Moka Mania!!

Ah, the Moka Pot! Also known as the ‘stovetop espresso machine’. Defined as the next best thing to espresso, the coffee that these little gadgets produce is truly divine. I don’t have the money to buy myself even a cheap espresso machine but even if I did, I would never abandon my moka for anything. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have a beautiful chrome La Pavoni hand-pull espresso machine. But the moka pot has a charm that cannot be denied. It’s design so modern yet so classic, the coffee it makes so dark and rich, the sound of the last drops of hot, black nectar coming up the spout … they all combine to produce a magic unequaled by any other method for brewing coffee.

When I get up in the morning before dawn, and the world is dark and cold and lonely, my first drowsy thoughts turn to my moka pot. I pull it down from the cabinet over the fridge with my jar of dark-roasted coffee beans and my grinder. I set all three items on the counter and fill up the reservoir with water. Next, I carefully measure out my beans using the filter basket, leveling the beans with the top of the basket. I empty the aromatic beans into the grinder and put the filter basket into the reservoir. Once the beans are finely ground I open the grinder and breathe the heady aroma. The grounds I then empty into the filter and carefully brush the last few particles of coffee together and sprinkle them on top of the small mound. Next, I screw the top of the brewer onto the threads of the reservoir, thereby automatically tamping the grounds down.

All that is left to do is wait while the water heats in preparation for its incredible transformation into the drink of the gods. This takes an excruciating five minutes. While I wait I occupy myself with the inessential task of preparing something to eat for breakfast. When I hear the wonderful sound of the last drops of coffee bubbling up out of the spout I drop what I’m doing and immediately turn back to the stove to remove my pot from the stove. My whole attention now bent on drinking my first sip, I place the pot on a trivet and get my espresso cup and spoon.