Espresso

[DanielChamberlain]

Developed a taste for the stuff back in the 80s when I lived in Italy.
In 2019 the wife and I went to Italy for 6 weeks so I could show here some of the things I remembered best.
Re-developed my taste for the after dinner shot.
Used a moka pot while there.

When I got home, my kids gave me this for my birthday.

I haven't made a cup of coffee in anything else since 2019.

[bullsi1911]

The wife and I are both coffee nuts, and have a pretty well used Moka pot like that. It makes some great coffee.

So, yeah. Love espresso.

[breamfisher]

They also make a good cup of Cuban coffee.

[shotgunshooter3]

I've been using a Moka Pot here and there and like it a lot. I'm also an espresso fan, developed a taste for it at my last unit in the Army. A pilot kept a pretty high end espresso machine at the unit, then while deployed pretty much every location (unit was split up across the AO) ponied up to buy an espresso machine of some sort, from mild to wild (typically a Captain or senior Warrant Officer purchased one for the sight or a few folks split the costs).

Once I'm actually settled in a place for awhile I will likely get a Breville machine. Until then, the Moka Pot will work when the craving hits.

[Wambli Ska]

I have espresso or Café con Leche every morning as my wake up drink. Being a coffee nut (spelled a-d-d-i-c-t) since childhood there are probably 8-10 different coffee making implements in my house including a Vietnamese Phin, actually two because they come in different sizes. I also have two sizes of the same coffee pot you use (a personal favorite and what my grandma used exclusively at home), a two cup and a six cup because wife wants to get in on the caffeine action sometimes. They make a superb cup of espresso!

[minnesotashooter]

Prime days had a deal on a Moka pot, just made my first cup of Cuban coffee with morning. Tastes awesome, but need to refine my skills a little more. Wambli, what’s your cafe con leche recipe with the Moka pot?

[Wambli Ska]

Prime days had a deal on a Moka pot, just made my first cup of Cuban coffee with morning. Tastes awesome, but need to refine my skills a little more. Wambli, what’s your cafe con leche recipe with the Moka pot?

Super simple. Latinos in general are not partial to steamed milk. We actually scald our whole milk which imparts a flavor of its own. This means we heat our milk in a small sauce pot the microwave. The trick is you want to stop heating the milk RIGHT before it boils over. I use a big French style 16/oz porcelain cup because porcelain won’t burn your hand when it comes out of the microwave.

I fill the cup a little over half way with whole milk then put in the microwave for 2 minutes (this will vary by microwave) which gets it to that hot but pre-boil temp. When it comes out I put one teaspoon of raw sugar in the milk and stir until dissolved. A thin skin called “nata” often forms on the surface of the milk when you heat it this way. Some folks find that objectionable and just skim it off with their spoon before adding sugar. I don’t, I just stir it right back into the milk with the sugar just like my grandma did.

Sugar is adjusted to taste but Latin Café con Leche is typically a light and sweet drink. My daughter does three teaspoons of sugar, I do one rounded one. Then add the coffee from the mocha pot to the mug while stirring until you get the “color” you want, you’re gunning for a very light brown. The amount of coffee I pour into each cup varies with the coffee I’m running in the pot. Espresso coffees are usually harsher in taste so you use less, you want no bitterness in the drink, it should be smooth and silky tasting. Medium roast coffees ground to fine espresso grind actually work better for this drink and allow more coffee in your drink making the coffee taste stronger but adding no bitterness.

Hope that’s clear, tough to explain, easy to execute.

[Diver43]

Prime days had a deal on a Moka pot, just made my first cup of Cuban coffee with morning. Tastes awesome, but need to refine my skills a little more. Wambli, what’s your cafe con leche recipe with the Moka pot?

Super simple. Latinos in general are not partial to steamed milk. We actually scald our whole milk which imparts a flavor of its own. This means we heat our milk in a small sauce pot the microwave. The trick is you want to stop heating the milk RIGHT before it boils over. I use a big French style 16/oz porcelain cup because porcelain won’t burn your hand when it comes out of the microwave.

I fill the cup a little over half way with whole milk then put in the microwave for 2 minutes (this will vary by microwave) which gets it to that hot but pre-boil temp. When it comes out I put one teaspoon of raw sugar in the milk and stir until dissolved. A thin skin called “nata” often forms on the surface of the milk when you heat it this way. Some folks find that objectionable and just skim it off with their spoon before adding sugar. I don’t, I just stir it right back into the milk with the sugar just like my grandma did.

