I know a 3 cup one will be tiny, but because it is sort of like espresso i can easily add some frothed milk to get a cappuccino, or hot water for an americano. If i got a moka pot big enough to make a full cup of coffee just by itself, well then i would go through coffee beans too fast and im guessing that the cup of coffee would be very strong.
Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread
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Soldato
I just can't seem to get on with my moka pot. I got bought a 9 cup one for my birthday and some grounds from starbucks.
Every coffee I have made with it has been either like tar or bitter. I fill up the bottom as instructed then use one shot glass of the resulting espresso in a mug, topped up with hot water and milk.
It really is yucky. Are the aeropresses any good?
Every coffee I have made with it has been either like tar or bitter. I fill up the bottom as instructed then use one shot glass of the resulting espresso in a mug, topped up with hot water and milk.
It really is yucky. Are the aeropresses any good?
I am really excited. In Teddington where my new place of work is there's a shop on the high street that roasts and grinds its own beans. Just got a simple Guatemala medium roast but it's already noticeably awesomer than what I've had before. I thought it was all over when my local place closed down and my Espresso machine has been switched off pretty much since then. Am I lucky or what?
I had very good results with Illy pre-ground. Supermarket stuff was horrible, Whittard usually came out very bitter, Lavazza tasted oily, but Illy had a nice strong nutty taste to it. I found you have to be consistent with the amount of coffee you use and the boiling process. It worked better boiling it quite slowly, maybe because it didn't overheat it. Pack plenty of coffee in it and compact it lightly with the back of the spoon.
You two, I used a moka pot for years before I got my Gaggia machine. I found it gave good results but it was very very fussy about the coffee. I had a 3-cup jobbie which was way adequate because it comes out very strong, so Youstole dude, I reckon yours may be too big for what you want it for and you'll get through a lot of coffee.
I had very good results with Illy pre-ground. Supermarket stuff was horrible, Whittard usually came out very bitter, Lavazza tasted oily, but Illy had a nice strong nutty taste to it. I found you have to be consistent with the amount of coffee you use and the boiling process. It worked better boiling it quite slowly, maybe because it didn't overheat it. Pack plenty of coffee in it and compact it lightly with the back of the spoon.
Soldato
Here's how I'm using mine:
- Freshly ground coffee. Finer than standard, but not too fine.
- Almost fill the middle section with the grounds, but don't compress.
- Boil water in kettle, then fill the bottom section to just below the pressure valve with this hot water.
- Put on a low heat on the hob. As soon as coffee starts coming into the top section, I take it off the heat until it slows down. I then gradually re-apply the heat until there's a decent amount of coffee.
- Take off the heat at the first sign of boiling. No boiling water should touch the grounds. Once your water is starting to boil, that's it.
- Drink up
The crucial thing is the application of the heat. Before the water boils in the bottom section, the steam it produces raises the pressure, and forces the hot (not boiling) water up through the coffee. It's a very clever little device really.
Also, have you tried not diluting it? Ie: as an espresso?
Aeropress is great.
I suspect that one of the bigger problems you're having is with the coffee itself. Starbucks coffee is notoriously terrible.
You're best off buying to pre-ground from Hasbean if you don't have a grinder.
Soldato
Thanks for the advice guys, will consider some different options.
also- when it says a 9 cup pot- that does mean a 9 shot of espresso pot doesn't it?
I like latte's so after brewing the espresso in the moka pot would I then top up a shot of espresso with warm milk/hot water to make the latte?
also- when it says a 9 cup pot- that does mean a 9 shot of espresso pot doesn't it?
I like latte's so after brewing the espresso in the moka pot would I then top up a shot of espresso with warm milk/hot water to make the latte?
Associate
Flibster, have you received your coffee yet?
Associate
No.
I think you'd better contact Steve and see if he can send you out another pack, not trying to rub it in but I received episode 52s coffee this morning so yours has definitely gone missing!
Mark.
