Whatever we call it - cafe, cafetree, cafetreir, moka, mokapot or correctly - a coffee maker, we all know exactly what the device is all about. One of the most recognisable coffee brewing designs that has long won the hearts of coffee gourmets the world over.

She conquered mine too for some very simple reasons.

Firstly, the design - timeless, elegant, classic.

Secondly, mobility - we pack the coffee maker in our suitcase and gain the ability to make coffee anywhere in the world. All we need is access to water and a heat source. And it doesn't matter if it's your neighbour's cooker or a campfire in Zanzibar.

Thirdly, the simplicity of use - you really don't need to be a master barista to make delicious coffee from a café.

Fourthly, and most importantly - the coffee! It is dense, essential, intense in flavour, which is as it should be.

Perhaps I'll add a fifth - the coffee machine is close to my heart because it, rather than automatic machines, prepares the coffee closest to espresso.

Therefore, if you want to have an espresso at home as similar as possible to the one you drink in your favourite café, I cannot recommend any other solution than investing in a coffee machine.

Now to the point, which would direct you on how to make a delicious cafe brew at home.

Let's start with the choice of model. There are devices available on the market with different designs, but always with a reference to the classics. However, this is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to adapt the device to the type of burner you are using. Or, more precisely, choosing the right material for the café.

There are usually two options. The classic coffee machine is made of aluminium, but it is important to note that it will not work with an induction cooker unless you buy a special cap for induction.

The coffee machine in the second version is made of stainless steel. And it is this option that is more versatile, as it is suitable for any type of cooker. There is only one "but". In order for a stainless steel cafe to work with induction, it often needs to have the right weight. This usually starts with the '4' size cafe.

And while we're on the subject of size: what does it really mean?

Well, so much so that in determining the size of the coffee makers it has become accepted how many cups of coffee they are efficient for. What does one cup mean? It is approximately 50ml of brew. So using the aforementioned size "4" - you will get about 200ml of coffee from such a coffee machine.

Now that we know which coffee maker to choose, it's time to find out what coffee will go best with it.

We must look for roasters that are dedicated to espresso. Since a café is a mildly pressurised method, the coffee brewed in it resembles espresso in texture and flavour. This is why such beans will work best.

So don't be afraid of the phrase 'espresso' on packets of coffee, which is often associated with the very strong roasts available in shops. If you use high-quality coffee from your favourite artisan roaster, you can believe me that the brew you get from such beans will be very graceful in flavour.

We've already got the coffee, now it's time to grind it!

Preferably as fine as possible, but not as fine as for real espresso. The pressure generated in the coffee machine is not high enough to break through the heavily ground coffee particles.

And with this wording, we move on to the next thread on the issue of 'brewing' a coffee machine. We pour as much coffee into the ground coffee hopper as it can hold - no more and no less, And even more importantly, we never whisk it! This is because of the pressure I just mentioned. The water must freely penetrate the ground coffee bean and extract as many of the flavour notes we want from it as possible.

And while we're on the subject of water, let's go for it 😉 .

Above all, water should be fresh and filtered. It is also good practice to use warm boiled water. This will shorten our brewing time, thus avoiding the possibility of the brew becoming 'overcooked' and therefore bitter. Also remember not to pour water over the level of the safety valve. This valve releases excess pressure precisely in the event of too much water in the container.

Time to brew.

Personally, I recommend putting the café on as high a burner power as possible so that the brewing time is not too long.

Generally, we determine the brewing time ... by eye. And literally! It is a good idea to open the lid of the café and observe to what point the coffee comes out of the spout. We stop the supply when only the foam starts to come out.

At this point, it is good practice to take the café off the heat source and pour water over the outside of the container. Running cool water straight from the tap. This is to bring the temperature of the machine down and to make sure that we have interrupted extraction.

Once all these requirements have been met there is nothing left to do but enjoy a delicious, essential, intense, thick coffee reminiscent of the classics!

Enjoy!

Paweł Świderski,

known in the industry as Swider or Sad Swider. He has been dabbling in coffee since 2015. Finalist in many coffee competitions, including 2nd vice champion of the Polish Brewers Cup 2019. A devotee of pour-overs, antitalent of latte art, privately a musician, photographer and nature lover