Moka Pot care

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Moka Pot care

Postby Kemuri » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:36 pm

Hi all,

I've had a good search for moka pot stuff both here and on the web in general, but I can't seem to find a definitive answer to how to clean the pot (except for the universally agreed "never in the dishwasher"!)

The bottom part especially gets what looks like mineral deposits in it - even though I have only ever used brita filtered water to make the coffee.

Some people say detergent, some say not. Some say scour, some say not.

Any advice would be great!
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RE: Moka Pot care

Postby bruceb » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:40 pm

The dishwasher part is only true for aluminium pots. Stainless is fine in the dishwasher.

The old idea of a patina in the teapot being necessary for a good cup of tea may have some merit, although I have never been able to verify it. Coffee equipment needs to be spotlessly clean and oil free.

If you are using an aluminium pot it may be somewhat difficult to remove the limescale. Maybe someone knows how it's done. The normal descalers are not for use with Al.

A Brita filter does not make distilled or deionised water. If it hasn't been used too long it does soften the water a bit and is supposed to remove bad tastes. A moka pot tends to build up limescale readilly because the relatively small amount water is boiled down to only a small amount left and is usually then left to cool down which gives scale a perfect chance to build up. The scale is harmless in itself. More important is the filter basket and upper part of the pot with the rubber ring and filter disk that should be well cleaned with detergent to remove coffee oils that quickly become rancid. There is no other reasonable way to remove the oils except to use detergent (or for stainless steel the dishwasher or espresso machine cleaner, also a strong detergent). It goes without saying that all parts need to be well rinsed with clear, hot water before using.

Like with everything else, however, you can test this for yourself. Try not cleaning for awhile and see if the taste changes. In my opinion there is no place for dogma in coffee making or in most other areas of life. :wink:
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RE: Moka Pot care

Postby espressomattic » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:25 pm

I can put my hand up and say that an aluminium Moka and dishwahers do not mix!!!

Personally I would always go for a stainless Moka as I have found the Aluminium variety always, without fail make the coffee taste somewhat metalic.

If you have an aluminium one I would change to stainless as it is far easier to clean and carries none of the alledged health risks posed by aluminium.
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RE: Moka Pot care

Postby lukas » Tue Jul 03, 2007 11:27 pm

Second that. I too found that distinct metallic taste in aluminium mokka-pots.
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RE: Moka Pot care

Postby Ed » Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:42 am

I wonder if lemon juice or citric acid crystals might work to remove limescale from aluminium pots? Works for other "furred up" things.

Vinegar is best really but there might be an issue of residual taste.

Citric acid crystals have least smell/taste to them but are difficult to find now because junkies use them to cut with heroin. A homebrew outlet might sell you some if you can find one.

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RE: Moka Pot care

Postby zix » Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:26 am

I also dislike the metallic taste of alu pots, with the exception of the Bialetti Brikka, which may of course have it nonetheless. I just can't taste it.

I have washed the Brikka with a little detergent once or perhaps twice in the three years I have had it. My detergent cleaning routine of a moka pot is the same wether it is stainless or alu:
No scouring, just using a rather soft brush.
Immediately after cleaning, lots of rinsing and drying, then another rinse.
Then I do two boil-ups, the first one with water only, the last one with a bit of coffee in it, and it is ready to use again.
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Re: RE: Moka Pot care

Postby bruceb » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:25 am

Ed wrote:I wonder if lemon juice or citric acid crystals might work to remove limescale from aluminium pots? Works for other "furred up" things.

Vinegar is best really but there might be an issue of residual taste.

Citric acid crystals have least smell/taste to them but are difficult to find now because junkies use them to cut with heroin. A homebrew outlet might sell you some if you can find one.

Ed


Any acid that will dissolve calcium and magnesium limescale will also react with aluminium, resulting in an unpleasant dark and mottled appearance and bad taste. The limescale is virtually insoluble and tasteless. I would just leave it alone. Alternatively, there are limescale reducers that look like a stainless sponge. If you put one (cut up?) in the bottom of the pot and boil a few times it will reduce or remove the limescale. I don't think it's worth the effort, but if you live in an area with extremely hard water you might give it a try.
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Re: RE: Moka Pot care

Postby GeorgeW » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:02 pm

espressomattic wrote:I can put my hand up and say that an aluminium Moka and dishwahers do not mix!!!



:roll: :D :D :D
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Postby GeorgeW » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:10 pm

My taste buds must be all to hell. I have used an aluminum Moka for many, many years and during that time have washed it with detergent after use. I've never experienced any ill-effects or been able to detect any metallic taste.
The health scares circulating about aluminum, as I understand it, were discounted after attempts to determine these effects proved fruitless. That said, if I can find a well-made stainless one I'd buy it. The ones I have bought in the past have all failed due to poor design, usually breaking off at the hinge on the lid.
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Postby bruceb » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:22 pm

Detergents won't hurt aluminium. The problem is with acids and with trisodium phosphate found in dishwasher cleaning agents.
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Postby Paragon » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:13 am

Kind of cool to read it, as I remember my flatmate's - an italian - almost dogmatic belief that mokapot should not be cleaned (that's how they do it in italy, supposedly), otherwise you have to make again 3-4 coffees and then it'll taste ok again....

It always amazes me how italians now all the best about coffee..... :lol:

oh..I've use her mokapot a few times....don't tell anyone I cleaned it beforehand..... :roll: and not afterwards :lol:
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Postby Aadje » Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:13 am

interesting about not cleaning the moka pot, but it's quite the same with an espresso machine: after cleaning with detergent the first shot is for re-oiling only, the second shot is drinkable.
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Postby Paragon » Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:54 am

yeah, I tried it so that I WIPED the little thingy with papertowels quite fiercly. Seemed to remove all the visible coffee-oil residues (from like 2 years of using and not cleaning.....). :roll: It kind of satisfied my obsessive compulsions to have it "shiny" and her firm belief it should never be cleaned to maintain good taste...
...I think she'd put a contract on me if I'd do it with a detergent and would get cought... :shock:
...wiping is sort of middle-ground...
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Postby CakeBoy » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:14 pm

Rancid coffee oils are never appetising to my palate :)
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Postby Aadje » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:28 pm

well you shouldnt clean a teapot either iirc.
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