These past few weeks have altered our lives more than we ever could’ve imagined. From the time we caught word of a new infectious disease spreading in a city in China most people had never heard of to now it seems we crossed over into a new world. Fast forward the storyline and seemingly most of us are now working from home. Self-isolation. Self-quarantine. Some cities have “shelter in place” mandates. Our hope is that we can all do what we can to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and ensure the health and protection of the most vulnerable in our towns, villages, cities, and countries.
While most everything is shut down, including our favorite local cafe or coffee shop, it means we’re brewing more coffee at home than we had been used to. While the “need” for coffee has been put in its proper place, in light of everything else swirling around it is also a welcome distraction … especially when it comes to experimenting with different brew methods. That brings us to the moka pot.
Globally the moka pot has to be to most beloved and highly-used brew method apparatus around. It’s presence spans the globe. It’s as ubiquitous as 27.5 wheels … even more so. The moka pot also been around for over 80 years too. On my weekly excursions to explore and peruse thrift stores I can almost guarantee I’ll see at least one moka pot on the shelf.
Coffee is a lot like the fashion industry. There can definitely be pretentiousness in it as well as rapidly changing fads that come and ago quicker than the changing of seasons. The moka pot? It’s like that old pair of jeans or t-shirt that regardless of the year or decade or current fashion fad they always wear well. The moka pot is used by Italian grandmothers and American hipsters alike. So why don’t more people love the moka pot or use it in today’s third wave coffee scene?
Even more than that, the most important question is … does it brew a good cup of coffee?
The answer to that question is … what do you like or prefer?
You see, the moka doesn’t make a “typical” cup of coffee nor is it exactly like straight-up espresso either. It is somewhere in between. It’s like thick coffee that’s closer to espresso. I normally brew coffee at home or camping using an AeroPress, but over the last couple of weeks I have been using the moka pot to make either Americanos in the morning or iced Americanos in the afternoon.
For an Americano I’ll pour coffee from the moka pot into a mug and then add hot water from my electric kettle (normally at 202 degrees F). I also don’t even fret too much about weighing, ratios, etc. The same applies to an iced Americano. I’ll take my glass, pour a bit of cold water in the bottom of it, add the brewed coffee from the moka pot, and fill the rest with ice cubes. (If you’re interested in more specifics on this brew method you can check out our page on it.) That’s it. That’s as simple as it gets.
While many of us are cooped up it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with different brew methods. The beauty is that we all love our coffee brewed in different ways. Just like some love carbon bike frames, others love aluminum, and still others don’t care. Also, each brew method brings out something unique in our coffee. Speaking of coffee and self-quarantine … if you need any coffee please use the coupon code “Family” for 25% your order through the end of the month. We know not everyone can get to the store. While the discount code applies domestically for U.S. orders you can still order already-discounted coffee through our “International 3-Pack Bundle.”
If you need anything please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask. We’ll get through this.
Words and Photo by Sean Benesh
Founder of Loam Coffee