Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Mocha Pot Revelation!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Mocha Pot Revelation!

    Hi folks,

    While Ive been away from the Silvia for a few days Ive been brewing my Peru Kontiki + Yemen Ismaili blend in a good stainless steel mocha pot (one with a nice large basket). What a revelation! The aroma and body was even fuller than with Silvia; there was still crema on the 3rd day after grinding (Yes, unfortunately had to pre-grind the beans before going away). Im convinced a good mocha pot gets even more from this blend than an espresso machine. Is this a big call? I used virtually the same grind as for Silvia (perhaps one notch coarser). I really wasnt expecting to have my socks blown off. I tried the same batch in a lesser aluminium mocha pot (with a smaller basket) and all it gave me was thin, burnt coffee. Such a difference.

    Filling the mocha pot with just boiled water also makes a huge difference - it keeps the brewing time to about 1-2 minutes so the coffee grounds dont get a chance to burn.

    Its great. For the first time being away from the espresso machine didnt feel (or taste) like a compromise.

    Cheers folks,

    Rob

  • #2
    Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

    My view is: moka pot is a different kettle, not quite comparable, it sort of sits between short black and long black.

    I am curious with your results from stainless steel vs aluminium pots, as I get exactly the opposite. My aluminium pot gives better tasting, smoother brew, whereas my ss pot gives a sharper brew that tends to accentuates the bitterness. My guess is that aluminium retains and diffuse heat better than ss, and ss is notorious for having hot spots, maybe thats why it overheats. But now you have me confused...

    slow

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

      Hi Guys,

      Im really surprised that you believe that your MPs are comparable to a properly brewed espresso . Over the years Ive used so many MPs trying to find one that provided a brew even partly resembling an espresso, that I could build a small replica of the Eiffel Tower with them.

      Something tells me that you are not getting the best out of your Espresso Machines.... just a thought,

      Mal.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

        I probably wont feel the same about any and all beans, but the Peru/Yemen blend from my last roasting batch (roughly 30 seconds into 2nd crack) did fantastically in the moka pot. Of course, its a six cup pot and I use it to make 60-70 mls with its 35-38 gram basket, so that helps.

        And its true Im not getting the most out of the Silvia - its pressure is way too high and Im not very confident about my ability to do the pressure mod well. Im hoping one of Greg Pullmans tampers will help prevent the chanelling I often get under the extreme pressure.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

          Hi Robster,

          Hmmm, the pressure mod is really only necessary if youre pulling shots with the grind set too fine (with the tamping force that youre using), as the resistance from the coffee puck should be such that your pressure wont build up beyond 8-10 Bar. The Over Pressure Valves main job is to protect the pump and high pressure water circuit from over pressure related damage.

          Setting this lower via the Pressure Mod does no harm to the machine but its main purpose is to force you into adopting the right grind/tamping force settings, as the machine will effectively choke once the OPV starts relieving pressure, forcing you to amend your grind setting, etc to prevent the choking.

          While it is possible to arrive at the correct grind settings, etc without the Pressure Mod, it would definitely make things a lot easier for when youre starting out. I know you said that youre not comfortable doing the Mod yourself, but there is a very good "How to" step by step guide to be found here... http://tinyurl.com/c8fcs. Have a look at it and if youre still not happy about doing it yourself, then you might be able to find someone you trust who could do it for you, using the guide.

          Regarding Moka Pots..... To my taste, they always seem to "burn" the coffee and this burnt taste then seems to linger on for quite some time. I imagine its got a lot to do with the fact that MPs shoot boiling water up a tube straight on to the coffee, and coffee is best brewed at temperatures closer to 93deg C to avoid burning it. Actually, a really good alternative to espresso when the machines not handy or you feel like a change, is to use the ever faithful Plunger/French Press, since youve got complete control over the temperature of the water.

