Moka Pots
Moka Pots. What the heck are these weird little coffee makers?
They are not a true espresso maker, they don’t have sufficient pressure for that. But they don’t really fit into your regular coffee maker either.
They were invented in Italy by Alfonso Bialetti. The name is derived from the Yemeni city of Mokha, a city historically known for high-quality coffee beans.
Moka pots have been around since 1933. They are typically made from aluminum, but stainless steel ones are readily available.
A moka pot makes a strong coffee, usually on the stovetop. The grind is a medium/fine grind of fresh coffee.
There are arguments on the temperature of the water to use when using it. The current thought is to use hot water, around 160f. BE CAREFULL, the pot is hot to the touch. I usually put the bottom section of the pot on a pot holder, put water in, just below the relief valve, fill the coffee basket with grounds, do NOT tamp! Put the coffee basket on top of the lower section and clean the rim. Screw the top section back on, you want this to be tight, so it doesn’t leak.
But it on the burner, make sure the handle is off of the edge of the burner so it doesn’t get hot.
Now we’re gonna make coffee!!! Open the top so you can watch the magic.
I turn the heat on high, as soon as it begins to come out of the center stem turn the heat down to about 7, when the chamber is about half full turn it down to 4. If at any time it begins spewing coffee out of the stem, remove it from the heat for a moment. Usually I begin moving the pot to the side of the burner at this point. When it begins putting out bubbles, you have run out of water in the lower chamber. Close the lid and pour it into your cup. And enjoy.
Run cool tap water over the pot and disassemble. Rinse it out, do not wash with soapy water, you will taste soap for a while if you do. Wipe it out.
This is a simple and fun way to make a different style of coffee. I hope this helps.
Gr
Grinders: how important are they?
Ok, you just spent some good money for a pound of what you hope is great coffee. I mean, your friends told you it was awesome, the reviews are glowing. Face it, you’re really looking forward to an incredible cup of coffee.
What could go wrong?
Grind it up, throw it in your Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker (more about that later…) pour in some tap water (more about that later…) push the button and wait.
And your cup of coffee? So-so. I mean, ok, it’s a step up, but it doesn’t inspire you to call your friends and rave.
Why?
Amazingly, it begins with your grinder. If you’re using an old spice grinder, commonly know as a blade grinder for obvious reasons, you will NOT get a consistent grind. A blade grinder will hack and chop your beans into pieces, dust, chunks, what have you. Since water, like some people, follows the path of least resistance, some of the grounds will be used, some not.
We here at Mr. Bill’s Beans take care to roast our beans so that you get an incredible cup of coffee. Not a good cup. An incredible cup. We like to see you get your money’s worth from that bag of beans.
Get a good grinder.
Not necessarily an expensive grinder, but a decent burr grinder. Preferably anti-static so you don’t have to clean your entire counter when you’re done making a cup.
Why a burr grinder? A burr grinder will grind your beans consistently. This creates an even flow of water through your grounds, giving you a smooth, even taste. You will see conical or flat burrs. For most home users this is not a major issue.
The hoppers on most grinders will hold a substantial amount of beans. It’s tempting to fill it up. But most of them don’t seal really well, I would recommend putting in enough for a couple of days and keeping the remainder sealed somewhere in the dark. NOT the freezer or refrigerator. A dark cupboard.
Do not make the mistake of saying “I don’t have a really good palate, I can’t taste the difference” Yes, you can. If you continue to make steps, even small steps, you will develop a great palate. And this will carry over into many other foods you eat; chocolate, cheese, wine, etc…
If you have any questions, please let me know.
A History of Coffee
Please note that the title says “A History of Coffee” Not “The History of Coffee”
I’m not sure that the delightful story of Kaldi tending his goats is true. It’s nice, but…
What is able to be proven is that the arabica coffee bean appears to have originated in the Ethiopian highlands, brought to Yemen during the Ethiopian occupation of the area. Somewhere around the 6th century.
It wasn’t used the way we use it now, it was either eaten like nuts or mixed with animal fats.
We owe much to a Moslem pilgrim named Baba Budan who managed to sneak some beans out of Arabia and back to his home in India. Offspring of his original plants still account for about 30% of the coffee in India.
From there the French and the Dutch get involved. The people in both of these areas, indeed much of Europe, enjoy coffee. A lot.
Since coffee doesn’t grow well in either of these countries, they begin carrying it around with them and planting it in stop over lands.
Coffee house pop up all over Europe, the first known coffee house is in Vienna.
One of the most famous coffee houses? Lloyd’s of London
Questions or comments? Let me know.
References: Coffee A Guide to Buying, Brewing & Enjoying by Kenneth Davids
Mr. Bill's new Feature: Blogs!
We are going to be posting blogs, hopefully on a regular basis. Please let us know what questions you have (Coffee related, this is not a philosophy class) As always, thank you for your support.