Receta How to make a perfect italian coffee at home and explanation about coffees you can find at an italian bar
Today I talk to you about how to do a perfect italian coffee with your Moka pot (yes, a perfect coffee with an italian Moka pot is always possible!) and the explanation of the main types of coffee you can find in an italian bar.
Nowadays you can find espresso almost everywhere and/or you can have good espresso maker at your home at a cheap price with the simple and fast coffee capsules but the old and classic method of doing coffee with an italian Moka pot, with the right coffee blend, is still good (if not the best). …..well, if you have space and money you can always buy a bar espresso machine for perfect results.
Starting from the history, Moka pot was invented in Italy by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933, revolutionizing the way of making coffee at home. The name refers to the city of Moka, Yemen, famous for having a good quality coffee blend.
It consists in three parts: a boiler for water (A), a funnel-shaped filter (B) to put the finely ground coffee in and the upper part (C) that serve as a coffee collector.
There are few but important steps to follow to reach a perfect coffee and thanks to online shops today you don’t have to travel all the way to Italy to buy an italian Moka pot and its coffee blend!
Ingredients:
you need to have the best italian Moka pot that is the distinctive eight-side shaped Bialetti Moka that allows to diffuse heat perfectly to enhance the aroma of your coffee.
I’m aware that there are a lot of similar Moka pot on the market, but, trust me, I (and my whole family) tested them and the best is Bialetti. *
you need to find a good finely-ground coffee blend for Moka pot. The best ever industrial coffee blend is Lavazza Qualità Rossa (red) (or at least Illy or Pellini). *
you need to have some good quality water, bottled is better so you’re sure to avoid hard water that is not suitable for italian coffee.
Instructions:
Take the boiler and fill it up with water until the water level is right below the little safety valve.
Insert the filter into the boiler.
Now you have to choose between 2 thought patterns (my family always use the second option):
- fill it up with finely-ground coffee creating a little mountain on it (1/3 the height of the filter), do not press it, just leave it that way;
OR
- fill it up with finely-ground coffee, press it with the back of a teaspoon and with a toothpick make 5 holes in the pressed coffee.
Screw the upper part of the Moka pot tightly onto the base, put it on a kitchen burner on a low heat to allow the water to rise slowly between the coffee powder, therefore releasing better its aroma.
If the heat is high your coffee will come out too early and probably it will have a burned taste.
When you hear the characteristic gurgling noise, open and keep the lid of the Moka pot up to prevent that the condensed vapor goes back to the ground coffee and therefore changes its flavor.
When the hazel brown foam appears and a second before the coffee comes out completely, take the Moka pot away from the burner.
Before pouring coffee to espresso cups, take a teaspoon and stir a little bit (to equalize the different coffee layers).
The experts say that coffee should be drunk bitter, to taste better its intensity and aroma (if you can stand it!).
To achieve a perfect coffee with your Moka pot you have to use the same pot several times, so it’s normal that the first 10-20 coffee are not so special.
Now you would say “what??? 10-20 times??? it’s a lot!”. You have to count that the italian average is 3 coffees per day so, a week is not so long here…
Mantaining the Moka pot
Another ESSENTIAL step to achieve a good italian coffee is to wash (with your hands) every part of the Moka pot just with warm running water, DO NOT use soap or something different from water. Even if the inner part of your Moka pot would naturally blacken due to the oily coffee residue, never ever use soap after the first time (when the pot is brand new).
Let every parts dry (upside down) before reassembling the Moka pot.
You just have to change the gasket when it’s consumed. Then your Moka pot would last a life time! and the more you use it the more the coffee is good!
Where to store your coffee
Tightly close the coffee package or put the ground coffee in an airtight container. Keep the coffee powder away from the sunlight, for example in a kitchen cabinet.
Some people suggest to store it in the refrigerator but we couldn’t see any difference, maybe because our house is not usually hot.
MAIN COFFEES YOU CAN FIND AT AN ITALIAN BAR
In Italy you can find just espresso coffee at bars but there are different types on which you can choose.
Yes, of course you would have to be an espresso lover to feel the difference between one to another (except for Cappuccino!) but maybe someone of you has always wanted to know what’s the difference between them and the exact italian pronunciation.
Ristretto (pron. ree-stray-toe): it’s obtained by leaving less water to flow into the cup that a normal espresso, therefore it has a darker color and a fuller aroma, so a stronger espresso flavor. However, the concentration of caffeine is very reduced.
Corto (pron. kor-toe): it’s obtained by leaving less water to flow into the cup, like the Ristretto coffee, but has the same caffeine concentration of a long coffee.
Lungo (pron. loon-goh): opposed to Ristretto coffee, it’s obtained by letting more water flow into the cup, therefore you have a coffee with a lower concentration of aromas and a high concentration of caffeine.
Macchiato (pron. muh-kyuh-toe): it’s obtained by adding a small amount of foamed milk, cold or hot, to a normal espresso.
Cappuccino (cup-pooh-ceen-oh): like the Macchiato coffee, it’s obtained by adding foamed milk to an espresso but Cappuccino has larger quantities of coffee and milk and it’s served in larger cups. Italians usually drink it just for breakfast or in mid-morning, not after a meal.
Corretto (core-ret-toe): it’s a normal espresso modified by the addition of a small amount of liquor, usually Grappa.
*Note: this article reflects my thoughts, I have no commercial interests in those brands.