          Anyway, I hope some of this has been helpful to you Robster..... all the best,

          Mal.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

            I used to find the same burnt-taste phenomenon with my moka pot use in the past, but now I fill the pot with just-boiled water and I no longer have that problem. It keeps the extraction time short and prevents the coffee grinds from being dry-burned while waiting for otherwise cold water to get up to temp. While I was away I managed to get it so that the whole process from flame on to flame off was about 1 minute 45 seconds. Mmmm. A lovely substitute when away from Silvia.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

              Yep,

              Ive tried all that and lots of other things too but it never produced what I would call a good coffee.... still much prefer a plunger as an alternative to espresso. If I had Syphon Brewer then I would certainly use that in preference to all after espresso but then, I dont have one .

              All the best Robster,
              Mal.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

                Mal,

                My brother-in-law has one of the Bodum syphons. They are indeed beautiful things. Unfortunately the one time he made me coffee out of it, I think the coffee was a bit stale. Do you know if that Aerobie thing theyve mentioned on CoffeeGeek works like a syphon? Or is it just another version of a plunger?

                Cheers,

                Rob

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

                  Agreed Moka pot is not really comparable to espresso, but I wont call the brew inferior, just different. It is more diluted when compared to an espresso, but it is more concentrated than a plunger brew. Whether you get a burnt taste from the Moka pot or not is, in my view, highly dependent on your pot.

                  slow

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

                    Having a look at the Aerobie site the system is very simple and pushes a coffee/water mix through a filter. You put some ground coffee in ( similar in size to an espresso grind), place in the hot water, mix it around and push down on the plunger after a short wait. Aparently it produces a result similar to espresso and a relatively dry puck. So its more french press then plunger or cold process using hot water and pressure. :-/

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

                      Robster...
                      i notice you own an atomic ... as i do. (and silvia for that matter)
                      i find a brew produced from the Atomic better than a MP, i take it you prefer the MP...?

                      That said i am a milk based coffee drinker.. so that could explain the difference.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

                        Hiya Kong,

                        Actually havent used the Atomic for a while, but really enjoyed its coffee when we used to use it daily. Im a (mostly) milk-based coffee drinker too, and I reckon you cant go past the Atomic for stovetop steaming ability. I used to start with cold water in the Atomic and by the time the coffee came through, the collection mug was too hot really and I think this gave the coffee a bit of a burnt flavour. I definitely preferred the Atomics coffee to my old moka pots, but the moka pot Ive been using recently I think outdoes the atomic; it just has such a good basket-size relative to the water volume. Only problem now is needing a separate milk steaming device in addition to the moka pot when Im away from home.

                        Cheers,

                        Rob

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

                          Originally posted by Robster link=1137415768/0#11 date=1137567776
                          I used to start with cold water in the Atomic and by the time the coffee came through, the collection mug was too hot really and I think this gave the coffee a bit of a burnt flavour.
                          agreed.. i had that problem when first using the Atomic, but in the end got around it by having a seperate (second) vessel to catch the final runnings when the coffee started to pour bitter and frothy (or as soon as i had enough coffee for the drink i was making) this meant i only got the good stuff 8-) (and didnt keep burning it), and the steam pressure keeps building while you get the milk ready etc.

                          all a bit OT (sorry) but i still cant go past the atomic for ease of use when travelling especially if you use/like milk.!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

                            Originally posted by Matt G link=1137415768/0#9 date=1137562719
                            . . . So its more french press then plunger or cold process using hot water and pressure. :-/
                            I thought french press and plunger were just two names for the same thing. Is there a difference?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Mocha Pot Revelation!

                              Originally posted by KoNG link=1137415768/0#12 date=1137626447
                              all a bit OT (sorry) but i still cant go past the atomic for ease of use when travelling especially if you use/like milk.!
                              Yeah, the Atomic is definitely the way to go for travelling. Youve inspired me to pull it out and start experimenting with it. When I last used it I didnt yet have a grinder, plus I need to try the hot water thing and your suggestion about the collection receptacle . . .

                              Rob

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X