I think you'd better contact Steve and see if he can send you out another pack, not trying to rub it in but I received episode 52s coffee this morning so yours has definitely gone missing!
Mark.
Already have done - if it's not there first thing monday morning he's going to send out my monthly coffee from last month, IMM 50, 51
I'm expecting that IMM52 will arrive before any of the others.
Caporegime
ARGHHHHH
Had an AWFUL morning of making coffee...look how much grind i wasted?
It just keep on choking...weird thing is that it is the SAME setting i used last night. I didnt touch it and this morning it would not stop choking, i even turn the dial down, use less grind. It is the same beans !!! I resorted to clean it the internals and then its the same....eventually i got a shot out...after wasting 7 shots, that's half a fricking bag of GOOD coffee !
Had an AWFUL morning of making coffee...look how much grind i wasted?
It just keep on choking...weird thing is that it is the SAME setting i used last night. I didnt touch it and this morning it would not stop choking, i even turn the dial down, use less grind. It is the same beans !!! I resorted to clean it the internals and then its the same....eventually i got a shot out...after wasting 7 shots, that's half a fricking bag of GOOD coffee !
At least you have *or had* coffee...
Steve is sending what I've missed by special delivery today though, so that should arrive by friday, given the efficiency of the royal mail.
Although, can't really drink coffee even if I had any, 101°F fever and tonsillitis are conspiring against me to keep me in bed and coughing my guts up.
Steve is sending what I've missed by special delivery today though, so that should arrive by friday, given the efficiency of the royal mail.
Although, can't really drink coffee even if I had any, 101°F fever and tonsillitis are conspiring against me to keep me in bed and coughing my guts up.
Caporegime
At least you have *or had* coffee...
Steve is sending what I've missed by special delivery today though, so that should arrive by friday, given the efficiency of the royal mail.
Although, can't really drink coffee even if I had any, 101°F fever and tonsillitis are conspiring against me to keep me in bed and coughing my guts up.
How many bags do you order each time?
I normally order 5, and the last few times have sent via UPS and FedEx !
This was way before the postal strikes.
At the moment I'm just on the In my mug subscription. Normally 1 a week *sometimes more than that though*
Although I should get 5 in the post when they arrive.
My monthly subscription, 3 from IMM50 and 1 from IMM51IMM52 may still arrive in the next couple of days via the Royal Fail.
Great thread guys, such that I have registered to add a post.
I have been suffering the obsessive compulsive espresso disorder for a few years now and have enjoyed reading through the 1k+ posts on the thread, thought I might add my experiences and opinions, some of which have already been iterated in the thread.
1. The beans are the thing, without quality freshly roasted beans, ground just before you use them, no amount of money on the espresso machine will produce really good coffee.
2. The grinder needs to grind fine enough and give consistent results, it also needs to be adjustable to compensate for differing bean characteristics. Get a reasonable burr grinder basically.
3. Keep your equipment clean and use filtered water in a hard area. Descale with a recommended descaler regularly. I clean round the group head after every shot, the grinder once a week (brushes not expensive cleaning granules) and descale every 2 months.
4 . Get a solid tamper, practise the tamp - yes I have had the bathroom scales on the worktop.
5. Try different coffee beans, you will find the ones that just do it for you and sometimes the ones that definitely don`t. Yes Sainsburys, I mean your own brand beans, gee they were awful, but I did buy them in an emergency, more fool me.
6. Always allow the espresso machine time to warm up and lock the portafilter in place in the grouphead to warm it up too.
7. Do buy a stainless steel jug and thermometer and learn how to make those fine frothy milky bubbles - it impresses the hell out of guests when you serve them a drink and your cappuccino or latte will taste better.
As far as equipment, I am currently using a Gaggia baby dose which though not perfect, makes some damn fine coffee. Briefly had a Gaggia Classic lookalikee which had no three way solenoid which I now think is essential. Lucky for me it committed suicide shortly after purchase and I got an exchange / upgrade. Prior to this I had a Krups machine which provided good if not great (with hindsight) service for a couple of years. In the future I will move to the Rancilio Silvia, mostly for increased steaming power and it should be more thermally stable due to the bigger boiler.
