Mokapots, Moka, or Stovetop Espresso, Period.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by TRicker

...I am sipping sweet Moka from my new 2 cup mokapot... The perfect amount for me to drink by myself,check(my old pot was a 6 cupper and now I think I will live longer...

Here, above, it is explained why big mokapots are not for most people. The little whippers make plenty enough coffee for most moka drinkers. The big pots are for crowds and, by and large, it's still hard to find a crowd of moka drinkers in most of our houses.

If I ever drank a six-cup pot of moka they would find my remains orbiting Jupiter. GermantownRob, contrary to laws of normal human physiology, can drink enough moka to kill a horse and then enjoy a cigar. Except for Icelandic fishermen, Rob is the only exception I know to the "small pot saves lives" rule.

[DavenportESQ]

Do you have to use expresso, or can you use any coffee?

[muziq]

Originally Posted by DavenportESQ

Do you have to use expresso, or can you use any coffee?

Any coffee, just make sure the grind is right. It's part of the fun to experiment with not only different roasts, but mixes of roasts and beans of different origin. The difference in flavors can be striking, just the right kind of variety to keep you coming back year after year.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by muziq

Any coffee...

I find moka made from espresso blends less satisfying than moka made from a single origin bean or the typical drip-brewing blends. Can't say why that might be. I pretty much avoid espresso blends with the mokapot. Could just be me. Try it all!

[DavenportESQ]

hmm...I was under the impression that you had to use expresso so thats all I have been using. I will have to go try out some new stuff, I love this thing!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by DavenportESQ

hmm...I was under the impression that you had to use expresso so thats all I have been using. I will have to go try out some new stuff, I love this thing!

Like Muziq said, any coffee works as long as it is ground fine enough and, of course, the fresher the roast the better.

Good espresso blends reward the brewer after a 9-bar+ extraction. The lower pressure mokapot leave espresso blends a little bite-ie, IMO. What passes for "the utterly stunning complexity of vanilla-scented 17-year old Madagascar arabica" under 9-bar of pressure might finish from a mokapot as, "just a little too bitey for me, thanks." Not to say you won't like moka made from espresso blends but you might like some single origin beans or conventional drip blends even more.

Lotsa kinds of coffee out there, each with its' own bright spot. Don't limit yourself. I don't ever recall saying this-or-that kind of coffee made moka I couldn't drink... it ALL drinks pretty good if it's fresh.

[muziq]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Good espresso blends reward the brewer after a 9-bar+ extraction. The lower pressure mokapot leave espresso blends a little bite-ie, IMO. What passes for "the utterly stunning complexity of vanilla-scented 17-year old Madagascar arabica" under 9-bar of pressure might finish from a mokapot as, "just a little too bitey for me, thanks." Not to say you won't like moka made from espresso blends but you might like some single origin beans or conventional drip blends even more.

Lotsa kinds of coffee out there, each with its' own bright spot. Don't limit yourself. I don't ever recall saying this-or-that kind of coffee made moka I couldn't drink... it ALL drinks pretty good if it's fresh.

Sound advice. I've learned that for my Mukka/Mokapot brewing, I tend to like single bean in medium and dark roasts: South and Central Americans I'll do at either roast, but for the African beans I don't enjoy the dark quite as much (with a very few exceptions). When it comes to experimenting with my own blends, which I've been doing a lot lately thanks to a gracious and patient local roster, I'm now trying out mixing not only origins but roasts as well. It's great fun going through the combinations and finding unexpected flavors in your coffee every week or so.

For my french press, I make other choices. But that's another thread.

Will someone now please direct me to the crispy, thick bacon thread?