If you like espresso, you should use the stovetop espresso maker when making coffee at home. It’s one of the most common coffee tools, and it can make coffee with a whole body and intense flavor.
So, you can have coffee that tastes like an espresso without buying a pricey machine for your home.
The stovetop espresso maker has a bad name because it is easy to make coffee that tastes bitter. Most people use it once or twice to make very bitter coffee. Coffee tastes anything like espresso, and then put it in the cabinet as decoration.
This post will show you how to use a stovetop espresso maker, the basics, and the techniques to make your coffee taste better.
Stove Top Espresso Maker How to Use?
Follow these easy steps to start using your stovetop espresso maker:
1. Prepare the Moka Pot
Separate the three parts of your stovetop coffee maker:
- The upper chamber holds the completed coffee.
- The filter holds the coffee grounds.
- The lower half part holds the water.
2. Grind Coffee Beans
The grind size is slightly bigger than the espresso but smaller than the drip. The options are variable, ranging from espresso to hand drip.
3. Add Water to the Bottom Chamber
Warm or hot water should be poured into the lower chamber until it reaches the bottom of the safety valve.
Please don’t cover the safety valve because it lets the pressure out to keep your pot from blowing up. The best water is filtered or spring water.
4. Assemble the Stovetop Espresso Maker
Now we need to put everything together. Before tightening the top compartment, insert the filter basket into the lower chamber.
Ensure the rim is clean, or the pressure will decrease as you brew. Before you screw the two pieces together, don’t forget to put the seal in place.
5. Put the Moka Pot on the Heat
Turn the handle away from the heat while positioning it over a medium-hot electric hot plate or gas burner (you’ll likely need a trivet if using a gas stove).
To reduce the excessive temperature spikes when using an electric stove, utilize a heat diffuser. When the steam pressure is high enough, the water will rise through the coffee and into the upper chamber.
6. Let the Coffee Flow
The water at the bottom will begin to dry up and will be forced through the coffee grounds and filtered by the pressure of steam.
Since hot water is used, the coffee starts to come out in about a minute. When you see coffee that looks good and tastes good, waits and listen.
7. Take the Espresso Maker away from the Stove
When the upper container is filled, take it from the heat and pour the contents into a cup that has been warming in the microwave.
Watch the collector chamber fill up with coffee. When you hear gurgling, it indicates that all the water has entered the top chamber. Coffee becomes increasingly bitter if left at a high temperature for too long, so remove it from the heat as soon as possible.
When you hear gurgling, it indicates that all the water has entered the top chamber. Stop the heat as soon as possible because the longer coffee is hot, the more bitter it gets.
Tips on How to make Espresso with Stovetop Espresso
A coffee maker that can be used on the stovetop appears to be quite simple to operate. Still, many people are unhappy with their “espresso” coffee. Here are some recommendations for utilizing Moka pots to make great coffee.
1. Grind Size for Stovetop Espresso Makers
For all brewing methods, grind size is crucial. The stovetop espresso maker does not require fine espresso grinds. Most stovetop espresso beginners make this error, resulting in bitter coffee.
Grind the beans coarsely, not espresso-fine. Moka pots require a coarser grind. The espresso-pour-over grind size works.
2. Fully Fill the Filter Basket
Ground coffee should fill the filter. Critical. The water won’t properly extract the coffee if the filter isn’t full. It makes weak coffee. Pressurized brewing includes Moka pot coffee. The coffee puck needs resistance to taste good.
Fill it slightly under the safety valve, like water for excellent coffee. Select a suitable Moka pot. You cannot use half the coffee and water in a 6-cup Bialetti Moka pot for 1-3 cups.
3. Don’t Tamp the Coffee Ground
Fill the filter and level the coffee grinds without tamping. Moka pots can’t handle high-pressure brewing. The 1-2 bars of pressure may not be enough to drive water through dense coffee grinds.
4. Should you Start with Cold or Hot Water?
Stovetop coffee makers should use hot water to reduce bitterness and brewing time. When you heat cold water, you heat your coffee. This makes the coffee taste bitterer. Stovetop coffee makers heat cold water slower.
Problems you could Face When Using a Stovetop Espresso Maker.
Stovetop espresso makers create good coffee if you follow the directions. You can alter the following issues till you get what you want.
1. The Coffee Tastes Too Weak
Make sure that the filter basket is full. Try tapping the filter to get the coffee grounds to spread out more. Or, next time, try the better grounds.
2. The Coffee Tastes Too Bitter
Moka pot coffee is standard. Try a coarser grind setting, or take the Moka pot off the Stove earlier. Keep the coffee maker off the Stove until it stops brewing. Coffee will be over-extracted.
Cover the lower pot with a cold, damp towel after removing the espresso maker from the Stove to minimize heat. Rinse it with cold water to stop brewing immediately.
3. What if Steam Leaks from the Gap or the Valve?
Safety first, unplug the Moka pot. Stovetop coffeemakers are overpressured. First, inspect for acceptable coffee grounds that may clog. Don’t tamp the coffee.
Check the rubber seal if fitness is fine. Check the filter orientation. The plate’s never filled the safety valve’s bottom.
Also Read: Can You Use Regular Coffee in an Espresso Machine
FAQs
How long does making stovetop espresso take?
Moka pots create coffee in around 5 minutes. Grinding and prep usually take 10–15 minutes.
How should coffee be ground for an espresso maker on the Stove?
Use a grind that is fine to medium but not espresso-fine. Thanks to the slightly coarser grind, the coffee won’t take too long to brew and won’t turn bitter.
Final Thoughts
To make coffee at home that tastes like a shot of espresso without leaving the house, use the stovetop espresso machine.
If you like the taste and strength of authentic espresso, you might not like the Moka pot. But a fantastic cappuccino or latte may be made with stovetop espresso, like the Italians, at home.