Moka Pot - the best coffee on a budget?

BanditMcFuklebuck · 2023-07-08T17:56:03+00:00

My Moka is how I used to make my homemade Americanos!

Airbus320 · 2022-11-30T16:06:57+00:00

Goat milk better

filbs111 · 2021-07-17T01:16:05+00:00

cool.

soundsituation · 2021-07-07T07:58:45+00:00

It's actually so right. Here's the thing though: soy milk is not the right move with a regular cup of coffee (the right move would be 1/2 & 1/2) BUT in a latte or any other espresso-based drink it is superior. It provides just the right amount of creaminess and sweetness (even unsweetened soy milk, which is what I use).

Credentials: former barista, honorably discharged

Bigs · 2021-07-03T05:54:44+00:00

That does sound super impressive, but the reason I buy whole beans is so they are fresh when I grind for each cup (I have little tiny vacuum pots which I fill with 14g of beans, ready for grinding for each single cup).

Pre-ground coffee is always stale, always, and the press release gives no detail on any special packaging to prevent this?

Bigs · 2021-04-26T13:45:33+00:00

Well you're a terrible rabbit.

Airbus320 · 2021-04-26T11:50:49+00:00

I do

Bigs · 2021-04-26T11:18:42+00:00

You don't even like carrots, do you?

Airbus320 · 2021-04-26T06:42:23+00:00

I just stick to my old caffitaly espresso machine

Bigs · 2021-04-26T05:02:45+00:00

Mine change quite a lot over time...

For a long time I was convinced French press was the only way to really enjoy a good coffee, as it got ALL the flavor, with no paper filters removing the oils, and...

Then I was convinced espresso was the best, because you got exactly the right temp', the right volume and the right pressure, so...

Then I got a real machine instead of an appliance, and discovered how you can vary the temperature, vary the dose, vary the grind, and adjust things for different beans, different roasts...

Fucking rabbit hole man

Airbus320 · 2021-04-25T22:42:59+00:00

Not much

Airbus320 · 2021-01-24T21:46:14+00:00

🙄

jet199 · 2021-01-24T20:03:37+00:00

Better than oat milk.

I don't want my morning porridge and coffee in one cup.

I actually quite like how foamed soya milk becomes an almost solid mass. It is more like a meal than a drink though.

Bigs · 2021-01-22T04:26:08+00:00

Well I'm in Asia, so my only sources are local, such as:

https://shopee.com.my/-MY-LIBERICA-FRESH-ROASTED-COFFEE-BEAN-1KG-SPECIALTY-GRADE-LIBERICA-JOHOR-LOCAL-i.242273207.3760657073

While I'm exactly the kind of guy who would roast his own beans I'm also a guy trying to figure out how to get the best out of my new machine/grinder combo, so I'm trying to reduce as many variables as I can :)

Currently experimenting with a 3 bean blend, 2 from S. America and 1 from Africa, that my local coffee shop calls 'honeycomb'. I can't say I like it that much right now, but still experimenting (I'm not even sure what yield I'm meant to be going for..? An espresso is meant to be 30ml, so a double should be 60ml, but many places say to go for a 1.2 ratio, so 15g of beans should yield 30g of liquid. I dunno? *shrug)

We have a few places I can get whole beans but I don't think I know anywhere locally selling green beans. Having said that i'm certain there must be, as on my 4x4 adventures I've been in villages where they are drying coffee in the sun, so could go straight to the source I guess.

For sure to me the most appealing thing would be the aroma! I still recall passing a local shop as a kid and damn that smelt good. I don't think I even liked or drank coffee back then, as I was a nipper but I still remember taking deep sniffs of that and thinking how good and strong it was.

Node · 2021-01-20T04:01:54+00:00

https://www.sweetmarias.com/nostalgia-electric-popcorn-popper.html

Got $20? You get the popper and 4 pounds of green coffee beans. They have info on roasting, and there are youtube videos.

