Why You Should Never Make a Mound of Coffee Inside of The Moka Pot

Making coffee with a moka pot is one of the most common rituals, especially in for coffee lovers, to start the day. If you use this little utensil that greets you with its "bubbling" sound, there's a gesture you probably do without even thinking: the mound of coffee in the filter. It's an action passed down from generations, and you probably do it almost as a sign of respect for tradition. Yet, despite its widespread use, this practice actually risks both ruining the coffee and compromising the moka pot's functioning.

Myths and Truths of an Italian Ritual

Most people's first thought, when preparing coffee, is to add more to enhance the flavor and intensity. The truth, however, is different: the moka pot is not an espresso machine and doesn't work well if overloaded with coffee. Both moka pots and espresso are two methods of extracting coffee that work completely differently. The former is achieved by decompression, meaning the water is brought to a much lower pressure (about 1.5 bar). Making a "mound" would make the coffee more bitter and heavy, resulting in overextraction. Since the moka pot works, as we mentioned earlier, by decompression, too much compacted coffee grounds would impede the flow of water through it. Furthermore, water that encounters too much resistance can create excessive pressure inside the boiler: this is where the safety valve comes in, a small device designed to prevent dangerous situations. In rare cases, in fact, an overloaded moka pot can even explode.

Espresso machines, on the other hand, were designed to brew coffee quickly, bringing the water to high pressure (about 9 bar) and allowing it to "pass through" the coffee grounds more quickly. Making a balanced drink requires small, but above all, correct, steps, even at home. Therefore, you shouldn't make a mound or press the grounds too much; at best, level them slightly, but never compress them, for the very reasons we've discussed so far. Furthermore, to achieve good results every time you brew coffee, you should fill the water up to the valve , never above it. Avoid over-tightening the machine, and turn the heat on to medium-low, turning it off as soon as the coffee begins to bubble. When it begins to bubble, open the pot, and as soon as it begins to bubble, close it again and immediately turn off the heat. Don't leave the coffee with the heat on; it tends to burn.

When cleaning, it's important to remember to thoroughly clean your moka pot with specific products, not harsh or overly scented detergents. With these little tips, your coffee will be nearly perfect and your day will start off on the right foot.

In short, making a mound of coffee with a moka pot isn't a crime, but it's not a necessity either. It's one of those habits we've inherited since childhood, but we can easily abandon it in favor of a more careful and even better preparation. Coffee is a serious matter, and we know it well, but sometimes changing a small habit can make even a simple morning coffee great.