How the fuck am I supposed to properly use this? Some people

I fill the filter all the way up.
I boil the water first.
I use medium heat and turn it off when the coffee coming out turns a honey-ish color.

>>7362567
>obvious American not doing it the Italian way

>>7362573
The Italian way is to overfill the filter and try to compress it like an espresso puck which never works out right

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Fill with pre-heated* water just below the pressure release valve.

Fill the entire funnel with medium-fine coffee grounds, do not tamp. Place funnel in its place in the heating vessel, above the water.

Put the whole thing back together by screwing the other half tightly, then place on stove at medium-low heat.

When it starts to make noise, you can just shut off the stove.

*The recommendation for using pre-heated water before boiling is because using cold water doesn't get the water hot enough for a full extraction.

Step 0: go to supermarket, buy coffee dispenser, don't know if it has a name in English. It's a plastic container you fill with coffee, and it has a filed bottom that fits on all standard moka sizes
>open moka
>remove top half and filter
>fill with warm water up to the bolt that's on the side
>put filter in, fill filter with dispenser
>screw top half back properly
>put on fire, set to high and wait

>>7362590
>The Italian way is to...

Fill the damn thing with coffee grounds, water, place it on the stove, and turn the heat on until done.

That's it. Nothing fancy.

>lived in Italy

>>7362561
Moka pots are really forgiving. There's no One True Way to use them. Just make sure it's not splattering everywhere (on top of making a mess it's guaranteed to be burnt at that point) or tamp it down excessively (a little bit is fine, no matter what anyone tells you) and it'll turn out fine.

>>7362573
You know what's actually the most American thing ever? Believing that literally every single person in a country (or even more likely, an entire continent) does something a certain way because some guy told you it's the "European way" and deciding that way must be automatically and objectively right. I swear, you people are nearly as ignorant as the flag worshiping hillbillies, you're just way more smug about it

>>7362561
I fill the coffee basket all the way, but DO NOT pack it, keep it loose (like your sister).
Fill the water reservoir with boiling water up to just under the pressure valve.
Set over medium-low heat and have patience. I use this time to heat some milk and froth it in a manual stainless steel frother.
Remove the coffee from the heat when it's sputtering like there's no water left in the reservoir (there will usually be a little bit still in there, that's okay.
I like to run the bottom of the pot under a cold tap to make sure the brewing process has stopped, but I'm also OCD about certain things, so.....
Enjoy your tasty coffee. A lot of people think moka pots are a pain, but it's simple enough once you get the technique down. When I first got mine, I nearly chucked it because I didn't know how to do it right and every cup was horribly bitter (like your mother), but luckily I read up on it. Now, I use it every morning (and after dinner as well).

>>7362706
>You know what's actually the most American thing ever? Believing that literally every single person in a country (or even more likely, an entire continent)


Actually, that's more of a non-American thing than an American thing.

Most Americans understand that Europe is comprised of a bunch of different nations with different cultures.

Most non-Americans think the U.S. is one homogeneous blob with zero cultural variation between states, regions, or regions IN states.

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Instead of making a new thread, I figure I'd ask it here since it's about the moka.

The coffee that comes out is really strong. I have a 3-cup pot but it's literally enough to fill one mug. Am I supposed to dilute it or drink it as is?

Before you say it... yes, I know I'm retarded.

>>7362753
Moka pots are measured in espresso cups (2 fl oz). I have a 4-cup moka that doesn't even completely fill my mug, so I top it off with water.

Moka coffee is kind of a medium between drip and espresso. You can dilute it if you want, then you're kind of making an americano.

>>7362717
>Most non-Americans think the U.S. is one homogeneous blob with zero cultural variation between states, regions, or regions IN states.
I'd argue most non-Americans realize that NY and LA are fairly different from each other because those are the locations that appear most in American media.

>>7362753

It's up to you, anon.

I drink it black, or with some sugar.

Others add water, or toss it in milk.

I find if you add just the right amount of sugar, it can taste almost like a dark chocolate.

can someone sum up the benefits of using a moka pot for me?

i bought a cheap drip machine a few months ago and i'm a complete coffee noob

>>7362822
Let me sum up the pros and cons

+ Dirt Cheap
+ Simple to use
+ Makes better "espresso" than nearly all espresso makers under $200 or $300
+ Looks fucking adorable
+ Learning curve isn't too steep, and as long as you bother to learn how to use it (go online- I found the instructions it came with a bit hard to follow) your worst fuckups are probably still going to be drinkable.

