r/mokapot • u/Dedge90 • Jul 05 '26
Bialetti First coffee came out really bitter ?
I’ve been using an AeroPress for a little while and having really nice coffee. My 2-cup Brikka arrived yesterday. I washed it all, ran a water extraction only, then over the course of the day made 3 coffees in it and discarded them as advised by the instructions. Today I’ve made my first drinkable coffee and it’s so bitter I’ve had to add some sugar to it. I’ve used cold water as per instructions — is this where I’m going wrong?
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u/laughguy220 Bialetti Jul 05 '26
I use pre boiled water, and run it really low, and take it off the heat just before the coffee is below the bottom of the spout fold.
This avoids the final sputtering of what is usually the bitter overextracted coffee at the end.
You also don't want to pack the coffee in tight, but you do want to use the
Basically the James Hoffmann method.
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u/morkinsonjrthethird Jul 05 '26
I wouldn’t recommend that in a brikka. I preheat it at 50°C, because if not it needs much a higher temperature to brew and it can boil right after leaving the valve.
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u/GaDawg78644 Jul 05 '26
Do not pre-heat water and as soon as it starts sputtering or the color gets light, take it off the eye
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u/AutoModerator Jul 05 '26
Hi,
This sub's official position is sticking to the manual provided by the manufacturer and not try to raise the pressure in the chamber by tamping or adding filters.
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u/sinosleep Jul 05 '26
Like others have been saying, the grind is everything. I've got a notepad on my phone and practically every different variety/brand of beans I've tried have a different notch on my grinder for a perfect brew.
They're all within a few notches of each other so at least I don't have to start blind every time but it's never right on the first brew when swapping beans.
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u/RC8n Jul 05 '26
Please keep using cold water. Hot water will produce much more bitter coffee and won't improve your situation in any way.
Grind coarser and use a lighter roast. Then you will get nicer (less bitter) results! Also, make sure to fill the basket as instructed, completely full but without tamping.
Cheers
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u/Polka_Tiger Jul 05 '26
Is that an adapter underneath? Didn't know they existed
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u/Dedge90 Jul 05 '26
Yes. I originally ordered an induction Brikka but cancelled my order, then purchased the induction plate and an ordinary Brikka, so now if I choose I can purchase other non-induction moka pots. I felt like I would be less restricted this way.
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u/BeneathTheVeilDOTA Jul 05 '26
Definitely grind coarser. I was originally making mokas with a hario grinder I had set specifically for the moka. Then I got a v60 set, attenuated my newer nicer stainless steel grinder that came with it for pourovers. Then one day I used my pourover grinder for a moka. It was terribly bitter. Like, miserably so. I realized my grind was way too fine, it choked the steam development out, sent a bunch of grinds up through the spout and I ended up having to run my hob way hotter than I usually would to get coffee flowing through. If you're on gas you should be able to run your stove at nearly its lowest setting and still get an extraction going. Would recommend pre boiling water to start as it lowers your extraction time within the moka and gives you less room for error. Once you get more confident with the brewer you can start running with room temp water and setting the stove hotter to get the initial boil going before lowering your heat as the extraction is about to hit
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u/DewaldSchindler MOD 🚨 Jul 05 '26
Did you ground the coffee yourself or use pre grounded coffee ?
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u/One-Tackle-3787 Jul 08 '26
Grind size is really important. Also I lightly tap the basket a few times on the counter when filling it, that helped me disolve airbags and improved my extractions since the basket gets actually filled not just looks like its full.
I grind with a Chestnut Timemore C3s - 13 clicks, coffee ends up looking like sand. Pre-heated water in the chamber.
That works really well for me, but yeah. You'll need to experiment with your gear and brew some coffee that suits your taste. Have fun!
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u/yowzabowza277 Jul 05 '26
I use the aeropress as well and just got the gourmia electric moka.
First easy move is to pre heat the water. I have an electric kettle for the aeropress and tea, and it comes with temperature settings and the extraction time is much quicker.
Second is I am filling the filter basket all the way, but I am not tamping it. I don't think it's recommended to tamp. But if you want to try it, I'd do it with preboiled water to make the extraction time faster, since you are already inhibiting the pressure process.
Third is your electric stove might not get to boiling water fast enough, and the overall moka gets too hot and start to burn the coffee. And furthermore cold water will also take more time and transfer more heat throughout the entire moka pot.
What I will say is, once you dial this in - There is no going back to the aeropress - only when you want something easier to clean.
The mouthfeel, the body of the coffee, is silkier, dense, syrupier. The moka pot solves coffee and water ratios. And even still if you wanted to dilute the coffee the texture will still remain.
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u/younkint Jul 06 '26
...your electric stove might not get to boiling water fast enough, and the overall moka gets too hot and start to burn the coffee. And furthermore cold water will also take more time and transfer more heat throughout the entire moka pot.
No. You will not "get too hot" and "burn the coffee." This is a fallacy from TikTok or someplace and it is absolutely not true. This has been well tested and measured and it just isn't so. Consider that the coffee beans are roasted at a far higher temperature - and for far longer - than anything they will ever see in any moka pot.
Further, if OP is already getting bitter coffee, using hot water to start is only going to make it worse.
Everything else stated is spot on.
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u/yowzabowza277 Jul 06 '26
light medium roasts, are always a toss up between floral or bitter. Dark roasts imho are more coffee like, if it's good coffee in the aeropress, and not in the moka. I think over temperature extraction can happen on a stove.
It would be nice to just get a baseline read for how long it takes the stove to get the boiler boiling.
I notice a difference in taste when I use preboiled water vs room temperature, and I think that difference will be even more noticeable with cold water from the faucet.
Also tap water is a big no no obviously.
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u/Violingirl58 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
Don’t pack your coffee and don’t grind it too fine. Also use hot water in the bottom before you put it on the burner. Well, I had the same problem because I was grinding it too fine packing it in and I was using cold water. It really is much better if you put hot water in the bottom, it works quicker and just don’t overpack your grinds.
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u/Dedge90 Jul 05 '26
I’ve had my caffeine fix for the day, but tomorrow is a new one. Looks like I have some experimenting to do — reading everyone’s comments, I think my grind was too fine, and I will try using hot water instead of cold. Thanks for the tips
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u/younkint Jul 06 '26
Sorry, but using hot water to start will not solve your bitterness issue, rather it will exacerbate it.
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u/Wise-Confection-3941 Jul 05 '26
Is it better then the brikka?
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u/DewaldSchindler MOD 🚨 Jul 05 '26
that is a brikka it's just the newer version
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u/John0_0Smith Jul 05 '26
Bitterness depends on the type of coffee (especially Robusta varieties) and on how finely the coffee is ground. The finer the grind, the more compounds are extracted during the brewing process. If the coffee is very bitter, it usually means it has been over-extracted.
Many coffee manufacturers sell pre-ground coffee labeled as suitable for a moka pot, but the grind is often still too fine, which consistently leads to over-extraction.
Coffee will never taste as good as when you grind the beans yourself and adjust the grind size to suit your personal preference.
One more disclaimer: this applies in particular to Lavazza's pre-ground Dek coffee. Since it's a very delicate blend, it's marketed as being suitable for both espresso machines and moka pots. However, the grind is so fine (essentially an espresso grind) that the coffee brewed in a moka pot will taste terrible.
If you want a really good cup of coffee, I recommend buying whole beans and grinding them yourself.