Moka Pot vs Aeropress

[Valiant]

Which is better?

[Rhys W]

For me, not much in it - with both, I tend to make a strong Americano rather than espresso. Aeropress wins when you only have access to a kettle and not a hob.

[Hot Flatus]

Moka pots seem to impart a certain flavour. Bizarrely I get a similar result from the Aeropress. The Aeropress has many fans, I'm not one of them but I'd say that is down to my taste preferences.

[CAMRAMan]

What kind of crema do you get with an Aeropress? I have always failed miserably to achieve a good crema with a mokka pot.

[Hot Flatus]

You'll only get that with a proper espresso machine IME. Moka pots make an approximation of espresso.

[Euan Uzami]

IMO not much in it. Moka pot slightly stronger, but very very marginal. Both make close to espresso strength coffee in close to americano proportions, which is what I like.
Although for some reason I think the coffee that they make is not really espresso but not really americano either, it's just strong black coffee - it tastes nicer than 'proper' espresso in my opinion  - I think it's richer/more full bodied.

[Valiant]

Ok so heres the thing, we currently use a moka pot. And for an xmas pressie I was thinking maybe of buying an Aeropress so coffee time is that little bit quicker and cleaner. So on those counts it might be worth the £24.

[Charlotte]

I prefer an Aeropress over the Moka, definitely.

But I tended to use both as a base for Americano and if you're not using a real shot of espresso, then pourover is just that much more to my tastes these days.

[John Henry]

I could never get anything remotely drinkable out of the moka pot, but other people claim to and i have no reason to disbelieve them. So either it's just a taste thing, or I was crap at moka pots. It always seemed to impart a strange metallic flavour.

I've only ever had one really bad coffee from the Aeropress, on day one when I was still experimenting and made one lot far too weak.

So Aeropress every time for me. And I also find it easier to use and less hassle to clean than every other coffee making method. I don't think either the Aero or the moka make any kind of real approximation to espresso. The Aero just makes good strong black coffee, which is what I like.

YMMV, obviously. And I while I do appreciate good coffee, I wouldn't claim to be as obsessive knowledgeable as others.

[fuaran]

You can get a stainless steel moka pot, which should avoid any metallic tastes. And its rather quick if you use it on an induction hob.

[Hot Flatus]

I would say that the Aeropress is much more versatile than a Moka pot, in terms of what you can get away with putting in it.

[RJ]

You can get a stainless steel moka pot, which should avoid any metallic tastes. And its rather quick if you use it on an induction hob.

I think I've mentioned elsewhere that Ikea's 3-cup pot is good value for staionless steel (~£15) and makes as good coffee as my trust old italian aluminium one.  Avoid the 6-cup version though, as the coffee funnels are the same size for both pots 

[Thor]

I would say that the Aeropress is much more versatile than a Moka pot, in terms of what you can get away with putting in it.

<Wonders what •ó°₩°ò• is putting in his Aeropress> 

The Aeropress gives you control over temperature, which you don't get with the Moka pot.  This may account for the better results some people perceive.  I like the results from both - but coffee from the Aeropress sometimes seems a little more mellow, possibly due to the use of water at a temperature well below boiling.

[padbeat]

I do believe there may be an Areopress with my name on it under the Christmas tree. One of the key aspects of my coffee is that it needs to be portable and flexible in its use - office (no hob), at sea and on watch (no hob!) and in a cabin (hob available, but 2 corridors away). At the moment I'm using cafetiere mug which produces fairly OK results, and a whole lot better than instant.

I'm really looking forward to an overcaffinated Christmas...

The only issue is finding a sufficiently robust coffee to put up with being pre-ground and stored in a tupperware box for 2 months in temps of 30deg C!

Sometimes life is just one comprimise after another.

[CAMRAMan]

Couldn't you use a Porlex grinder, padbeat?

[Fab Foodie]

I would say that the Aeropress is much more versatile than a Moka pot, in terms of what you can get away with putting in it.

<Wonders what •ó°₩°ò• is putting in his Aeropress> 

The Aeropress gives you control over temperature, which you don't get with the Moka pot.  This may account for the better results some people perceive.  I like the results from both - but coffee from the Aeropress sometimes seems a little more mellow, possibly due to the use of water at a temperature well below boiling.

I'm no expert either, and I've not conducted a truly scientific test with the same coffee in each but thus far I think I know what you mean about the Moka pot taste and I had hithertoo put it down to the heat compared to the Aeropress which I find more mellow to the Moka's slightly bitter edge.  I confess though to primarily using pre-ground for the Moka and fresh-ground for the Aeropress.
Having said all that, I like my 3 cup Bialletti, it makes a nice treackly strong black kicking coffee and I don't find it too much of a faff ... it's also a beautiful design that looks good on the stove and has a certain soul in use that the more clinical Aeropress lacks. 
The Aeropress/Porlex usually travels to the office with me, the Moka lives at home.

