How to brew coffee in a geyser coffee maker. Italian traditions

A geyser coffee maker (moka-pot, moka-express, geyser) is the simplest device with which you can prepare espresso no worse than in an Italian coffee shop. In Italy, such devices are used in 9 out of 10 homes, and Italians know a lot about good coffee. We tell you all about how to brew coffee in a geyser coffee maker.

Enjoy your coffee!

Mocha was invented with the dream of making strong coffee like espresso at home. How close your drink is to Espresso is up to you to judge, but you will find more ways to brew strong coffee in our other articles. And remember that there is always room for experimentation - try different beans, change the grind size, and try brewing coffee with spices: cinnamon, nutmeg or white pepper, it will be delicious!

For the instructions, we used a Bialetti coffee maker; this is the company that popularized this design. The founder of the company, Alfonso Bialetti, was so delighted with this creation that he bequeathed to be buried in the same coffee maker. You can find out a detailed history by visiting the official website, or read on Wikipedia.

Cooking simply and quickly

The first “geysers” appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, and a little later Alfonso Bialetti developed an ideal shape for them and a typical appearance that has survived to this day. The principle of operation is quite simple: water is heated in the lower compartment, steam is produced, which pushes the liquid upward, through a layer of crushed coffee beans. The finished espresso is collected at the top.

As a rule, “geysers” are made of metal and are placed on a stove. There are also electric models of this type; you can use them to prepare a drink in the office or on a trip, plugging it into an outlet.

Operating principle

Modern manufacturers offer a wide selection of coffee machines, but they are expensive, and in terms of the taste of the drink, household devices are much inferior to industrial ones. Geyser coffee makers are a worthy alternative. These devices are used by 90% of Italian families. They are also popular in the USA, Australia and Western Europe.

Alfonso Bialetti

The first devices appeared at the beginning of the 19th century. Later, Alfonso Bialetti came up with a special shape and design for them, which has survived to this day. Bialetti were very popular in Italy. Today on sale you can find geyser coffee makers made of stainless steel, with a glass or ceramic top flask and a transparent plastic lid. However, the leader is still the Italian aluminum Bialetti.

"Geyser" consists of three elements:

• water container;
• filter;
• container for ready-made coffee.

The process of preparing a drink with geyser coffee machines includes two stages:

1. Boiling. When heated, the water expands and rises through the tube towards the ground beans.
2. Passing through the filter, hot water brews the grind and pours into the upper container.

Many people think that brewing coffee in an Italian “geyser” is easy. But to get a quality product, experience and skill are needed. In this matter, it is important to choose the correct temperature, grinding and optimal brewing time.

What is a geyser coffee maker?

Brewing coffee in a coffee maker is much easier than in a Turkish coffee maker. But true connoisseurs of the invigorating drink consider this method not very perfect. If you don’t have time to stand at the stove and control the Turk, then the advantage is certainly in favor of a geyser coffee pot.

Aluminum structures were popular a few years ago. steel and ceramic take the lead in use .

The best material is expensive metal or stainless steel. When heated, they do not give coffee an unpleasant aftertaste. The same cannot be said about aluminum. But, no matter what the coffee pot is made of, it remains a simple and affordable tool for brewing a tasty and invigorating drink.

The problem with the metallic taste will be solved by itself after 3-4 brews.

The most important thing is to rinse the bottom of the coffee maker with running water and under no circumstances clean it with detergents.

Why? After each brew, coffee oils remain on the walls. They not only neutralize the smell of aluminum, but also give the drink a richer taste.

If you are faced with the task of choosing such a coffee maker, you should consider the capacity of its filter. You need to choose the size of the coffee pot that will correspond to the number of family members. Or rather, the members consuming the drink. To obtain the most rich coffee, it is necessary that the section for pouring ground beans be filled to the brim.

Tips and lifehacks

It's actually very simple, so even if the first try doesn't work, you'll get the flavor you want on the second or third. But there are some tips that can help you.

• Do not store ready-made espresso in a metal geyser - it quickly acquires a metallic taste. Either immediately pour into cups, or pour into another container.
• When you remove the geyser from the heat, the brewing and pouring process is still in progress. You can quickly stop it by cooling the lower part: place it on a wet, cold towel in a bowl of cold water.
• If the drink turns out watery, open the lid and look: at the beginning of the pour it is very dark, then it becomes lighter. When the color resembles light honey, remove the device and cool it quickly.
• If coffee splashes across the stove, you have connected the parts too loosely or there are particles between them that prevent a tight twist. Remove, cool, disassemble and try again.
• Do not fill liquids higher than the safety valve mark. Too high pressure can lead to an explosion.

A big plus: coffee will not spill out of the top container, even if you forget the coffee maker on the stove (as often happens with Turks). It will heat up, boil away, become stronger and more concentrated, but will not leak out. If boiling over occurs, turn off the heat and allow the device to cool naturally.

Cooking features

You may need to experiment until you find the best way to make coffee in a geyser-type coffee maker. There are several parameters that affect the taste and aroma characteristics and the type of the finished drink.

• Ground coffee – choose a medium or coarse grind. Small or intended for Turkish coffee will not work.
• Cold or hot water - the brewing speed, extraction time, and therefore the taste of espresso depend on the temperature.
• Volume - they come in very different sizes, but it is advisable to choose one that is enough for you at one time. If it's too big, you won't be able to make a small cup.