I used to visit r/roasting too, but there was information overload there. So many different machines, and ways to go.. But a combination of my local roaster demanding everyone wear face muzzles, and seeing this deal on Sweetmarias made it an instant, "cool, I'm in!"

Detail on how I do it: I usually use 32 to 40 grams of roasted beans in my french press. The air popper seems to handle 38 to 40 grams of green beans, as it needs to spin them with the air flow. The weight shrinks by a few grams, depending on how long you roast them.

I was pretty excited on my first roast to hear the long-mentioned first crack. lol Anyway, takes a few minutes 3/4/5 to get there, and that's in the light roast range. I like the roasting instructions from Happy Mug better, as they go into more detail about what you get from various roasting times. You'll probably stay in the 4ish to 8ish minute range for the roast times on most beans, but that's just an estimate.

Note: Doing it outside with an extension cord reduced the power way too much, so you'll want to plug directly into an outlet. An outside outlet might be better for the reasons below.

Downsides: The thin husk on the outside of the beans will come off, so I do mine at the kitchen sink. The husks (chaff) come out the popcorn chute, but it's not many, because of the limited number of beans. The second issue is that roasting causes some amount of smoke, depending on your roast level. Well, "strong odor" rather than actual smoke, but that could be too strong for some.

The small quantity per roast hasn't been a problem for me, as I do a few batches at a time, while letting the previous batch cool. When they're just about at your desired roast level, you need to turn it off, remove the top, and dump the beans onto a cookie sheet or on something that will cool them down to quit roasting further.

The story is that they need at least 24 hours to rest or degas before using. I've used small jars to store the different types of beans I've roasted, so I just try to use those within a week or two.

Liberica beans

Yes, I have read about those, but haven't investigated yet. A quick search isn't being very productive: "We're sorry, the current situation in the Philippines (typhoons and covid logistics) are making it almost impossible to bring stock in". Do you have links to a source?

Bigs · 2021-01-19T17:19:22+00:00

I've heard good things about the Baratza grinders :)

I too have a fancy temp-controlled kettle, a garish transparent glass thing that lights up in different colors for different temperatures. My aim was to use it to get a consistent 90C for French press, but also the fun gimmick factor. Was doing my head in trying to figure out what the colors meant, before realizing the damn thing is random...

'Entry level roasting' lol. That's way deeper down the hole than me at this point... tell me more? No, no, don't.. oh go on?

If you can, try getting hold of some Liberica beans? Everyone knows Arabica and Robusta but Liberica are like the unloved step-child of beans - but actually my favorite! Even with a pressurized basket in a cheap Delonghi espresso, they have a range of flavors that is just satisfying somehow, with a full, sort of 3D taste. I find going back to pure Arabica sort of 2D, if that makes sense.

Ironically Liberica are supposed to be cheap, but I only know 2 places i can get them and both are expensive.

Good luck with the popcorn! I know pretty much nothing about roasting, other than to look for the roast-date rather than best-by date, and of course the main levels of roasting, and that super-fresh is not a good as around 5 days old.

What made you get into roasting?

Node · 2021-01-18T21:21:34+00:00

Used to visit r/coffee back when reddit was still a thing. Ended up upgrading from a mr coffee and blade grinder to a cheapo french press and a nice Baratza Encore burr grinder, usually with some sort of light roasted beans.

Instead of the microwave or stove for heating the water, finally joined the godless europeans and got a bonavita electric kettle, which changed my life. About a quart of water at precise temperatures for both coffee and any type of tea, and it will hold at that temp for awhile if you wish.

Have recently begun roasting my own, with green beans from Africa, South America, SE Asia, and etc. Really just entry level roasting at this point.

Sweet Marias has a deal for hot air popcorn popper, which works great for coffee beans, and 4 pounds of green beans for $20. For all that it's not much more than a pound at my local roaster. (who now demands The Mask, and has a Burn Loot Murder sign in their window...)

And just for the heck of it, have even ordered some popcorn kernels now that I have the popper.

Bigs · 2021-01-18T13:23:35+00:00

Fun is important :)

When I say 'appliance' I'm being a bit snobbish ;) The lower-end coffee machines are referred to as appliances, meaning they are low-quality, not meant to last but built to impress in the store and sell as an impulse purchase.