- Not actually as good as a nice espresso machine
- Have to deal with pedantic twats constantly tell you it's not "real" espresso as if you weren't already aware

>>7362855
Oh, and another minor one:

- Aluminum models aren't entirely dishwasher safe

They're easy to hand wash, though

>>7362857
You really should just give aluminum ones a light rinse in cold water. After a few pots you'll notice a difference. Hot, acidic liquids extract a nasty flavor from aluminum.

>>7362822
>can someone sum up the benefits of using a moka pot for me?

-end product produces darker, richer, stronger flavors than a drip or french press
-can be used in conjunction with milk for various foo foo coffee drinks to impress ditzy bimbos and faggots alike
-solid construction, can be used as weapon for emergency self defense purposes or homicides
-can be readily thrown at children and pets without breakage
-can be used in conjunction with flame for brewing while camped by the river on the run from cops and federal authorities

>>7362855
>>7362866

ah okay, that's neat. i really like their aesthetic and it's interesting that they produce a richer flavor than the drip.

>>7362857
>>7362864
Just get a stainless one, they're pretty easy to find.

Is it true you shouldn't use soap to wash the aluminum models?

>>7362954
You want a bit of a patina between your brew and the metal, to prevent gross aluminum taste in your coffee.
Further, you should just toss the first one or two cups it makes.

>>7362864
Nah, hand wash the fucker.
The old coffee oils that build up in there will make your coffee taste bitter and crappy if you don't wash them out.

Aluminum (unless it's coated) should always be hand washed and dried or it gets discolored and sometimes "white rust" (which is the oxidation of the aluminum).

>>7362965
Myth

>>7362973
The strong metallic taste in my coffee was no myth.

>>7362977
If you got a strong metallic taste, you're doing something else wrong.

Moka pots are die cast aluminum alloy, they shouldn't be giving you any "gross aluminum taste". That build up of old burnt coffee oils surely will give you a bad taste, though.

>>7362980
You still wash the buildup out of it, just not with soap.

>>7362984
Plain water doesn't remove oil.
Soap does.

What's the matter with you?

>>7362987
I don't want to completely remove the oil ya dingus, it keeps the metallic taste away.

According to Bialetti, you shouldn't use soap.

http://www.bialetti.com/coffee/stovetop/moka-express-c-1_7_22.html

>Wash by hand with warm water.
>Dry thoroughly with towel.
>Do not reassemble the product until all parts are completely dry to avoid oxidation.
>Do not use soap or detergent.
>Do not use in dishwasher.
>Do not use steel wool or other abrasive products.

>>7362990
THE METALLIC TASTE IS FROM SOMETHING ELSE YOU'RE DOING WRONG.

How hard is this?

>>7363006
The metallic taste is from the metal.
It was there when the pot was new.
It came back when I washed my pot with soap.

If you can point to something else that makes coffee taste like aluminum then I'm all ears, but even Bialetti agrees with me: >>7362996

>>7362996
That's fine, they can give their directions for their own product.
However, I'll trust my years studying metallurgy and manufacturing technology and hand wash mine with soap, rise well, and towel dry it. I like the taste of fresh coffee.

>>7363014
See>>7363017

>>7363022
Quit stroking your e-peen and tell me what's causing the aluminum taste, then.

>>7363030
(hot, acidic liquid reacting with aluminum cookware, just like you think)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookware_and_bakeware

>Uncoated and un-anodized aluminium can react with acidic foods to change the taste of the food.

>>7363030
Ain't stroking any e-peen here, dude, just simply explaining WHY I trust my own method.
There's various reasons why you could be getting a metallic taste. Too high heat, the wrong bean grind, the wrong beans in the first place, a bad batch of alloy, even the old coffee oils can cause a metallic flavor.
The point is, you can wash your moka pot WITH SOAP, and still make a great cup of coffee with it. Most espresso makers use aluminum alloy as well, and they get washed (if they are for commercial use, it's required) and people aren't lining up to complain about that. Use your common sense, man. If Bialetti thinks their pots don't need soap, that's on them. I use mine daily and wash it with soap, and I've never had a metallic or bitter cup of coffee from any of my moka pots (I have 3 different sizes). The only time I ever had a funky cup was when the gasket broke down in my six cup model. Easy fix and then back to perfect coffee.

i'm italian and i fill it with room temperature bottle water at the valve level
i put in the coffe then smash the culo della caffettiera on the table till the coffee is flat
medium heat till the coffe start to come out then on low
when the foam start to come out i turn off and wait until it stop

>>7363088
There's a big difference between brief contact with an aluminum brewhead and portafilter, and nearly-boiling coffee sitting in an aluminum vessel while the pot finishes brewing. Far more contact area and time for flavors to leach from the aluminum.

