Cute video 😂 I emailed Bialetti and they said the official correct grind for the Moka pot is medium-fine. They say most ground espressos are too fine, but the espressos sold in Italian grocery stores are the correct grind for the Moka pot: illy, Lavazza, Kimbo, etc. I recently sent my daughter a bag of Bialetti Perfetto Moka Classico and she loves it! I use illy Classico Espresso, but I'll probably try more. I'd love to buy a nice Baratza burr grinder so I can buy whole beans. I recently got The Hive Roaster so I can learn to roast at home. The inventor, Matt, is on RU-vid. I got the basic model, plus the upgraded dome with the F° temperature probe so I can do profile roasting.
That's true! Usually Italian brands commercializing espresso ground coffee are designed to fit moka pots (too coarse for an actual espresso machine) and the same goes when we grind for "espresso" and try to use it on a moka pot, it would certainly be too fine, leading to blockages, or overextraction, at the very least. I love that you're experimenting with the Hive! I've been looking at it for quite some time and haven't made the decision to buy it yet... Please let me know your experience with it!
@@lizhappybeans I'll be sure and update you on my Hive Roaster experience! I was so blessed that I won it in a contest, so then I was able to afford to buy the upgraded F° thermometer dome. I've noticed that Spaniards and Caribbean Islanders pack their coffee in the Moka, even though Bialetti says not to do that; and as you pointed out, it can make the Moka explode. I was wondering what grind size their coffee is, like Bustello and Pilon and the others? Is it medium grind so the coffee can still flow through the gaps when they pack it so tightly?
@@photina78 oh, that is sooo true. As a Dominican myself, I can tell you people do all sorts of terrible things to their poor moka pots. It's a bit tragic. But I can also confirm that the more widely commercialized grind size is medium-fine (works perfect for a moka pot). The idea of putting "a lot of coffee" is to make it "strong" - as most folks understand that "light coffee is just dirty water" and they certainly overdo it. Fortunately, it almost never has severe consequences because it isn't too fine to begin with. Most accidents happen because people never replace their gaskets, or maybe they hit the basket too hard when removing the grounds and eventually deform its shape, leading to pressure escaping through the wrong spots, etc. It's a whole phenomenon! Also, this is the only method ever used. And I believe this is true for most islanders/Caribbean countries which makes it all the more interesting!
@@lizhappybeans Oh, wow! I never thought of the hazards of a bad gasket, or a deformed basket! That's so good to know! Thank you! When I was young, I lived in Spain where I was always drinking Café con Leche in the cafes every day. I fell in love with the flavor! I try to duplicate it at home, but to make it really authentic I'd need their boxed shelf-stable whole milk and their Torrefacto coffee, which means the beans are misted with sugar before roasting. It's bitter, but that's the flavor profile they love because they're so used to it. So I do my best imitation of it with 5 oz of hot whole milk and a shot of Moka "espresso." I bought the same glasses they serve it in: Duralex Unie clear tempered glass tumblers 8.5 oz, so I can have the happy memories of the exact drink! It's funny how some of us get so fanatical about coffee! 😂
Thanks for sharing! For some reason, this showed up as suggested for me, and because I got the exact same Moka Pot (size, color and brand) you show in your video, I decided to watch. ...and even from just the camera angle you have, we have so many of the same kitchen items...it was bizarre. I'm always in a hurry to have my coffee, so I usually put it on pretty high (but I can also tolerate some bitterness), so I will have to try being more gentle with my brewing next time.
I get the best flavor if I follow Bialetti's instructions to start with cold or room temperature filtered water, use a low gas flame or a preheated medium electric stove, then remove the pot from the stove immediately when it starts to gurgle or a couple of seconds before it starts to gurgle, and let it finish brewing off the stove from the heat inside the pot. For me, starting with hot water doesn't improve the flavor. But, I appreciate your other good tips.
I'm glad you explained the danger of the pot exploding from packing the coffee! I've been wondering if the recent trend of using an Aeropress filter inside the pot can also create too much pressure and explode.
Oh yes, it's a true danger that I've unfortunately seen happen to close people :'( I admit I have not tried brewing with an Aeropress filter but I don't think it would create enough pressure as to make it explode if all other variables are controlled. In all truth, I would be more concerned about extremely fine grind size and packing the grounds against the basket.
