Italian coffee maker

[Rhezuss]

My gf got me a nice italian coffee maker last year (a small 2 cup one).

I love strong coffee and since I got the thing I make myself come coffee at any hour of the day, be it 9am or 8pm...

There's just one thing...1 out of 5 coffees are the BEST! Perfect amount of water and coffee but the other 4 times it's good but not great.

Is there something i'm missing somewhere hahah?

I'm now asking you italian coffee making experts, how do you do it?

 

[bignateyk]

Italian Coffee? Isn't that espresso?

If you go to Italy and ask for coffee, you will get espresso. If you ask for "cafe americana" you will get an espresso in a big mug with a cup of hot water next to it to pour in.

 

[Crusty]

Sounds like your water isn't hitting the right temps all the time assuming your grind isn't changing.

 

[NetWareHead]

What kind of coffee maker is it? Is it a Bialetti espresso maker?

 

[cheezmunky]

if it's a moka pot you might want to check the gasket when putting the top on. If coffee grinds get on it, it won't seal properly and that might lead to weak coffee from lack of pressure.

 

[Rhezuss]

It's like that:

http://joaofelipescarpelini.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/pipo_italian_coffee_maker.png

You add water at the base recipient, add your coffee in a tray above the water and let it boil so the water passes through the coffee (sorry for the abd description, i'm french canandian so ahahha).

I think it's a matter of water/coffee quantity coupled with the temp at which you boil your water. I tend to put the fire on high but i'll try at low/med and let it slowly infuse...

 

[Tweak155]

I drink instant coffee now. Always has the same result due to adding boiling water. It is quite delicious.

 

[Crusty]

That's a percolator.

 

[NetWareHead]

Add the grinds to the middle recipient but do not pack them down. Just loosely shovel them into middle, it can mound up a little. Just don't add too much coffee. Follow the instructions that came with the coffee maker but you want to avoid pressing it down and compacting the grinds.

Use cold water

Use coffee specifically ground for espresso pots.

Use low heat from start to finish, not high or even medium. The water needs to slowly boil and slowly percolate up to the top recipient. The slower the water percolates, the more flavorful and richer the coffee will be. If you use high heat, all of the water will percolate in less than 30 seconds and you have a crappy coffee.

Screw the top to the bottom tightly and ensure there is a good seal before making coffee.

When cleaning the pot, never use soap. Only rinse the pot with water. Make sure the rubber O-Ring is rinsed well and left over coffee grounds are not left sticking to it.

Allow the pot to fully air dry, even on the inside before screwing it back together and storing it. I also like to put a small paper towel in the bottom recipient to soak up any remaining moisture. You coffee pot will acquire weird smells if you screw it back together and there is remaining moisture.

It's like that:

http://joaofelipescarpelini.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/pipo_italian_coffee_maker.png

You add water at the base recipient, add your coffee in a tray above the water and let it boil so the water passes through the coffee (sorry for the abd description, i'm french canandian so ahahha).

I think it's a matter of water/coffee quantity coupled with the temp at which you boil your water. I tend to put the fire on high but i'll try at low/med and let it slowly infuse...

 

[Rhezuss]

Add the grinds to the middle recipient but do not pack them down. Just loosely shovel them into middle, it can mound up a little. Just don't add too much coffee. Follow the instructions that came with the coffee maker but you want to avoid pressing it down and compacting the grinds.

Use cold water

Use coffee specifically ground for espresso pots.

Use low heat from start to finish, not high or even medium. The water needs to slowly boil and slowly percolate up to the top recipient. The slower the water percolates, the more flavorful and richer the coffee will be. If you use high heat, all of the water will percolate in less than 30 seconds and you have a crappy coffee.

Screw the top to the bottom tightly and ensure there is a good seal before making coffee.

When cleaning the pot, never use soap. Only rinse the pot with water. Make sure the rubber O-Ring is rinsed well and left over coffee grounds are not left sticking to it.

Allow the pot to fully air dry, even on the inside before screwing it back together and storing it. I also like to put a small paper towel in the bottom recipient to soak up any remaining moisture. You coffee pot will acquire weird smells if you screw it back together and there is remaining moisture.

Thanks a million NetWareHead!

My mistakes from what I read:

- I always compact the coffee
- I boil the water at high temp
- Even tho I don't get werid smells from the coffee maker, i'll let it air dry from now on

I'll try that tonight and see how it goes...damn coffee's good!

 

[manimal]

What brand of coffee are you using in your Moka?

