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Comment by anschwa | Hacker News Reader

The moka pot is super cool and I thought it made great coffee...until I discovered that I preferred almost every other possible brew method.

The moka pot is very hard to dial in and almost always burns the coffee. It requires care, focus, and attention. They're much more inconsistent than pour over and even the lever espresso machines I've used are less work.

I think moka pots are fun and worth experimenting with but I find it hard to believe people really love the results. But if you are always adding milk and sugar, then I can definitely see the appeal.

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What is it that makes it hard to dial in? Is it the amount of heat? I had very little experience with moka pots until recently, even though I lived in Italy and the apartment I rented included at least five Bialetti pots varying in size from small to large - I didn't understand how they worked, so I never tried, and it was easier to just go outside to the nearest coffee bar.

But this summer I rented a motor home for the holidays (yeah yeah covid vacation -again), which came with a Bialetti. So I looked up how to use it, and every morning I would make a couple of cups for myself and the wife, on the gas stove.

Perfect coffee every time, very easy, no problems whatsoever. The gas stove I used was on max every time, no changes, so maybe that's why it was consistent.. but I don't really see how it matters, as the heat is just making steam after all. So how can you get burned coffee?

Optimal brewing temperature is ~93.0°C. So steam is too hot.

I would think that is the best brewing temperature at 0 bar? An espresso machine is going to reach higher temperatures and makes a good coffee.

https://www.valvesonline.com.au/references/steam-tables/

Done properly, steam shouldn’t be going through the coffee grounds in a moka pot. The expansion of the air (and evaporation of the water as well admittedly) in the lower chamber pushes the hot water up through them.

If the water steams enough to rise the pressure its definitely not 93 degrees. Also the grounds are heated by the moka itself.

You can get burned coffee because the same container you use to heat the water to make the steam also holds the coffee and that still heats up. If you start with cold water that's more time for the coffee grinds to heat up and if you don't take it off the stove when it's done and cool it down right away that's time for the brewed coffee to start to burn as it's sitting in a heated hot pot.

Most other methods don't have you heat the coffee and the water together so you can only really burn it if you put it on a heating element after.

James Hoffmann [1] and many others recommend starting with really hot water at the bottom, so the coffee grinds have less time to heat up.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpyBYuu-wJI

The main problem I have is that our range uses halogen elements. Which reach a specific temp then cycle on and off to stay there. You’re either too low temp. So the water boils then stops. Or too high, so it bubbles over and burns the coffee.

They work best on gas hobs where you can control the flame height and provide consistent heating.

I've been making coffee on moka pots (both aluminum and stainless steel) daily for the past 30+ years and I have never experienced the problems you are talking about. On the contrary: I've tried a number of other coffee makers (french press, aeropress, percolator, …), but after a short time I wall always return to the moka pot.

Just now, because of this thread, I have ordered a Kamira Espresso maker. We'll see how it goes.

Two tips that worked for me: fill it with boiling water and use Lavazza Qualita Oro. Other combinations do indeed taste sour or burned.

Agreed. I had to read through a lot of praise to find your comment - I agree entirely.

Electric ones are great. Turn on and walk away.

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