[Hot Flatus]

Leaving the quality of taste aside, the moka pot wins hands down when it comes to aesthetics. The sight of luxuriant, rich, deeply bodied brown nectar running down the siphon and pooling on the brilliant stainless steel is a joy, as is the gentle chuff-chuff as the machine finishes its job.


In contrast, using the proctological Aeropress is reminiscent of some kind of reverse-action enema.

[rogerzilla]

You're supposed to "run in" a Moka by making six? brews and chucking them all away, which will turn the insides brown.  Then never wash it, or at least only rinse it out.  Stops the aluminium taste.

[John Henry]

Leaving the quality of taste aside, the moka pot wins hands down when it comes to aesthetics. The sight of luxuriant, rich, deeply bodied brown nectar running down the siphon and pooling on the brilliant stainless steel is a joy, as is the gentle chuff-chuff as the machine finishes its job.


In contrast, using the proctological Aeropress is reminiscent of some kind of reverse-action enema.

Despite being an Aeropress convert, I cannot argue with this. The Aeropress is the MP3 to the Moka pot's vinyl, the Kindle to the Moka pot's bound leather book, the Porsche 911 to the Moka pot's Lamborghini Miura.

But bringing the quality of taste back in, I'm sticking with the Aeropress.

[bikenrrd]

You can improve the coffee from a Moka pot massively by doing two things:

1.  Grinding the coffee yourself just before you brew.
2.  Put hot water in the base, rather than cold.

Then set a moderate heat.  When the coffee starts coming out, gradually turn the heat down to maintain the flow rate.  Take it completely off the heat before it starts to splutter, and pour straight away.  There will be some water left in the bottom of the pot - don't worry about it.  If you want a longer coffee top up from the kettle.

To see why you should take it off before it splutters, when you've poured the coffee, put it back on the hob until all the water has come out.  Have a look and smell of the "coffee" and decide whether you want to drink it or.  If you do, you will discover it is very thin and very bitter.  It's this last bit of coffee that makes people think Moka coffee is usually bitter.

Erm, I'm not obsessive, honest!

Edit: and, as Roger says, don't wash it with soap.  Just rinse it under the tap and allow to dry.

[Fab Foodie]

to the Moka pot's Lamborghini Miura.

You Sir, are clearly a man of exquisite taste and I salute you ....

[andrewc]

Inspired by bikenrrd's post I dug out my old Moka pot.    Mistake.... I don't think it's been cleaned since it was last used, a couple of years ago.....

It's life Jim, but not as we know it...

[bikenrrd]

Inspired by bikenrrd's post I dug out my old Moka pot.    Mistake.... I don't think it's been cleaned since it was last used, a couple of years ago.....

It's life Jim, but not as we know it...

Boil it up (i.e. use it as if you were making coffee) with just water in it a few times and it'll be alright!  You could use bicarb if it gets really bad but you'd have to "season" it a few times after that.  Season = making coffee in it to throw away.

[RJ]

You can improve the coffee from a Moka pot massively by doing two things:

1.  Grinding the coffee yourself just before you brew.
2.  Put hot water in the base, rather than cold.

Then set a moderate heat.  When the coffee starts coming out, gradually turn the heat down to maintain the flow rate.  Take it completely off the heat before it starts to splutter, and pour straight away.  There will be some water left in the bottom of the pot - don't worry about it.  If you want a longer coffee top up from the kettle.

To see why you should take it off before it splutters, when you've poured the coffee, put it back on the hob until all the water has come out.  Have a look and smell of the "coffee" and decide whether you want to drink it or.  If you do, you will discover it is very thin and very bitter.  It's this last bit of coffee that makes people think Moka coffee is usually bitter.

Erm, I'm not obsessive, honest!

Edit: and, as Roger says, don't wash it with soap.  Just rinse it under the tap and allow to dry.

Yes.  I'd agree with most of that.  Freshly ground beans: absolutely - the biggest single factor, in my view (after choosing the right offee for the job).  I don't find a particularly noticeable difference between hot and cold water in the bottom, but I do use a fairly low heat and also watch the pot and take it off before the final roar/splutter, while there's still sometimes a hint of somehting that looks a little like a crema.

That being said, I'm drinking a lot more drip-filter coffee now - at home, at work (separate thread somewhere) and in the few coffee shops that will do fresh pour-over single-cup brew to order.

[Rhys W]

In contrast, using the proctological Aeropress is reminiscent of some kind of reverse-action enema.

It also looks like a penis pump. Or at least, that's what somebody told me.