Brewing Guide for Oven-top Espresso Makers
If you love the taste of fresh espresso but don`t have the space or money for a full size espresso machine then an oven top espresso maker might be for you. Also known as espresso pots or moka pots, these coffee pots allow you to brew espresso style coffee in the comfort of your own home.
Espresso Style Coffee
Espresso coffee is stronger than standard coffee as a greater amount of pressure in forced onto the coffee grounds, extracting more flavour. To be officially termed an espresso the grounds need to receive 7-9 bars of pressure.
An oven top espresso maker uses the same principle, although with typically 1 bar of pressure. This is enough to result in a strong espresso style coffee with a similar flavour and texture as espresso, making moka pots a great way of brewing professional tasting coffee at home.
Getting started
Before you start make sure to pre-heat your cups by placing them in hot water. If you forget to do this your coffee will cool quickly.
The next thing you should do is fill the water tank on the espresso pot to just below the safety release valve. If you`re not sure how much to add then check the manufacturer`s instructions. Use water freshly drawn from your cold tap. If you live in an area with hard water you may find you get a better result from using filtered water as the alkaline in the tap water can neutralise some of the acids in coffee. This can have an impact on colour and flavour.
After adding the water insert the funnel-shaped filter and add your coffee. Loosely fill it so that it`s almost level with the top of the filter funnel don`t pack it down as the grounds need room to expand whilst brewing. Make sure that you use medium fine coffee grounds and not those designed for espresso machines as these require greater pressure than that provided by an espresso pot.
Tightly screw on the upper part of the water tank and place it over a medium heat. As the water heats up steam starts to appear in the boiler. This will result in a build-up of pressure that will force the water through the funnel and coffee grounds and into the upper section of the pot. This should start to happen approximately 3-4 minutes after you put the pot on the stove. If the coffee comes though too quickly or slowly adjust the temperature on your stove so that it remains steady.
And Serve
Remove from the heat once the flow of coffee has stopped and serve immediately . If you leave it in the espresso pot it will continue to heat up and start to become bitter. When you come to clean your moka pot you will likely see a thin oily residue. Don`t clean this off fully as it will stop the taste of aluminium seeping into your coffee.
You`ll quickly master the art of creating your own espresso style coffee at home. Before long you`ll be looking forward to putting your espresso pot on your Rangemaster Classic Deluxe, waiting with anticipation as the smell of coffee reaches your senses and then settling down to enjoy your freshly brewed espresso.