For grinding I have a modified Dualit burr grinder which gives good results, this will be replaced with an Iberital MC2 soon for better adjustabilty. With hindsight I should have gone straght for the Iberital as after the beans, the grinder is the key to good results.
Beans are usually bought from Garraways, very good fresh beans at a great price when you buy in bulk (we get through half a kilo a week as a minimum). Having read the thread, Has Bean certainly looks to be the place for a wider range of beans to try though.
Cheers
DrF
I have been suffering the obsessive compulsive espresso disorder for a few years now and have enjoyed reading through the 1k+ posts on the thread, thought I might add my experiences and opinions, some of which have already been iterated in the thread.
1. The beans are the thing, without quality freshly roasted beans, ground just before you use them, no amount of money on the espresso machine will produce really good coffee.
2. The grinder needs to grind fine enough and give consistent results, it also needs to be adjustable to compensate for differing bean characteristics. Get a reasonable burr grinder basically.
3. Keep your equipment clean and use filtered water in a hard area. Descale with a recommended descaler regularly. I clean round the group head after every shot, the grinder once a week (brushes not expensive cleaning granules) and descale every 2 months.
4 . Get a solid tamper, practise the tamp - yes I have had the bathroom scales on the worktop.
5. Try different coffee beans, you will find the ones that just do it for you and sometimes the ones that definitely don`t. Yes Sainsburys, I mean your own brand beans, gee they were awful, but I did buy them in an emergency, more fool me.
6. Always allow the espresso machine time to warm up and lock the portafilter in place in the grouphead to warm it up too.
7. Do buy a stainless steel jug and thermometer and learn how to make those fine frothy milky bubbles - it impresses the hell out of guests when you serve them a drink and your cappuccino or latte will taste better.
As far as equipment, I am currently using a Gaggia baby dose which though not perfect, makes some damn fine coffee. Briefly had a Gaggia Classic lookalikee which had no three way solenoid which I now think is essential. Lucky for me it committed suicide shortly after purchase and I got an exchange / upgrade. Prior to this I had a Krups machine which provided good if not great (with hindsight) service for a couple of years. In the future I will move to the Rancilio Silvia, mostly for increased steaming power and it should be more thermally stable due to the bigger boiler.
For grinding I have a modified Dualit burr grinder which gives good results, this will be replaced with an Iberital MC2 soon for better adjustabilty. With hindsight I should have gone straght for the Iberital as after the beans, the grinder is the key to good results.
Beans are usually bought from Garraways, very good fresh beans at a great price when you buy in bulk (we get through half a kilo a week as a minimum). Having read the thread, Has Bean certainly looks to be the place for a wider range of beans to try though.
Cheers
DrF
Hello, Bienvenue, Willkommen, Welcome.
Most of us do seem to be HasBean Steves' bitches.
Well worth it though - top chap.
To give you an idea of some of the coffee he does: www.inmymug.com - tasting on video
Welcome aboard mate, thanks for your input.
Associate
Has anyone tried Hasbean's Wahana Espresso Blend? I've been buying from Steve for years and this was the first coffee I bought to disappoint me! It simply has very little aroma and an acidic taste!
Good to see more people buying stove-tops! Mine's given me loyal service for 8 years, and I still break it out every now and then even though I mostly use the Aeropress these days.
@Youstolemyname: Your pot is simply too big dude! I've never seen a 9-cup pot, I'd be curious to know where you got it from, but I can imagine that it would be hell trying to brew a decent coffee in there!
It simply has very little aroma and an acidic taste!Good to see more people buying stove-tops! Mine's given me loyal service for 8 years, and I still break it out every now and then even though I mostly use the Aeropress these days.
@Youstolemyname: Your pot is simply too big dude! I've never seen a 9-cup pot, I'd be curious to know where you got it from, but I can imagine that it would be hell trying to brew a decent coffee in there!