Sugar is adjusted to taste but Latin Café con Leche is typically a light and sweet drink. My daughter does three teaspoons of sugar, I do one rounded one. Then add the coffee from the mocha pot to the mug while stirring until you get the “color” you want, you’re gunning for a very light brown. The amount of coffee I pour into each cup varies with the coffee I’m running in the pot. Espresso coffees are usually harsher in taste so you use less, you want no bitterness in the drink, it should be smooth and silky tasting. Medium roast coffees ground to fine espresso grind actually work better for this drink and allow more coffee in your drink making the coffee taste stronger but adding no bitterness.

Hope that’s clear, tough to explain, easy to execute.

You don't use BUSTELLO?

[Wambli Ska]

Prime days had a deal on a Moka pot, just made my first cup of Cuban coffee with morning. Tastes awesome, but need to refine my skills a little more. Wambli, what’s your cafe con leche recipe with the Moka pot?

Super simple. Latinos in general are not partial to steamed milk. We actually scald our whole milk which imparts a flavor of its own. This means we heat our milk in a small sauce pot the microwave. The trick is you want to stop heating the milk RIGHT before it boils over. I use a big French style 16/oz porcelain cup because porcelain won’t burn your hand when it comes out of the microwave.

I fill the cup a little over half way with whole milk then put in the microwave for 2 minutes (this will vary by microwave) which gets it to that hot but pre-boil temp. When it comes out I put one teaspoon of raw sugar in the milk and stir until dissolved. A thin skin called “nata” often forms on the surface of the milk when you heat it this way. Some folks find that objectionable and just skim it off with their spoon before adding sugar. I don’t, I just stir it right back into the milk with the sugar just like my grandma did.

Sugar is adjusted to taste but Latin Café con Leche is typically a light and sweet drink. My daughter does three teaspoons of sugar, I do one rounded one. Then add the coffee from the mocha pot to the mug while stirring until you get the “color” you want, you’re gunning for a very light brown. The amount of coffee I pour into each cup varies with the coffee I’m running in the pot. Espresso coffees are usually harsher in taste so you use less, you want no bitterness in the drink, it should be smooth and silky tasting. Medium roast coffees ground to fine espresso grind actually work better for this drink and allow more coffee in your drink making the coffee taste stronger but adding no bitterness.

Hope that’s clear, tough to explain, easy to execute.

You don't use BUSTELLO?

Over the last few years Bustello has been trying to “Americanize” their coffee to bring it to the American mainstream and the quality (flavor) has suffered, of course this is based on MY taste, still a damn good coffee. But I find that the current offer unless I brew it stupid strong in a French press, just doesn’t really taste like coffee the way it used to years ago. Again, to my mouth.

Folks don’t realize brands change favor profiles depending on addressable market and suppliers. They usually do it slowly so their followers won’t notice the change. I do now favor other “Latin Style” coffees over Bustella but I hate recommending specific brands because what tastes right to me might taste like crap to someone else. But my usual advice is try brands like Llave, Pilón and others in the Latin section of the market. They are usually cheaper than the Italian espressos and better coffees as far as I’m concerned, at least to my taste.

[shotgunshooter3]

That's something interesting to note, and I will keep an eye out for some of those other brands. I say this as I sip an americano made with Bustelo brewed in a Moka Pot.

[minnesotashooter]

Took your advice wambli and i did made teo cups of coffee this morning, one for me and one for the wife. Her’s was your recipe with 2 scoops of sugar and Honduran Peaberry beans. Mine was with Bustelo and two scoops of sugar. Both were too sweet so I’ll try one scoop or 3/4 of a scoop tomorrow. I love Honduran or Costa Rican peaberry coffee, definitely our favorite coffee of all time

[Wambli Ska]

That is a fine looking cup of coffee!

Yeah, with the sugar you’re better off starting lower and working up to perfect for your taste. Though I’ll tell you if you go to Miami and order a Café con Leche and ask for a specific amount of sugar they’ll know you’re a gringo! For Latinos we know it’s up to the “abuelita” behind the counter to make it perfect and they always do.

[Wambli Ska]

That's something interesting to note, and I will keep an eye out for some of those other brands. I say this as I sip an americano made with Bustelo brewed in a Moka Pot.

Yep, still a darn fine coffee cup. It’s just that it’s battling decades of cups in my memory and a lifetime of trying to always make my grandmas cup exactly.

[breamfisher]

Not espresso per se, but...

On Instagram, I came across a coffee company telling you how to use a Moka pot....
1. Don't use cold water, use boiling water to fill up your bottom chamber.
2. Don't use espresso grind, use a slightly coarser grind.
3. Don't tamp your grounds. Use a weird rake-like thing to spread out the grounds.
4. Brew with the lid open, and use the stovetop on a temp that juuuuust allows the pot to percolate.

