Bialetti Moka Express: Why Careful Use and No Soap Matter

Bialetti is the top moka brand in Italy. A moka is this style of coffee maker that makes "regular" Italian coffee at home. Please note, this is NOT an espresso, no matter what lies you've been told. It's very similar in size but it's not concentrated enough to be an espresso, which requires much higher pressure. In Italy it's called a moka coffee, not an espresso coffee, and I don't mean to be obnoxious but they actually taste quite different to an Italian palate (that just takes practice, though, so keep drinking!). With that said, the ratio of coffee to water in either moka coffee or espresso coffee is WAY higher than typical American drip. It's about 1 oz of water rather than 12 oz or more of water. That's why it looks so tiny compared to what you're used to. Yet, the caffeine content is the same. Repeat: the caffeine content is the same. Your American 12 oz mug of drip coffee contains about the same caffeine as an espresso size cup of Italian coffee. Please keep that in mind when you choose which moka size to buy. I've seen 9-cup Bialetti mokas sitting in American kitchens and wondered if the one person drinking that was aware of just how much coffee they were pumping into their arteries. Each moka outputs slightly more than stated. For instance, the 1-cup moka makes enough for 2 regular Italian coffees (the size of 2 espressi, which are about 1oz each) or 1 "long" Italian coffee (a "double"). They are measured by "long" servings. That means, LESS IS MORE. A moka, and especially a Bialetti, will last you a literal lifetime if you take care of it correctly. DO NOT EVER wash it with soap. There's lots of misinformation out there. No. Nope. Just say no to dish soap. You don't have to take my word for it. Go on the official Bialetti site or read the instruction booklet that is mailed with the product. Literally on the box it says "ZERO DETERGENTS" and right below it, in poorly translated English, it says, "it rinses just with water." The reason for this is that as soon as you wash it with a little soap, the flavor of the coffee will change. I can taste it. I can BLIND taste it. Most people in Italy could taste it. And you will be able to taste the soap too, as soon as you develop a palate for moka coffee. Like all acquired tastes, especially with flavors you discover as an adult, it takes time, but it's worth it. To extract the best coffee flavor, you really need to follow the INSTRUCTIONS. This isn't subjective. It's not my way or your way or grandma's way. There is only one way to use a moka correctly: fill the water exactly below the valve level (like a mathematical tangent brushing against the bottom edge of the valve); fill the coffee without packing it, so it's light and airy, creating a little mountain in the center; screw the top on tightly; place on a low or medium-low flame; as soon as you hear it gurgle and see the first sign of steam coming off the spout, remove it from heat. To achieve this result, you have to guard your moka for the five minutes it's going to take to brew. Do not leave the moka unattended. This is the time in the morning when you can read the news, prepare your breakfast, or enjoy some quiet time. But you have to be there to hear that gurgle and notice the steam. If you don't turn it off immediately, your coffee will be burned. Mokas don't forgive and don't give us a grace period, so just sit there for five minutes and watch the pot boil. Once it's done, stir the coffee with a spoon inside the moka before you pour it out and enjoy! These instructions are also spelled out on all Bialetti documentation. TIPS: -Bialetti was recently bought by a foreign company. While their classic aluminum mokas are still made in Italy, many of the other ones (e.g., the colorful ones with fun designs) are made elsewhere. I have tried both. At first they seemed identical. But after a couple of years of use, the ones not made in Italy stopped making decent coffee (and changing the gasket didn't help). If you like them, buy the fun designs but don't expect them to last as long. The ones made in Italy (vs "designed" in Italy) state so clearly on the moka itself. -the coffee grounds need to be for moka, which is less fine than espresso grind but less coarse than drip coffee. If your grounds are too fine, they'll clog the tiny holes and won't extract the best tasting coffee. -Also, once a year or every other year (depending on how much you use it), you'll have to replace the gasket. You'll know because it starts out white or clear, depending on the model, and eventually becomes brown. Your coffee will start tasting bad (by then you'll have developed your palate!). Just remember, every time you replace the gasket, you have to start over "priming" the moka again like when it was new. -When your new moka arrives, and every time you change the gasket, make sure to "prime" it. First run it once with just water (no coffee), then make at least 3 rounds of coffees to throw away, just to re-coat the inside. This is also why you should never ever ever wash it with soap. Just like cast iron cookware, here the coffee flavor coats the inside. That's why Grandma's moka coffee is always better: because her moka is older and it has been cared for properly for a lifetime. Enjoy!