Do you want exceptional coffee?
It is not enough to choose a good blend or a fine single-origin, you also need the right tools and always clean!
Enough of grandma’s false myth that “the mocha should never be washed, so the coffee aroma remains!”
When you cook, you wash everything you used, right?
So why not wash the mocha as well?
Coffee is a food and should therefore be treated as such!
That’s why in past ABCoffee articles I’ve already told you the history of our beloved Italian coffee maker, as well as provided you with all the tricks to make the most of it, such as the recipe, the doses, the recommended coffee and so on.
READ THE ARTICLE “MOCHA: ORIGIN AND HOW TO BREW COFFEE PROPERLY HERE!” >>
Now, however, it’s time to find out how to clean the moka pot to keep its performance always at the top!
Under a TikTok video where I was showing how to make coffee with a mocha, many people noticed that I took it off the heat before the extraction was finished and the coffee kept coming out!
And so many people commented to me, “Tome the coffee doesn’t keep coming out if I take it off the heat, why?”
The answer has a twofold motivation:
- The coffee purchased, although for mocha, is actually ground too fine. In this case the water encounters too much resistance and cannot pass through the grind, so as soon as it is removed from the fire and no longer has that great pressure given by the steam, it stops dispensing.
This is a mistake.
Ground coffee for mocha must have a specific grain size, which is not always respected, even and especially by large companies!
Over the years I’ve tested a lot of coffees, measuring the grain size with special instruments I have in the roastery, and most brands sell a grind that is too fine!
- The second motivation lies in cleanliness. If you do not wash the coffee maker properly, by dint of using it, the holes in the filter will become clogged, preventing the coffee from being extracted properly.
Let’s focus on this very second point!
How to clean the moka pot after each use
For daily cleaning, simply rinse it under lukewarm running water, aided by a sponge, without detergents or cleaners.
Then wait until it is completely dry before reassembling it, otherwise moisture would be created which would cause mold growth in the long run.
How to clean the moka pot once a week
If you are a mocha coffee lover and therefore use this tool every day, perhaps even several times a day, it would be good to clean it once a week more thoroughly.
How? Soon said!
Disassemble the entire mocha, including gasket and hand shower.
The gasket is that silicone ring on the base of the binder, and you will see that as soon as you remove it, the gargoyle will fall together. The hand shower fulfills the role of a filter, and is a small perforated metal saucer.
Now soak all parts in warm water with two generous teaspoons of baking soda and a little vinegar for a couple of hours.
After this time has elapsed, rinse each part thoroughly and brew two coffee blanks to remove any remaining material and odors.
To clean even more thoroughly the hand shower, then our filter, simply pour water into the boiler as you normally do to make coffee, but adding a teaspoon of baking soda and a drop of vinegar.
Then we pour another teaspoon of baking soda into the filter, i.e., the piece into which we normally insert the ground coffee, and close the coffee pot.
Place the mocha on the stove and wait for the extraction to finish.
As in the first case, make a couple of vacuum extractions before reusing it.
NB. If by taking the hand shower and looking at it against the light you see clogged holes, it is a good idea to remove the coffee fouling with a pin.
How to clean stains and fouling on the outside of the mocha pot
Simply prepare a solution consisting of ¾ bicarbonate and 1 part water.
Then rub the entire outer surface of the coffee pot energetically. Finally rinse everything under running water.
Watch out for the gasket!
We don’t often pay attention to it, but the coffee maker, between the boiler and the collecting tank, right where we go to screw the two parts together, has a gasket.
This is essential, as it allows for the watertight seal of the mocha, preventing any spillage of liquid during extraction and also ensuring a perfect fit between the two parts precisely.
That is why it must always be in perfect condition!
To verify this one must:
- Observe it, the color should never be brown or even black;
- Touch it, it should be soft and supple. If it is instead dry, it is time to change it. Beware then that if it is really very dry it will crumble, and the rotten bits of silicone will find their way into the cup!
To change it, simply replace the worn gasket with a new one, which can be purchased at any supermarket.
CLICK HERE TO DISCOVER ERNANI MOKES >>
Why clean the mocha?
As mentioned in the beginning, cleanliness is essential to achieve a nearly perfect coffee extract!
One can choose the best coffee in the world and follow the correct steps, but if the mocha is dirty, encrusted, even with mold and with a dry seal, the coffee in the cup will simply be bitter, with hints of empyreumatic (burnt, ash and rubber).
Would you ever go to eat at a restaurant where the chef never cleans the pan in which he sautéed the pasta sauce, because that way it remains beautifully impregnated with the taste of the food?
I don’t! That is why it is a good rule to clean the mocha!
We are waiting for you on ABCoffee with all our articles to discover the whole world of coffee!
Martina Mazzoleni
Marketing, E-commerce e Social Media Manager
Coffee Lover