He's Australian, so maybe that's how they do it, but... every single Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban lady I've seen who's brewed coffee using a Moka pot does none of that. Cold water, espresso grind, a slight tamp, lid closed on medium heat. Maybe they're doing it wrong, but I'm not brave enough to tell them.

[GrapeApe]

Bream, Like many things, there are some people that seem to enjoy making something MUCH more difficult than it actually is.

I found the same thing when I was 1) learning to sharpen my straight razors and 2) learning how to shave with one.
Figured out I can do BOTH a lot simpler than "the experts" say it is

[Wambli Ska]

Not espresso per se, but...

On Instagram, I came across a coffee company telling you how to use a Moka pot....
1. Don't use cold water, use boiling water to fill up your bottom chamber.
2. Don't use espresso grind, use a slightly coarser grind.
3. Don't tamp your grounds. Use a weird rake-like thing to spread out the grounds.
4. Brew with the lid open, and use the stovetop on a temp that juuuuust allows the pot to percolate.

He's Australian, so maybe that's how they do it, but... every single Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban lady I've seen who's brewed coffee using a Moka pot does none of that. Cold water, espresso grind, a slight tamp, lid closed on medium heat. Maybe they're doing it wrong, but I'm not brave enough to tell them.

No
No
No
And no…

[CPJ 2.0]

That's something interesting to note, and I will keep an eye out for some of those other brands. I say this as I sip an americano made with Bustelo brewed in a Moka Pot.

Bustelo is the best kept secret in coffee.

I keep some in the camper with an aero press.

[breamfisher]

Best Cuban coffee I ever had, the lady took the crema that first came off and mixed it with sugar. She put the crema in a Petar and used a pestle on the sugar to do the mixing.

[Wambli Ska]

Best Cuban coffee I ever had, the lady took the crema that first came off and mixed it with sugar. She put the crema in a Petar and used a pestle on the sugar to do the mixing.

And that’s the right way to do it.

[breamfisher]

I am lucky, we have a supermarket that caters to Latinos near us. I can get Bustelo, Pilot, La Llave, Yaucono, and others.

[Wambli Ska]

You can get Yaucono?!?!?!? Damn that’s a tough one. One of the smoothest coffees in the world. You can brew that stuff to make the spoon stand in the put and still not get any bitterness. Tough to get in the USA in a retail place.

[shotgunshooter3]

Not espresso per se, but...

On Instagram, I came across a coffee company telling you how to use a Moka pot....
1. Don't use cold water, use boiling water to fill up your bottom chamber.
2. Don't use espresso grind, use a slightly coarser grind.
3. Don't tamp your grounds. Use a weird rake-like thing to spread out the grounds.
4. Brew with the lid open, and use the stovetop on a temp that juuuuust allows the pot to percolate.

He's Australian, so maybe that's how they do it, but... every single Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban lady I've seen who's brewed coffee using a Moka pot does none of that. Cold water, espresso grind, a slight tamp, lid closed on medium heat. Maybe they're doing it wrong, but I'm not brave enough to tell them.

You mean dumping in cold water, packing in espresso, closing it snugly, and tossing it on the stove until you hear the "angry volcano" sounds isn't correct? Whoops.

[Wambli Ska]

Not espresso per se, but...

On Instagram, I came across a coffee company telling you how to use a Moka pot....
1. Don't use cold water, use boiling water to fill up your bottom chamber.
2. Don't use espresso grind, use a slightly coarser grind.
3. Don't tamp your grounds. Use a weird rake-like thing to spread out the grounds.
4. Brew with the lid open, and use the stovetop on a temp that juuuuust allows the pot to percolate.

He's Australian, so maybe that's how they do it, but... every single Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban lady I've seen who's brewed coffee using a Moka pot does none of that. Cold water, espresso grind, a slight tamp, lid closed on medium heat. Maybe they're doing it wrong, but I'm not brave enough to tell them.

You mean dumping in cold water, packing in espresso, closing it snugly, and tossing it on the stove until you hear the "angry volcano" sounds isn't correct? Whoops.

Every cup is paving your way to hell…

[Chiro1989]

I am lucky, we have a supermarket that caters to Latinos near us. I can get Bustelo, Pilot, La Llave, Yaucono, and others.

Target and Aldis carry Bustelo up by me, $3.75 for the vacuum sealed brick at Aldi’s

[DanielChamberlain]

[/quote]
You mean dumping in cold water, packing in espresso, closing it snugly, and tossing it on the stove until you hear the "angry volcano" sounds isn't correct? Whoops.
[/quote]



I do it your way...