Like most people I rolled my eyes and just bought an 'appliance' anyway - but the snobs are right when it comes to espresso, which is too demanding a task for a cheap machine. My Breville Bambino only lasted 7 months before it shit the bed! A real 'machine' would be something like a Gaggia Classic or Rancilio Silvia (which is what I've ordered), a Lelit Elizabeth, Profitech 300 etc. They cost more than an appliance and they have a steeper learning curve, but they can last for decades and reward the patient owner with superior coffee. My machine journey:

DeLonghi Dedica - Breville Bambino - Racilio Silvia Pro.

My plan is to just keep the RSP forever, as parts are available, they're built like a tank and apart from the Pro being a dual-boiler model they haven't really changed the design for over 20 years, same with the Gaggia. If it works, why change it?

There's so much more to coffee than espresso though, plus I want to explore the different coffees themselves. When I moved to Asia, a stone's throw from the island of Java, I found it easy to try different types and blends and of course those are just the local SE Asia beans. South America has distinctly different coffees, as does the continent of Africa, plus all the different ways of brewing and drinking the stuff...

Vietnamese sounds like the real thing, whereas locally the cafes offer 'Coffee' or 'Nescafe', both coming with some condensed milk.

We had a big rash of fancy coffee shops here a couple of years ago, which helped push me down this rabbit hole. I made a mission of visiting each of the new coffee shops on some list I found, about 22 I think. It was soon obvious they all had the same interior designer, the same bean source - and I suspect they were all sold the idea that the town was ready for a fancy coffee shop, but without mentioning they would be competing with 21 other new shops! I think about 5 have survived, but how long they can last with this covid shit I dunno?

All the more reason to splurge on a home machine ;)

Bigs · 2021-01-18T05:51:56+00:00

Cowboy coffee is perhaps the purest of all, though French press is arguably the same, without the gritty bits in your cup ;)

Or not as many, anyway.

I'm currently expanding on my home espresso, going from an appliance grade machine to a better appliance and now to a real machine, but I'm still waiting for it to be delivered. Even when it gets here I intend experimenting a lot, both with espresso-based drinks and other methods, including the moka pot. Vietnamese-style sounds interesting...

What beans do you go for? Colombian?

Bigs · 2021-01-18T02:16:47+00:00

So come on then, tell us YOUR story?

How have your views or coffee habits changed?

Bigs · 2021-01-17T13:52:36+00:00

Actually all coffee referred to as 'natural' will be slightly fermented. There's 3 ways of getting the beans out of the cherry; washing with water ('washed') or just leaving them out in the sun for a month ('natural) which results in some mild fermentation.

The 3rd way is getting a civet to eat the cherry and shit out the bean ;)

Not teaching English :) I'm a conversion-rate specialist, helping people increase sales from their website, along with helping draft adverts, direct mail etc. Marketing basically, freelance. I won't link here, as this is all about coffee :D

AmericanMuskrat · 2021-01-16T18:26:53+00:00

Compared to the civet-shit, it tasted like mud

It's hard to go back. I'm happy drinking my McDonald's Keurig pods because that's all I know. Lots of things like that, like really old scotch.

I am curious now, are other ways of fermenting coffee done? I do enjoy fermentations, lactcobacillus and yeast.

I live in SE Asia now

Expat American teaching English? Or a native?

Bigs · 2021-01-16T18:13:16+00:00

It IS amazing!

I live in SE Asia now, and popped over to Bali for a couple of weeks, and so had to try the kopi luwak or whatever. Went to a plantation where they sat us down, and made us a very nice cup of coffee, using good beans. It was delicious!

Having got me and my wife to agree that was great coffee and delicious, they then made us a coffee using the civet-shit beans. Omigod! Lovely coffee.

This is the kicker - they said 'Now try that delicious coffee again'.

Compared to the civet-shit, it tasted like mud.

