Espresso and automatic coffee machines are increasingly popular, in order to enjoy professional-grade coffee at home. Capsule coffee makers are also abundant in kitchens, which speed up and facilitate the process. But, of course, there are many who remain faithful to more traditional coffee makers, such as the American, French or Italian, also known as mocha.
A priori, the Italian coffee maker is very easy to use. Simply fill the water tank, then fill the filter with ground coffee and boil it until it is filled with coffee infused with water. However, there are a number of common mistakes that you may be making without realizing it.
From the Instagram profile @kopikrate they have shared a video in which they reveal some keys to making a perfect coffee in an Italian coffee maker. The first thing they emphasize is that you should never crush the ground coffee in the filter. This is because in this way it is more difficult for the water to filter well with the coffee, thus running the risk of it burning.
To make coffee in the Italian coffee maker, it is more convenient to fill the reservoir with hot water, rather than cold water, just up to below the valve. Then fill the bucket with the ground coffee without compacting it. Then, you have to screw on the coffee maker, being careful not to burn yourself, since when you fill it with hot water it is possible that the bottom part becomes hot.
When putting the coffee maker on the heat, it is important to leave the lid open and, with a medium or low heat, wait until the coffee starts to come out little by little. As soon as it begins to gush, we close the lid and turn off the heat, as this is an indication that the coffee is ready.
Many coffee specialists, as is the case with the profile mentioned above, recommend leaving the lid of the Italian coffee maker open during the process and closing it only when the coffee is ready, so that it does not splash.
However, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) spoke out about this belief last year. They explained that the lid does not play any role in the set of pressures through which the Italian coffee maker works. For this reason, “when it comes to making coffee, it makes no difference whether the lid is open or closed,” they said.
However, it is true that keeping the lid open helps prevent the coffee from boiling prematurely, thus preventing it from burning. Of course, this is also controlled with a medium or low heat instead of setting it too high.