 

[NetWareHead]

Thanks a million NetWareHead!

My mistakes from what I read:

- I always compact the coffee
- I boil the water at high temp
- Even tho I don't get werid smells from the coffee maker, i'll let it air dry from now on

I'll try that tonight and see how it goes...damn coffee's good!

No problem. I'm pretty confident that was your issue...alot of first-timers compact the coffee grounds and leave no room for the water to pass through it

One more thing. As soon as the coffee is done percolating, you want to immediately turn off the heat. if you continue to heat the pot with no water underneath (a dry pot) you will ruin the pot and burn the already made coffee.

Regarding the heat level, I use the smallest stove burner and attempt to use the lowest heat setting possible. The espresso will take up to 10 + minutes to make but it will be so black, so dense and so strong. My espresso comes out stronger than even the Turkish coffee I make. Good luck!

 

[BurnItDwn]

No problem. I'm pretty confident that was your issue...alot of first-timers compact the coffee grounds and leave no room for the water to pass through it

One more thing. As soon as the coffee is done percolating, you want to immediately turn off the heat. if you continue to heat the pot with no water underneath (a dry pot) you will ruin the pot and burn the already made coffee.

Regarding the heat level, I use the smallest stove burner and attempt to use the lowest heat setting possible. The espresso will take up to 10 + minutes to make but it will be so black, so dense and so strong. My espresso comes out stronger than even the Turkish coffee I make. Good luck!

That sounds really really good .... how does it compare to french press?
Now I'm wanting to get a percolator ... grrrrr!

 

[alfa147x]

That sounds really really good .... how does it compare to french press?
Now I'm wanting to get a percolator ... grrrrr!

Lol I was going to ask the same question

 

[joesmoke]

i had to stop using a moka pot because it always came out too strong. my hands would shake after drinking...

 

[NetWareHead]

That sounds really really good .... how does it compare to french press?
Now I'm wanting to get a percolator ... grrrrr!

French press is good but it is just stronger american coffee, with perhaps a little more density than standard percolated coffee. This is due to the lack of a filter in french press which lets more oils and ultra-fine grounds make it into the coffee.

French press coffee still cannot compare with Turkish or Espresso coffee. Those two are the strongest, darkest and densest coffees. These two have a mouthfeel that american and french press dont have. Espresso is made by percolating it in a sealed vessel under the pressure of boiling water, forcing it through the grinds . Turkish coffee is made by bringing water to a near boil in an open vessel with coffee grinds mixed in (Turkish coffee grinds are actually finely ground beans, fine powder actually and finer than any other coffee). I like both and cant compare the two really. I like american and french press for first thing in the morning but prefer espresso/Turkish coffee for after meals or socializing.

A good espresso pot brand is Bialetti http://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-Expre...9253311&sr=8-2 Make sure you use espresso grind coffee.

For Turkish coffee, you need a vessel call a cezve http://www.amazon.com/Turkish-Coffee...9253436&sr=1-5 and need to use Turkish grind coffee

 

[BurnItDwn]

French press is good but it is just stronger american coffee, with perhaps a little more density than standard percolated coffee. This is due to the lack of a filter in french press which lets more oils and ultra-fine grounds make it into the coffee.

French press coffee still cannot compare with Turkish or Espresso coffee. Those two are the strongest, darkest and densest coffees. These two have a mouthfeel that american and french press dont have. Espresso is made by percolating it in a sealed vessel under the pressure of boiling water, forcing it through the grinds . Turkish coffee is made by bringing water to a near boil in an open vessel with coffee grinds mixed in (Turkish coffee grinds are actually finely ground beans, fine powder actually and finer than any other coffee). I like both and cant compare the two really. I like american and french press for first thing in the morning but prefer espresso/Turkish coffee for after meals or socializing.

A good espresso pot brand is Bialetti http://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-Expre...9253311&sr=8-2 Make sure you use espresso grind coffee.

For Turkish coffee, you need a vessel call a cezve http://www.amazon.com/Turkish-Coffee...9253436&sr=1-5 and need to use Turkish grind coffee

Just wondering in terms of how strong the flavor was, a good strong cup of french press vs stovetop espresso maker

If I buy espresso at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts or any other mainstream coffee shops, it's not as strong as when I make french press, and my experience with attempting to brew my own espresso was dismal failure due to using a shitty Mr Coffee espresso maker.

