4 ms·

If you're boiling the coffee (which is what the moka pot does), you're burning the coffee. I love moka pot brews, but as least be honest: you're burning it!

aneutron 5y ago
You're not. Not if you heat your water before putting in the grounds. Practically speaking, once you heat your water, it's a matter of seconds to get the coffee rolling. You should try it.
- bruprup 5y ago
  Interesting, but I think it's exactly opposite - I would think using water at 4C (the densest water gets) would give you the lowest brew temperature. With water at 4C, puts the most water inside the pressure chamber, leading to the greatest pressure change for a given delta(T). Instead, if the water is just below boiling, the water going through the grinds must be higher than 100 C (since the pressure raises the boiling point). It'll brew faster, and there is an argument to be made that quicker brews lead to less burning. But the T would be highest.
  - foobarian 5y ago
    If you start with cold water the increasing vapor pressure on the way to boiling will force some of the water through the coffee at varying temperatures, but past that it will reach steady state and end up pushing boiling water. Not sure how much of a difference there is in getting to that point. I don't think pressure matters much since the Bialetti is not a high pressure vessel (maybe 1.5atm probably less if beans are really coarse). Boiling less quickly (i.e. using lower heat) might put the coffee in contact with boiling water for longer. So it would seem high heat and cold water would be the way to go if you want to minimize the temperature-time product of the beans-to-water contact.
    - bruprup 5y ago
      Now I want to make two batches of coffee and measure the resultant coffee's temperature.
dredmorbius 5y ago
The Moka pot works by vapour pressure, not boiling per se. In the three-chamber design, there's a tight seal between the lower chamber (filled with water), and the cup (filled with grounds), connected by the siphon pipe. As the water is heated, even before it reaches boiling point, it's being forced up through the grounds. The last dregs of water are steam-hot, but earlier is not. And the liquid water keeps the temperature of the entire pot (including coffee) at or below the boiling point. The pressure and heat should result in a strong, rich, but not bitter, brew. Leaving the pot on the stove after it begins to "spit" (as steam sputters up the stempipe) will burn the coffee (and seals and pot). So Don't Do That.

aneutron 5y ago

You're not. Not if you heat your water before putting in the grounds. Practically speaking, once you heat your water, it's a matter of seconds to get the coffee rolling. You should try it.

bruprup 5y ago
Interesting, but I think it's exactly opposite - I would think using water at 4C (the densest water gets) would give you the lowest brew temperature. With water at 4C, puts the most water inside the pressure chamber, leading to the greatest pressure change for a given delta(T). Instead, if the water is just below boiling, the water going through the grinds must be higher than 100 C (since the pressure raises the boiling point). It'll brew faster, and there is an argument to be made that quicker brews lead to less burning. But the T would be highest.
- foobarian 5y ago
  If you start with cold water the increasing vapor pressure on the way to boiling will force some of the water through the coffee at varying temperatures, but past that it will reach steady state and end up pushing boiling water. Not sure how much of a difference there is in getting to that point. I don't think pressure matters much since the Bialetti is not a high pressure vessel (maybe 1.5atm probably less if beans are really coarse). Boiling less quickly (i.e. using lower heat) might put the coffee in contact with boiling water for longer. So it would seem high heat and cold water would be the way to go if you want to minimize the temperature-time product of the beans-to-water contact.
  - bruprup 5y ago
    Now I want to make two batches of coffee and measure the resultant coffee's temperature.

dredmorbius 5y ago

The Moka pot works by vapour pressure, not boiling per se. In the three-chamber design, there's a tight seal between the lower chamber (filled with water), and the cup (filled with grounds), connected by the siphon pipe. As the water is heated, even before it reaches boiling point, it's being forced up through the grounds. The last dregs of water are steam-hot, but earlier is not. And the liquid water keeps the temperature of the entire pot (including coffee) at or below the boiling point. The pressure and heat should result in a strong, rich, but not bitter, brew. Leaving the pot on the stove after it begins to "spit" (as steam sputters up the stempipe) will burn the coffee (and seals and pot). So Don't Do That.