How to make coffee in a coffee maker?

There are plenty of methods and ways of making coffee. In flask, pour-over, Aeropress and crucible coffee machines. Today, however, we will focus on the "good old" coffee maker that brings out the real Italian aroma from the coffee. Other terms for a coffee maker are makinetka - this word comes from Italian, where this device is the most popular and where it was invented by Alfonso Bialetti in the 30s. He wanted to find a way to make the same quality espresso at home as in a coffee bar. After World War II, the coffee maker was successfully advertised by Bialetti's son, Renato, and won the hearts of first Italians and later the whole world. To this day, the traditional octagonal model is a unique decoration of many kitchens, and its shortened name - moka - functions in dictionaries as one of the synonyms of a coffee maker.

How does a coffee maker work?

The coffee maker is easy to use, takes up much less space than a traditional coffee machine, is cheaper and is much more mobile and compact. Consists of:

• water tank with safety valve,
• strainers for ground grains,
• ready-made coffee tank,
• a handle to hold the device.

The principle of operation of a coffee maker is very simple - under the influence of heat pressure, water flows upwards, through the ground beans, until it reaches the upper tank, becoming the ready drink. Interestingly, its operation was inspired by the domestic pressure washing machines that existed at that time. When buying a coffee maker, first of all, you should pay attention to its quality. This is a device that we will probably use every day, so high quality materials and safety are extremely important here. Cheap metals can affect the taste of coffee. Another important element of the coffee maker is the safety valve located in its lower part. When the pressure in the water tank is too high and the water is unable to get higher (e.g. because the coffee is ground too finely or too tightly packed), the water vapor will escape through this valve. So you can guess that its absence or incorrect operation may end in tragedy!

Rules for making coffee in a coffee maker

The process of brewing coffee in a coffee maker itself consists of just a few simple steps. First, pour water into the tank. To determine the water level, a marked line or the previously mentioned safety valve is used, which should remain above the water surface. The water should be freshly boiled in the kettle - cold water will boil too long, which may spoil the pleasure of enjoying the finished drink and significantly shorten the life of our coffee maker. Then place the ground coffee on the strainer. Enough to cover its entire surface evenly and flatly. You can gently pat it with your finger or a spoon, but not too hard, because too dense coffee will not allow the water flowing from the bottom to pass through properly. In the last step, put all the parts together and place the device on the stove over low heat. We give up the lid to observe the brewing process. As soon as the drink starts bubbling and yellowish foam begins to flow into the tank instead of coffee, immediately remove the coffee maker. It is worth pouring cold water over its base to prevent the coffee from brewing further. Then quickly pour everything into cups and voilà! Delicious coffee from the coffee maker is ready! The dummy should be washed thoroughly after each use. The remains of ground beans and infusion inside it could spoil the taste of your favorite drink with each subsequent use, adding definitely undesirable aromas of burnt and stale coffee.

What coffee to use in a coffee maker?

Recommended coffee for a coffee maker is the one medium or dark roasted, sweet, chocolatey or
nutty aroma. Choosing light roasted beans for this brewing method could
result in an infusion that is too acidic (of course, this does not mean that it does not have its own
connoisseurs!). Coffee used for making espresso, e.g. Arabica or coffee, will work great here
blend with Robusta. For the full experience, it is worth choosing freshly roasted beans, i.e. those that have been roasted
fired no earlier than 14 days before brewing. As always, the most important things are here
our personal taste preferences.

How to grind coffee for a coffee maker

If possible, it is worth grinding the coffee in a coffee maker just before brewing the drink.
Freshly ground beans are characterized by better quality and taste. Coffee for
coffee beans cannot be ground too finely, but also not too coarsely. In case too
coarse grinding, the coffee will even pour into the upper tank and not properly
trickle. Grinding too finely may clog the strainer. Its correct consistency
is often compared to fine sand or grains of salt. However, if we don't want to
take a risk or we don't have a home grinder, when buying coffee we can decide to use one
professional grinding of beans with a view to brewing the infusion specifically in a coffee maker.