I have had Turkish coffee at a few places in Greektown in Chicago, they claimed it was Greek coffee, but it's the same thing.

I have a Krupps Burr grinder, and can grind powder nearly as fine as Turkish coffee or big chunks too...

Maybe I'll pick one of these up....
I agree that espresso has a more interesting flavor vs French Press, but, it just seems like the strongest flavor coffee I have ever been able to attain was by using my french press...

Thanks!

 

[sjwaste]

NetWareHead gave good advice. I second what he said, except that I compact the coffee in there to varying degrees and find that it's rarely the source of any significant change in the coffee. I mean, it's not so compact in there that water won't flow, but I like to get a little more in because I like the flavor. Could just be my palate or whatever, but the coffee I use is the largest factor. Starting from cold water, surprisingly, is very important as well.

 

[NetWareHead]

I can't speak for other coffees or espressos but the espresso I make is hand down the strongest coffee I have ever tasted. I use imported coffee from Italy in a Bialetti pot like I posted before. I like espresso over french press or american because the flavor is much more concentrated and not watery. They really are two totally different coffees.

Yeah regarding starbucks and even most restaurants, they just dont know how to make a cup of Italian espresso. if they tried to sell it in Italy, it would get tossed on the floor or used to water plants.

Lol, Greek, Serbian, Albanian, Turkish or whatever Balkan country coffee you want to call it. I call it Ottoman coffee since that is the one unifying element all of those countries have and where the coffee tradition came from.

Just wondering in terms of how strong the flavor was, a good strong cup of french press vs stovetop espresso maker

If I buy espresso at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts or any other mainstream coffee shops, it's not as strong as when I make french press, and my experience with attempting to brew my own espresso was dismal failure due to using a shitty Mr Coffee espresso maker.

I have had Turkish coffee at a few places in Greektown in Chicago, they claimed it was Greek coffee, but it's the same thing.

I have a Krupps Burr grinder, and can grind powder nearly as fine as Turkish coffee or big chunks too...

Maybe I'll pick one of these up....
I agree that espresso has a more interesting flavor vs French Press, but, it just seems like the strongest flavor coffee I have ever been able to attain was by using my french press...

Thanks!

 

[NetWareHead]

All this talk about coffee and I ended up making some.

Start off with the right coffee
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XxzG8Bwqckjpab1fA0biWpS56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

Fill espresso pot
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gqnNBPtSztpdBI7dPwLNkZS56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

On stove
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8Xqq-WmBHGUf_wKVTj4CEpS56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

Coffee is done
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RnRT5jhRv6LDWPmxpItrsJS56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

In cup
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eoEMEf_t8-pjrrYFMXiRK5S56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

 

[Crusty]

All this talk about coffee and I ended up making some.

Start off with the right coffee
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XxzG8Bwqckjpab1fA0biWpS56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

Fill espresso pot
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gqnNBPtSztpdBI7dPwLNkZS56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

On stove
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8Xqq-WmBHGUf_wKVTj4CEpS56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

Coffee is done
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RnRT5jhRv6LDWPmxpItrsJS56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

In cup
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eoEMEf_t8-pjrrYFMXiRK5S56Tk-XLpbRfN3cJeX034?feat=directlink

Your pics aren't working(edit: they are now...). I did the same thing though when I got home from work... made myself an espresso. mmmm

 

[alfa147x]

Your pics aren't working(edit: they are now...). I did the same thing though when I got home from work... made myself an espresso. mmmm

Just made coffee in my french press

 

[Crusty]

Just made coffee in my french press

That's usually in the morning for me. Let it steep while taking my morning shit and then pop it into my thermos and I'm good until lunch

 

[zinfamous]

NetWareHead gave good advice. I second what he said, except that I compact the coffee in there to varying degrees and find that it's rarely the source of any significant change in the coffee. I mean, it's not so compact in there that water won't flow, but I like to get a little more in because I like the flavor. Could just be my palate or whatever, but the coffee I use is the largest factor. Starting from cold water, surprisingly, is very important as well.

yes, I have found that the water makes a huge difference. we have an electric percolator, so we can't really control the heat, unfortunately.

I've always thought it was that I was using filtered water as opposed to tap water, but it sounds like it is more that the filter water was cold (brita pitcher) vs the RT tap water as the real factor?

:hmm:

 

[alfa147x]

That's usually in the morning for me. Let it steep while taking my morning shit and then pop it into my thermos and I'm good until lunch

I'm a big fan of coffee around 7 pm with some baileys