ITALIAN COFFEE (with lots of love)

Italian coffee is a ritual made of movements, sounds and scents that cannot be reduced to the simple gesture of pressing a button.
To be honest, I have to say that not all coffees made with an Italian moka are good.

First of all, you need an Italian coffee machine, or as we call it: a MOKA

The moka is easy to use and produces a full-bodied and aroma-rich coffee. The most well-known machine has an hourglass shape, but there are many shapes, sizes, and styles on the market.

The moka is an Italian invention that dates back to 1933; and you know what? More than 105 million units have been produced so far.

It is a product of Italian industrial design and it is famous all over the world.
The origin of the name derives from the name of the city of Mokha in Yemen, one of the first and most renowned coffee production areas.

First of all, when using a new moka, it is good practice to boil and add water without adding coffee at least once.
This expedient makes it possible to disinfect the appliance, to eliminate any processing residues and to prevent metallic or “industrial” flavors from altering the taste of the coffee.

After each use, a thin film of residue remains in the kettle, the funnel tank and inside the boiler. It is often desirable to maintain this film, because it protects the coffee from contact with aluminum, which otherwise can give the drink a slight metallic taste.
The moka should also be cleaned with hot or boiling water, but never use soap or detergents: they would infact remove the protective residue, giving the coffee a bad taste.

The moka is really easy to use and produces a full-bodied and flavoursome coffee.
We Italians learn to make coffee since childhood. Really, I was six when I made the first coffee for my grandfather.
It may seem simple, but to get a good result there are 5 tips to follow, step by step.
Let’s see them.

1. The moka: it must be dry and clean, but never washed with detergent or in the dishwasher

2. The water: it must be strictly cold and not too calcareous, and must not exceed the level of the valve inside the boiler

Fill the boiler at the base with cold water up to the level of the valve and not beyond. Insert the funnel tank.

3. The coffee powder for the moka must be slightly coarser than that normally used for espresso and must not be pressed once put into the funnel tank.

Fill the funnel tank with ground coffee for moka completely, but without pressing the powder.
Make sure the filter and rubber seal are in place. Take care not to leave coffee powder on the edge of the coffee maker
Tighten the two parts of the moka tightly.

4. Put on the stove over low heat and as soon as the coffee starts to come out, remove it from the heat

Remove the moka from the heat immediately, as soon as the coffee rises. In this way only the most noble parts of the coffee are extracted.

5. Before pouring it into the cup, the coffee must be stirred to mix the densest part which came out first with the lightest part at the end. Do not burn your fingers.

Scola la pasta: the Italian way of making food!

o Before carrying out cleaning and maintenance, wait for the appliance to cool completely.
o After each use, wash with warm water, never in a dishwasher; do not use detergents and/or abrasive materials
o Do not reassemble the coffee maker when storing it after washing; store when perfectly dry in all its parts and not closed.
o Do not beat the funnel to remove the coffee, as it might get damaged or ovalized.
o Regularly perform the decalcification procedure as follows: Fill the heater with water up to the level, add two teaspoons of citric acid or vinegar, reassemble the product and, without adding the coffee powder, use once with water only, then proceed as for a first use.
o Regularly check that the holes of the filter plate are not obstructed, otherwise open them using a delicate brush or a needle.
o Regularly inspect the safety valve, to remove any lime scale in the hole, clogging the valve: just move the small piston inside the valve along its axis when washing the coffee maker.