add hot water/milk/alternative milks or sweeteners if you want and drink up.

Note: You want the water to be coming out of the spout at a steady stream. If it’s reaching the top and spraying around like a broken faucet - either the heat is too high or it’s packed too tight. Adjust until and you’ll find that sweet spot for a perfect moka pot!

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