Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and everyone has their own personal version that they prefer.
In Italy, many people like to enjoy coffee either at the bar, in company or alone.
The drink extracted from the Coffea plant really gets everyone agreeing.
But one question that concerns every consumer is whether coffee made with a coffee machine or a moka is better.
What are the main differences between espresso coffee and the moka version?
On a practical level, espresso coffee made with a machine is extracted through the percolation process. The machine is equipped with a special boiler that maintains the pressure and temperature of the water at stable levels. This ensures that the drink obtained has an excellent taste and that the characteristics are the same for each cup of coffee obtained.
The moka has a mechanism that works differently and alters the characteristics of the coffee a lot compared to a professional coffee machine. Its boiler, in fact, is located in the lower part of the machine and the water does not reach the same pressure as the machine. The water, thanks to the heat, turns into water vapour and rises to the top of the coffee machine as coffee.
These different mechanisms give very different results, both in terms of taste and consistency. Let’s see what they are.
How do you make coffee with a moka pot?
Since the 1930s, the moka coffee machine has become one of the most widespread icons of Italian-made products in the world. In our country, it is difficult to find a home without one, and generally, when drinking coffee in someone else’s home, you expect it to arrive in the historic coffee pot.
Its name is linked to the city of Mocha, a town in Yemen known for the quality of its coffee. And its invention bears the signature of Bialetti, who made it famous all over the world.
Today there are numerous models of coffee machines, but the functioning of the moka is still based on traditional principles. The machine consists of three components: a kettle, a filter and a collector. The coffee comes out thanks to the heating of the water at the base. This has been done in the same way for almost 100 years.
What are the steps for preparing coffee with a moka?
Using a moka coffee maker does not require great skill. Just follow a few simple steps:
- Fill the base with cold water. Be careful not to exceed the level of the valve.
- Insert the filter and fill it with coffee powder. Do not press it!
- Match the base with the kettle and screw the machine on.
- Set the cooker to the lowest setting and put the mocha on the heat.
- When the coffee comes out, immediately remove the moka from the cooker.
This process takes less than five minutes and the result is a concentrated, caffeine-rich coffee.
A little secret to make the aroma better is to stir the coffee with a teaspoon while it is still inside the coffee pot.
What are the cons of using a moka pot
The moka is a symbol for our country, it is part of the Italian tradition and very few people do not own one. Every Italian grandmother thinks there is only one way to make coffee: fill the base of the moka pot with water, put the coffee in the filter and wait for the gurgling sound that tells you the coffee is ready.
In reality, the coffee you get with a traditional coffee maker changes from time to time and it is impossible to get the same result every time. In fact, there are many variations to control for each extraction, and it is really complicated to manage the water temperature, the pressure, the right dose of coffee and the quantity of extracted substance by eye.
This can mean that the coffee extracted from the moka is not always good, on the contrary.
The result can sometimes be very good, but on other occasions it is easy to get a bitter, watered-down coffee.
And, unfortunately, there are no methods to get a consistent result and ensure that the coffee is always great and tasty.
In terms of health, coffee made with a mocha coffee maker has a much higher caffeine content than espresso made with a lever machine, for example. The release of a higher amount of caffeine is linked to slower filtering. Therefore, in order to prevent side effects, it is necessary to pay attention to the amount of powder that goes into the filter and the number of cups of coffee consumed each day.
Moka or coffee machine? Here are the differences:
Regardless of taste and the quality of the blend used, coffee made with a coffee machine and coffee made with a moka are very different.
The result is influenced in particular by the structure of the equipment.
- The professional coffee machine has a boiler that keeps the temperature and water pressure constant, ensuring that the espresso always has the same taste and consistency.
- Coffee made with a moka coffee maker, on the other hand, is never the same and you run the risk that sometimes it tastes good while others are burnt or don’t taste very good.
The espresso machine is more functional and allows you to serve a large number of coffees in no time at all without effort and long waits. And, above all, without mistakes!
Pontevecchio lever coffee machines have a versatile design that adapts to any type of kitchen, making the machine a true furnishing accessory.
The real espresso is the one obtained with a professional coffee machine and has organoleptic characteristics that are totally different from the coffee obtained with a moka. As well as the flavour, the sensations that the two types of coffee leave behind also vary:
- the smell of espresso comes out while tasting, retaining the aroma inside the cup. The moka, on the contrary, spreads the fragrance throughout the room, which is attenuated during tasting;
- the cream and body that characterise espresso are almost absent in moka coffee;
- the taste of the mocha is stronger, while the professional machine gives a more velvety result;
- the temperature of the espresso is higher.
The main difference between espresso and moka coffee is therefore in the taste! This, in fact, depends on all the factors we have mentioned, including the mechanics of the coffee machines and the traditional coffee maker, the amount of caffeine and the temperature.
Which one do you prefer?
Coffee is one of the few beverages that is popular everywhere. Everyone has their own traditions and drinking habits, but there is no home that does not smell coffee at least once in a while.
Among coffee lovers, one of the topics of discussion is whether it is better to make coffee with a machine or with a moka.
Any grandmother would surely answers that the traditional coffee maker is the only suitable tool to prepare a good coffee. But the reality is that everyone has their own tastes and habits!
Coffee made with a moka contains more caffeine and its taste is stronger. Whereas real espresso, brewed with a professional coffee machine, has a more intense taste, retains its aroma in the cup and is much creamier.
These differences are linked to the structure of the machines, which manage the temperature and water pressure in their own way.
But to drink a coffee as good as at the bar every day, there is only one choice: the professional coffee machine, maybe the lever one, the only one able to prepare the real espresso coffee!
Discover Pontevecchio’s models, you will see that every day will have a special aroma.