>>7363126
Just how fucking long do you let your coffee sit in there? You're FAR overreaching your logic with that one. The coffee doesn't spend enough time in ANY part of the pot to extract a metallic taste from the aluminum reacting to the acids. Unless you're some faggot who let's his coffee sit for hours and then reheats it, that's bullshit.

>>7363138
I brew mine on medium-low heat, so the extraction probably takes a good 45 seconds or so.
For pretty much the entirety of that 45 seconds, the bottom of the pot is covered in coffee,
and coffee is running down the length of the central spout.
My point is that the contact area X time factor is significantly larger than with an espresso maker.

>>7362753
Stop the extraction early and get a ristretto, pour this over hot water for a long black, mix with steamed milk for a flat white/latter, mix with cold milk, ice and sugar for an iced coffee

Mine gurgles and kind of spits the coffee out the whole time, what am I doing wrong?

>>7363164
Kiwi detected

>>7363171
Sounds like you're using way too much heat

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>>7363173
you what

>>7363171
I've had that happen when the gasket didn't quite seal fully.
Make sure it's seated properly and you aren't cross-threading the unit together.
If it's an older pot you may need a new gasket.

>>7363158
Not large enough to cause transfer of a metallic taste.

>>7363014
>>7362990
m8 I think you have radiation poisoning

>>7363171
Sorry, I (>>7363177) think I misunderstood what you were describing. You mean there's hardly any coming out and it's not an even stream? Probably >>7363187

>>7363195
And now we're back to your unsubstantiated claim vs the admittedly subjective experience of myself and the other anon earlier who noticed a metallic taste from a new pot.

>>7362692
That's literally what the instructions say to do

>>7363203
>>7363187
The thing is I've had it for only about a month now. And when I do it this way it still takes about a minute for anything to start coming through so I don't think the temp is too high (this is with pre-boiled water as well). Maybe I just bought a dud

>>7363215
Theres really no reason to pre boil the water. None at all. Ive had mine since May, probably made 150+ batches since then.

>>7363215
You're probably screwing the top on too gingerly because you're burning your hands on the bottom, which you've filled with pre-boiled water.

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Don't mind me. Superior coffee device passing through.

>>7363202
>unsubstantiated

Wow, you really only understand what suits you, don't you? The Human Ostrich, ladies and gentlemen.........

>>7363235
I've been using both for some time, and I disagree. Moka pot makes better coffee.

>>7363235
they make very different coffee. In the morning I have espresso from a moka pot and in the afternoon after uni or work I have a French Press while I read

>>7363248
Thank you! These fucking threads remind me of middle school, when everyone would argue which console was the best. They're different, they're both good, and unlike gaming systems if you're too poor to afford both you have way bigger things to worry about than coffee

>>7363243
I should have said, "unsubstantiated (in the context of this thread)," excuse me.
I'm basing my opinion that aluminum affects the flavor of hot acidic foods from
seeing it all over the internet, and from my own experience with metallic tastes from
washed moka pots. That said, I know there's a lot of bullshit that circles around the
internet, and that my senses are very susceptible to the placebo effect. If you have
a link to any evidence that the aluminum alloy used in typical moka pots is resistant
to acids at the boiling point of water, I'd be interested to see it (no sarcasm intended).

>>7363273
Did you write this in notepad before posting it?

>>7362787
Most wouldn't even get remotely close when placing them on a map

>>7363283
I'm fairly sure people would be able to place them on their respective coasts though

>>7363281
No? It was a longer post, so I dragged the reply widget out to what seemed an
acceptable width and tried to keep it to a reasonable indent. Something wrong with that?

>>7363273
Well, I'm at work, so no, I'm not going to take the time to dig up articles for you on aluminum alloys, their temps and their affect on food. You could easily find the information yourself, but you WON'T because you only want to believe what you personally believe and not science. That's the sad part about these types of threads, it shows humans' lack of reasonable thinking skills. So carry on with your retarded ways of making coffee, I guess.
Also, just FYI, my claims are more substantial than yours, since I have a background of study in the subject WHILE ALSO having my own personal experience with washing moka pots. You just have your own opinions and personal experience, but no basis in fact. You don't understand what "unsubstantiated" means.
This is my final post, because I have to be in a meeting in 10 minutes, and still need to print copies. So, enjoy the shit thread, everyone!

>>7362717
For the most part it is. Compared to the old world that is. The distance between Delhi and Chennai or Paris and Rome is about the same as ny and Chicago. The cultural differences between these places respectively is by far the smallest in America.

That's nothing to be ashamed of though. One of the reasons for America's dominance is because of the cultural and linguistic homogeneity.