A few weeks ago I finally crossed the words ‘Moka pot’ off my want list (conveniently located smack bang at the front of my diary.) But after a few weeks of weekend Moka pot action, have I now become a coffee snob refusing to go back to the world of instant anymore?
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What’s a Moka pot?
At it’s core the Moka pot is a very basic stove top coffee maker. Fill the bottom section with water, pack the ground coffee in the holder that sits above it, screw the brewing chamber on top, put on the stove and wait til it starts bubbling out of the spout.
A few steps above the art of instant (pour coffee in, add boiling water, go) but still fiendishly simple in its design.
My first experience with one was from my ex-girlfriend Mel who labelled it ‘wanky coffee’ usually reserved for accompanying big breakfasts on a Sunday morning (while we were usually recovering from a massive night’s adventure.) Back then I barely took any notice of how the Moka pot work, putting it down to some kind of coffee related black magic and leaving it there.
Fast forward to this and last year and suddenly I’m working in a place where Moka pots seem to be breeding big time in the staff kitchen and it seemed to be inevitable that I’d like to try one on for size at home.
Especially on weekends with late rises and something tasty cooking away on the pan (like a Spanish omelette) – the thought of coffee bubbling away in a device that hails back 90 years now did seem pretty appealing.
Red Moka pots go faster?
Red, sleek and ready to brew up some caffeinated masterpieces, I actually bought my Moka Pot from Aliexpress. Yes indeed, my tribute to the Italian way of making coffee actually came from somewhere in China because I was doing some shopping online there already and suddenly went ‘I wonder if they have Moka pots?’
They did, one was on sale and now I have a Ferrari red (well close enough) Moka pot for weekend use.
Labelled as a six cup Moka pot (these must be seriously small cups) I find this one is great for making a single black coffee (how I roll) while I’m still coming to terms with the morning. It does seem to spill a bit when I’m pouring (still working that out) but when the coffee is good, it’s really good! (Sadly it hasn’t been as good as the greatest Moka pot brew I had last year but that may just be the high end brand of coffee I haven’t investigated just yet.)
What I’m currently working my way through is this – half price at my local IGA when I bought and a great introduction to brewing your mornings away over a weekend (or anytime I need a big coffee slap to face the day.) While the wife is not a fan (she works in a coffee van and far prefers what she can make with a full machine setup there) I’m enjoying working my way though the pack each weekend. (Also you can’t beat the price – I paid $6.50 AUD for the bag and that’s roughly what a large coffee at my local cafe now sets me back. So I can buy one, or brew many. You do the maths!)
Am I now a Moka pot coffee snob now?
Er..no. I am enjoying them as part of my weekend ritual that’s for sure but what I’m making at home simply can’t rival a properly quality barista made brew and I’m okay with that. It is however quite a few leaps ahead from the occasional reach into the Nescafe tin or Moccona jar (don’t get me started on International Roast – I’m not sure what they roasted internationally but it certainly wasn’t coffee for that offering).
And so it’s instant at work, cafe made after the show is done and adventures with the Moka pot on weekends. Brilliant.
Where to get one?
I dare say that given the subject of this post is all about Moka pots then it’s more than likely the ads on this page are reflecting this as we speak. However the good news is that you can buy them from many places especially home wares stores and the like. Go stainless steel ones if you can (they’ll be slightly pricier obviously) and if buying second hand (like the markets perhaps) just check the condition of the seal/gasket under the water chamber – it may need replacing before the brew can be true.
And of course there’s plenty of choice on Amazon too. (Affiliate link)
Enjoy your coffee crew, I think it’s time for another!
Edit: The work Moka Pots
Ahh bless the coffee drinking staff where I work that have decided that instant coffee just wasn’t good enough anymore and have brought in their own pots. Now there’s three of these babies in the staff kitchen and today was too good a day not to bring some of my own ground coffee in and give one a whirl.
I have no idea what brand/make/model this particular moka pot is but it works well, fills a single coffee cup right up and even better – doesn’t spill all over the shop like mine seems to be doing at the moment. Good coffee at work? I might have to have an emergency stash of the ground stuff good to go for those times where I find myself in the studio in need of a brew..
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