Some time ago I commented that one of my favorite ways to brew coffee is on a moka pot which I then aeropress to clean out the particulates. Many responded that they just put an aeropress filter on the moka pot for the same results. So, I tried it. The resulting brew is VERY different and, to me, not good at all.
It seems that the aeropress filter in the moka pot is removeding the brew by requiring more pressure to boil over. The result is a bitter brew that loses any subtlety in flavor.
If you are someone that uses the “filter in pot” method, please try brewing the cup unfiltered and then pressing it. Let me know what you think.
It’s fascinating how individual changes can make such big differences in the type and quality of coffee.
It’s quite likely that some of the people enjoy the taste that you hate, and wouldn’t like it if they tried brewing without that filter!
One reason I love the coffee hobby so much is that there’s so much room for experimentation.
Mokka pots are one of my favorite brew methods but they’re super particular if you want a really stellar cup. Grind coarse, do not tamp, pull the heat ASAP when the pot starts to spit at the end and/or when the color of the brewed coffee starts to lighten and you’ll get a great brew.
I can’t imagine using a restrictive filter in there when just changing from coarse to fine grind or tamping affects extraction so much. I expect you’d have a much better result just filtering fines after the fact like you’re doing.
I usually don’t even pour all of the mokka pot brew into my cup, I leave the last bit with the most fines in the pot and just dump it. You can also let the coffee sit for a little bit (a minute or so) after pouring it into your cup and most of the fines will settle to the bottom.
I don’t agree at all from my experience. But I do not have my moka flow rapidly at all, so the filter doesn’t constrain it significantly I think. Whatever, the filter only improves it in my experience.
did you rinse the filter first?
Of course. The key is the pressure, heat, and amount of time the water requires to pass through the brewing process. Without the filter it passes through faster and with less pressure. It’s the same concept behind an espresso machine and why top baristas will dump the coffee if it took too long to brew.
But it also has more to do with your ratios. If the extraction is too bitter try changing a variable and see if you get a better result. More coffee, less water, etc. that’s also how baristas and the rest of us espresso makers dial in shots.
