Many people think brewing a latte at home is not easy, but now it is much easier. In this post, we will discuss how to make a latte with a Moka pot. Now, you do not have to spend much money drinking coffee from a coffee shop or having an expensive espresso machine in your home. All you have is a Moka pot, a jar with a lid, your coffee roast in espresso (fine) grind, and your milk of choice.
What Is A Moka Pot?
Before making a latte with a Moka pot, you should know very well what a Moka pot is. A Moka pot is a little silver pot in which you can easily make a latte. The good thing about making coffee in this pot is that you will get a very smooth and fresh coffee.
You will get a fantastic European taste of coffee. It is already a simple but ingenious percolating device. In this Moka pot, hot water moves in the upper direction, passing through the coffee grounds and rising out of a tube. It means that the coffee is brewed and that it would not have to pass through any additional coffee filters.
How Does A Stovetop Moka Pot Work?
The Moka pot gets the pressure from steam to push the water from the lower chamber through a small reversed funnel or filter. This filter is full of coffee grounds. For two weeks, the water is pushed into an upper collection chamber.
How to Make A Latte With A Moka Pot
To make the latte with a Moka pot, you first have to open the Moka pot and fill the bottom part with water. Fill the pot until it reaches the screw. Make sure that you are not overfilling the Moka pot.
Now, take the grounded espresso beans and fill the filter with them. You should smooth it out on the top but don’t press it. Then close the Moka pot by tightening it and putting it on your stove.
Ensure the temperature is high until the coffee starts pouring out on the top part of the Moka pot. Then remove the pot from the heat when the coffee comes out, making the foam.
You can start frothing some milk when the coffee brews. Then put a cup of milk into a jar and tighten the lid. You can also add this if you want. Then we have to make the milk look frothy, which can be done by shaking the jar vigorously for about 1 minute.
After shaking for one minute, the milk looks thicker and frothy. Now put the jar in a microwave for about 30 seconds, and it is done to warm the milk. Make sure that the milk does not overflow.
It’s time to serve the latte so you can put the espresso to heatproof. Then slowly pour the particular amount of milk, spooning some of the foam into your drink. Now, you can add syrup or cinnamon, or sweetener to make the taste according to your desire.
Does A Moka Pot Make Espresso Or Coffee?
If you examine the Moka pot keenly, it uses steam to push the water through the coffee grounds filter. We all know very well that espresso is made through this process, and therefore it is technically espresso.
But the only different thing is the pressure. In a Moka pot, you can only put pressure on only 1.5 bars, but in an espresso machine, 9 bars of pressure are required to make an espresso. Thus in a Moka pot, you will get a coffee through brewing, but the taste is more like a very strong coffee.
Can You Use Milk In A Moka Pot?
People commonly add milk to the Moka pot while making coffee because adding it in a separate container requires extra time and cleanup. This is a drawback that, later on, people thought they could use milk in a Moka pot.
Generally, you should not use milk in a Moka pot. The reason is that the pot is directly exposed to constant heat. The milk at the bottom of the chamber will quickly curdle and burn.
As a result, all residue is left behind in a pot. However, adding milk to the top chamber would not damage the Moka pot, but it still has different drawbacks.
But later on, with technological advancement, the manufacturers also designed the Moka pot to add milk while making coffee.
Is It Possible To Brew Moka Pot Coffee With Milk Instead Of Water?
It is noted that brewing a latte with milk instead of water is bad for different reasons.
These reasons are:
- Milk Residue will pass throughout the Moka pot.
- Milk is not very effective at extracting coffee.
- Moka pot might burn the milk because the lower chamber is placed directly on top of a heat source. Also, they are made up of stainless steel or aluminum. These metals will get hot enough to burn the milk before brewing the coffee.
- Putting milk in the pot will also increase the pressure.
Why Should We Not Use Milk In A Moka Pot?
As I discussed above, why we should not use milk in a Moka pot, but let’s discuss this in more detail. Keep in mind that Moka pots use vapor pressure to push the hot water from the chamber below to the funnel through the filter.
Then water enters the top chamber. But when we use milk instead of hot water, the burnt milk, fats, and lactose also move through the funnel and filter. It then stops at every part inside the Moka pot.
Unfortunately, manufacturers do not recommend washing the Moka pot with soap because the residue left will affect the taste of the latte. Instead, you should wash out with simple water. But if you don’t clean the pot thoroughly after every brew, it will be very easy for mold to grow.
How To Clean Your Stovetop Moka Pot
The best tip while cleaning the Moka pot is to clean it as soon as possible and have time to cool down. After dumping out the coffee grounds, you can rinse all the components with water.
However, on the other hand, if you feel your Moka pot is dirty, then you should clean the upper chamber and metal filter with soapy water and then rinse it. Alternatively, you can run vinegar through the lower chamber twice before running hot water three to five times to clean it.
Simple Moka Pot Latte Recipe
Equipment
- Milk Frother
- Moka Pot
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Boiling water
- 30 Grams Dark roast coffee
- 1 ½ Cups Milk
Instructions
- First, take the Moka pot and fill the bottom chamber with water. Put it on the stovetop. Take a separate pot, pour milk in it, and then heat it until the bubbles start around the edges.
- Then fill your filter with 30 grams of coffee and pack it tightly. Then pack the filter by putting the coffee in enough amount till the filter is full. Then put the hot water in the lower chamber of the Moka pot.
- Make sure that the level is up to the same metal steam valve. Then put the filter inside and screw on the top. Then place the Moka pot on high flame until you hear coffee coming through the filter.
- Check out the whole process carefully until no more coffee is coming out. Then you can remove the pot from the stove.
- Take a mug, pour your espresso, and then top it with hot milk. It is recommended to take the ratio of 1:4. You can change the ratio according to your personal preference.
Video
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the recommended amount of milk to put in a Moka pot?
Suppose you are making cappuccino in a Moka pot, froth about one cup of milk, and put it over the espresso. Similar is the process for a latte.
Why is it not recommended to wash the Moka pot?
Manufacturers always recommend not to do anything that interferes with the coffee flavor. In fact, you should not use soapy water because it interferes with the taste of the coffee and affects the finish of the Moka pot.
Is Moka coffee stronger than espresso?
Yes, the Moka coffee is stronger than espresso; although the taste is not exactly like espresso but close to espresso.
Final Thoughts
Now you do not have to try the silly latte recipes that use regularly brewed coffee. You can make the perfect latte in a Moka pot. The latte you get through the Moka pot is strong, smooth, and rich.
It’s in between the espresso taste and the average coffee. So if you want to make your favorite latte at home, then Moka pot is the best way. In this post, we have discussed how to make a latte with a Moka pot in detail.
We also discussed other things about the topic. You can read the above post and give suggestions or tips in the comment section. Till then, happy shopping.
Mr. Haque is an Operations Manager at a reputed bank. During the weekends, Haque spends his time tending to his rooftop with the coffee fans. During work days, relish a cup in the morning, both to get the day started and to enjoy the flavors.
Excellent recipe!