La Italian coffee maker, or moka type, is one of the most classic that has been for years in the homes of many Spaniards and several generations. Although modern electric machines have gradually been replacing these coffee machines, there are still those who like the result of this type of coffee maker or simply have not made the leap to a new one. If that is your case, surely you would like to know all the keys and details to achieve the best possible result...
How to make coffee in an Italian or Moka pot
Italian coffee machines have a fairly simple principle of operation. They are ideal for older people who do not get along too well with technology. But whatever the age, what they should know is how to prepare a good coffee. In the small details is the difference between extracting the maximum that these coffee machines provide or a coffee from the heap.
Ingredients
Everything you need to prepare a delicious coffee in an Italian coffee maker is:
- Grinder: although you can use quality ground coffee, it is recommended to grind the coffee at the time of preparation to obtain the best aroma and flavor, making sure that the essential oils in the coffee have not oxidized or deteriorated over time that it has been ground and unprotected. In addition, the grinding must be specific, with a fine texture similar to that of table salt. This ensures that the water takes just the right amount of time to pass through the coffee to extract enough aroma and flavour.
- Café: the best thing is that it is of quality and of a 100% Arabic variety. The proportion of coffee, whether it is already ground or if you have ground it at the moment, is approximately 20 grams for a long cup of about 250 ml. If you are going to use another type of cup, modify that proportion. For example, for a shorter cup of about 125 ml you can use about 9-12 grams for an espresso.
- Italian coffee maker.
- Water: the water must be as pure as possible so that it does not add flavor to the coffee. The drink only has to have the flavor of coffee and not other nuances that hard water such as chlorine or lime can provide. It is advisable to use water from a domestic distiller or to use weakly mineralized water.
- Extras: if you want it with milk, you should also have this, or the ingredients that you want, such as sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, etc. Although this is optional.
Prepare coffee in Italian coffee machine
For assemble the Italian coffee maker and start preparing the coffee, the steps are also very simple:
- Unscrew your coffee maker to disassemble it into the three main parts: water tank (lower area), filter (middle area), and the upper container where the brewed coffee is poured (upper area).
- Now fill the water into the coffee maker tank until it reaches the valve inside it. It should not exceed it, in any case, it can be below it in case you want to prepare fewer cups than the one that the coffee maker you have purchased actually admits.
- Place the filter on the water tank so that it fits into its correct position.
- Put the ground coffee in the filter. Some leave it as it is, others prefer to press it a bit. If pressed, the water will extract a little more flavor and aroma if you like something stronger. In any case, make sure it is evenly distributed.
- It is time to screw the upper part of the coffee maker until it is well tightened so that the water does not spill during the process.
- Put the assembled coffee pot on the fire so that the water begins to boil.
- When you start to hear the typical noise of the coffee rising, you should remove the coffee maker just when the noise stops, when all the coffee has finished rising. It should not remain on the fire longer than necessary or it will take on an unpleasant metallic taste.
- Once finished, you can serve the coffee or put it in a term to keep it.
Obviously, there are many ways to take it, like with milk, alone, with other additional ingredients, etc. This is already a matter of taste, but the result in any case should be very good.
Prepare cappuccino in an Italian coffee machine
If you have ever wondered if it is possible to prepare a cappuccino, or cappuccino, in an Italian coffee maker, the answer is yes. You won't need an espresso machine for this.
1-Coffee
You select a good coffee, preferably in grain to grind it at the moment, as I have indicated previously. This does not vary for this type of cappuccino coffee.
La grinding must be fine and homogeneous, that will extract the right aroma and flavor, but without too coarse and bitter flavors arriving.
Remember Water nor should it add flavor to the mixture. It has to be tasteless water, as pure as possible, such as filtered, distilled in a domestic distiller, or weakly mineralized.
As for the proportion, you have to put some 9-12 grams of coffee for a cup of about 125 ml (just right for a cappuccino). That's the right ratio, although you can make more than that if you want to make multiple cappuccinos simultaneously with your moka pot. You just have to adjust the proportions.
Once you know all this, follow the same steps with those proportions and considerations from the previous section to prepare coffee in an Italian coffee maker. Once you get the coffee, you owe it pour into a ceramic mug of approximately 180 ml.
2-Milk foam
While the coffee is, you can also start with the milk frothing process. For this you have two options, one of them is by means of an electric frother, beating the milk with these gadgets until you get the desired texture. Another way to do it is manually, although it is more tedious and the result will not be the same.
The proportion of milk should be 120 ml exact. Better if it is whole so that it has enough fat and protein so that the creaminess and consistency are adequate.
The temperature of the milk at the end of the frothing process should be at about 60ºC about. If not, you should heat it in the microwave.
3-Mix
Once you have the espresso made in the Italian coffee maker and the milk with its foam, all you have to do is pour the milk into the cup and place the foam on the surface with a spoon if necessary. The result will be an ideal cappuccino coffee.