AmericanMuskrat · 2021-01-16T18:07:59+00:00

I have wanted to try civet coffee, something about a $60 oz of coffee intrigues me.

Bigs · 2021-01-16T14:40:34+00:00

Mmm? French press is generally considered the easy way to get smooth, inoffensive coffee.

I'm gonna guess you were using a nasty-ass grinder, even a ... eeww... blade grinder?

A poor grinder, and anything with a blade, will create different-sized grinds, which means the smaller ones will over-extract and go bitter before the bigger ones have released their full flavor. The lack of paper filter means you WILL taste that, because FP coffee gives you everything the coffee has to offer. Drip or percolator coffee with a paper filter will remove most of those intense, bitter oils - but also removes much of the coffee flavor with it (and I can often taste the paper).

The press is indeed awesome for simple and cheap, but it really does demand great, fresh beans and a good grinder. That's not me being a snob; i'm just agreeing how it's easy to end up with bitter coffee if you don't pair it with a grinder that cost a lot more than the press ;)

Of course if you were using pre-ground coffee then yeah, that's gonna be super-bitter, because pre-ground is ground near-as-dammit for espress, moka pot or drip. French press needs VERY big, coarse - but evenly sized - grinds. That's actually hard to do. Any cheap grinder should be able to be reasonably consistent at the smaller sizes, but grinding large AND consistent is much tougher! For a moka pot or something you can use pre-ground or a $40 grinder, but for French press it's best with a $400 grinder.

And that's when you go "Holy shit; I didn't know coffee tasted like this!" - and fall deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole....

Bigs · 2021-01-16T14:22:47+00:00

Not quite the same concept, but similar if you use the inverted brew method (put the thing upside down, so the grinds are steeped in hot water for a while).

I tried the travel version but haven't really had a chance to use it, due to the covid hoax, I mean Deadly Virus. Did give it a go at a local hotel a few weeks ago, but like a sad muppet I took the wrong hand-grinder and it was set up for French Press, too coarse for the Aero. Then I remembered I had my Bodum French Press mug! Awesome! So gave that a go... Noticed the hotel kettle didn't seem to be turning itself off, so did it manually...

Even having given it some time to cool the damn thing broke my Bodum, 2 big cracks in the plastic. This made me the sad :'(

Good coffee while traveling is not easy... but let me tell you my next cunning plan...!

I've ordered a moka pot. Stupid idea on it's own, like an espresso but not as strong and... that's it. I do like a latte or such, so have also ordered a "Nanofrother". Basically like a little hand-frother but an impeller design forces the milk through a screen, creating true microfoam like you can get from a real espresso machine's steam wand. Cool!

But that still means cold milk... so have also ordered a little travel hob, a dinky 500 watt electric hob which should be enough to brew the moka pot, and then I can swap over for the milk jug while fiddling with the pot.... Once it's at 55-60 centigrade stick that bad boy in there and super dense foam in around 30 seconds :)

OK it could be complete shit but I'm gonna give it a go! Have never tried a moka pot before but they look simple enough.

Bigs · 2021-01-16T14:12:08+00:00

Some of the pods are real coffee, but any of the drinks that are 'milk' drinks use creamer and instant coffee.

I've only used a few pod machines, haven't really enjoyed any. Stayed at a hotel that had a pod machine in the room, the coffee was pretty awful. Decided to try buying some better pods in town. Picked a couple of contenders that looked and sounded good...

They were worse :/

bjam27 · 2021-01-15T22:39:37+00:00

French press is awesome for how cheap and simple it is but mine always tasted very bitter. Not sure what I was doing wrong. Might be my taste buds because drip is still my go to day to day.

Drewski · 2021-01-15T19:29:21+00:00

It's the same concept, but I've used an Aeropress for a few years now and it makes great coffee. Gotta be sure to grind your beans fresh.

AmericanMuskrat · 2021-01-15T18:16:55+00:00

I have not, although I hear it's a good way to brew tea too. I don't know much about coffee, I know more about tea.

Is Keurig coffee instant coffee?

Coffee

MODERATORS