Humble stovetop

Date Posted:1 July 2009 

Flying under the radar -
a stovetop can produce exceptional coffee - often superior to most domestic low and medium range espresso machines.

 

stovetop-coffee.jpg

A quality stainless stovetop makes better coffee than most sub $500 espresso machines.

 

Making The Best Stovetop Coffee

Right up front, I declare we currently do not sell moka pots on mycuppa.

A couple of days before last Xmas, I was still contemplating the decision of whether to drive from Melbourne to Newcastle as we have done for many years, or fly to save time and energy.

The advantage of driving means I can lug my wonderful Expobar Minore IV coffee machine and conical grinder.

OK, it's a just like taking another body in the van, but heck I want to enjoy my rare few days off with stunning coffees.

It's not a case of showing off, it's purely a standard I've become accustomed to - exceptional coffees whilst I enjoy the festive season and sharing the love of coffees with my family and friends.

Being extremely time poor, the fly option won out, plus I did not want to subject The Little One to 9hrs of my road-rage antics.

Yes, I expect my road rage is a side-effect of a constant over-caffeinated state.

I can experience road rage within 3 streets of leaving my house and as I get older, the worse I get - just like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, always in a rush to somewhere.

So, the immediate problem was selecting the appropriate brew method to accompany us on the journey. Aeropress, Airspresso, Plunger, Cold-Drip or Stovetop.

I chose the stovetop as it has always been a reliable performer in our travels.

Grabbing some PNG Sigri, Ethiopian Sidamo and Tanzania TEC Estate, we packed a couple of kilo ground coffee as I could just imagine spending half my mornings, dosing, brewing and repeating the process over and over for guests.

It had been a few years since I had the stainless cafettiera in use, a quick clean and inspect of the rubber seals - yep, it'll be alright.

The first morning in Newcastle, I woke and made my way into the kitchen, opened a pack of Sidamo Oromia and carefully dosed the correct amount, no packing/tamping and filled the bottom with water, fired up the gas burner and plonked the stovetop on heat.

A few minutes late I could hear that familiar bubbling and gurgling, then the strong aromas of brewing coffee, a few high-pitched whistles and I knew my love potion was ready for consumption.

What amazed me was the pure clarity and depth of the brew. Maybe I had my coffee goggles on, but wow it was a superb brew.

Sharing that first brew with The Little One, she also enjoyed it - who needs a frothy milk latte/cap........

There is something so simple and elegant about the stovetop brewer that has been lost on me for a short-while.

For the next 6 days I experimented with the PNG and Tanzania - all were sensational.

Why would people drink instant when for the cost of $60 they can thoroughly enjoy fresh brewed coffee from a stovetop for years and years with little or no maintenance.

PLEASE NOTE: We recommend using a stainless moka pot/stovetop as we are aware there can be some health risks from aluminium units.