You can add ground spices directly to the ground coffee.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. In any case, before you make coffee in a geyser coffee maker, you disassemble it.
2. Take out the filter mesh and pour the crushed grains into it. Do not compact it, otherwise the layer will be too dense and brewing will be complicated. Do not pour it in a heap; on the contrary, it is better to carefully level the top with your fingers or a spoon.
3. Pour water into the lower container, no higher than the level of the safety valve.
4. Assemble the structure by carefully placing the container with coffee so that it does not spill on the rubber seal. If this happens, remove the excess: with a sponge, brush, or simply blow it away.
5. Screw the device in tightly. This is best done by holding the top and bottom, rather than pulling on the handle. Often the handle is the most fragile part and can break.
6. Leave the coffee maker to warm up. The heat should be low, so the extraction will go slower, and your espresso will be more intense, aromatic, and thick. If the heat is too high, you can use the handle to hold the coffee maker above the burner, thereby controlling the temperature.
7. When the liquid boils away, you will hear a hissing sound. Remove the geyser from the stove and pour the coffee into cups.

At first, you may not close the lid - this will not affect the taste in any way, but you will learn to recognize the sounds of the beginning and end of brewing.

Brewing with cold water

The simplest method that many people use. In this case, cold water, preferably filtered, is poured into the lower container, but it can also be from the tap if it is not too hard or soft. There will be no scale, but this may change the taste of the finished espresso.

Low temperature makes the brewing process longer. At the same time, all parts heat up quickly, including the filter with poured coffee. The coffee burns a little, so the taste is more bitter. Steaming is long, more aromatic and flavor components are revealed, the drink is intense, strong, dense.

If you plan to add milk, we recommend brewing coffee in a geyser coffee maker with chilled water. This will give you a more “coffee” flavor.

Brewing with hot water

For those who love a pure black drink and experiment with the flavors of different varieties. First boil the water and then pour it into the bottom tank. Carefully assemble the device and turn on low heat. Be careful when assembling, the boiling water will heat the metal in a few seconds, so the bottom of the tank will become hot, use a towel or oven mitt.

Boiling will happen very quickly, so the brewing process itself will be shorter. Nothing burns, the espresso turns out soft, there will be no bitterness or “burnt” smell. If you want more intensity, reduce the heat to very low, so the process will take longer.

To brew specialty coffee, it is better to use this method so as not to burn the rather expensive grain and be able to appreciate all its features.

Sweet Neapolitan coffee

In the process of preparing coffee in a geyser coffee maker, you get a beautiful foam, although not very dense. And if you add sugar and stir it, there will be no foam at all. There is a special recipe for cream lovers.

1. Pour cold or hot water and put the coffee maker on fire.
2. Open the lid so you can see when the spill starts.
3. Pour as much sugar into a cup as you need.
4. When there is a spill, remove the device and pour some coffee into the cup with sugar.
5. Return the device to the fire.
6. Using a teaspoon, quickly stir the sugar into the espresso to create something like a viscous syrup with a lot of foam. If there is not enough liquid, add a little more. For one teaspoon of sugar - approximately 2-3 tablespoons of liquid, do not pour too much at once, otherwise you will not be able to whip up the foam.
7. When the drink in the geyser is ready, add it to the cup.
8. Enjoy the sweet taste and beautiful dense high cream.

The crema foam whips up quite quickly and does not settle, so you can easily make this sweet coffee in 2-3 cups at a time.

Troubleshooting Yourself

You can replace the outdated rubber ring on the filter yourself. To replace the gasket, you need to determine its size and check the availability at any building materials store. If there are no rings of this size on sale, then using white vacuum rubber you can make one at home. You will also need large scissors and sandpaper.

Having measured the diameter of the gasket, draw the required dimensions of the circle on the vacuum rubber and cut the edges to the intended dimensions. Treat any burrs on the resulting workpiece with sandpaper.

If you cannot get rid of the problem yourself, you can contact service centers. Specialists will help you tighten the seal on the lid, replace the rubber ring, and repair a broken or cracked handle.

Coffee Recipes

There are several coffee recipes for a geyser coffee maker:

1. Espresso. To brew this strong coffee, you will have to stock up on a medium grind of about 8 grams. for 20-30 ml of water. If desired, you can add lemon or cinnamon.
2. Cappuccino. To brew a classic cappuccino, you need to pour 50 ml of milk into a mug with ready-made espresso. You can add syrups and cinnamon to taste.
3. Frappe. To properly prepare the drink, you need to beat a shot of espresso, 15 ml of cream and ice in a mixer. Pour this mixture into a glass with a little ice at the bottom. Add sugar to taste.
4. Mocha. First, 15 ml of chocolate syrup is poured into a mug, then a shot of espresso and 30 ml of warm milk are added. Finally, decorate with whipped cream and grated chocolate.
5. Latte. To prepare the drink, you need to pour 80 ml of frothed milk into a mug, and then a shot of espresso in a thin stream. If done correctly, you will end up with three layers of coffee: milk, espresso, frothed milk.

You can prepare the drink according to a traditional recipe, adding natural flavor enhancers such as honey, alcohol, spices. To learn how to brew delicious coffee at home in a geyser coffee maker, you need to follow all the above recommendations.