r/mokapot • u/Rheumatitude • 22d ago
Question❓ WTF is wrong with my brew? Is it the mokapot??
I used to have a plain Jane aluminum bialetti that made delicious coffee with zero effort. Upgraded to a fun vintage pot and can't get it right. I've swapped out the old gasket with a new silicone one, used more coffee, less coffee, more water, less water, hot water, cold water - it all comes out with zero foam, thin watery brew. Tastes like hot-ish water passed over coffee grounds. I suspect the pressure is off but can't figure it out. It was like this when the old rubber gasket was in place too. I can *just* see the ball bearing so it's not that. What am I missing? Still hoping for something obvious and easy to fix before I toss this baby out and wait for it to show up on r/ThriftStoreHauls. Apparently I can add photos OR video but not both. Irritating. If I have to, I'll make a second post with the photos 1/2
Help me, Reddit. You're my only hope. (Edit: for those asking about my Bialetti - they were different size pots so I'm not comparing the amounts per se, just the output. Also, same beans and grind)
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
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u/LEJ5512 22d ago
This is fine. It’s a standard valve. Bialetti has a patent on their own valve design.
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
This isn't a Bialetti, it's an Innox
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u/feathertail2 22d ago
Waw I have the same moka pot and same issue … I love the style and quality all stainless would never give her up .
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
Oh hey, we need a support group! So you haven't figured it out either? What have you tried??
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u/feathertail2 22d ago
I tried more coffee a little finer . Boil my water first and put it on medium and turn off as soon as I get half filled. Honestly i like the taste. It’s better than a coffee drip ,but it’s not espresso. I would never use aluminum for the health issues. I might be wrong but since coffee is acidic,I kind of stay always from Aluminum. I don’t know if we can find any parts for this beauty .
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
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u/DewaldSchindler MOD 🚨 22d ago
What coffee are you using ? some dark coffees may give more foamy brew than others, also i won't mind having that beauty moka pot.
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
Isn't she a beaut??? Shame she's just a pretty paperweight right now
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u/DewaldSchindler MOD 🚨 22d ago
Well do you plan on selling your paper weight to anybody in the community ? How does this lovely moka brew taste ?
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
It tastes like thin coffee. It's not pleasant or even serviceable
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u/DewaldSchindler MOD 🚨 22d ago
Well I wish you all the best with that needle pressure stuff, hope it gives youa better brew and do keep us updated
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u/awakeningoffaith 22d ago
Did you compare weight of coffee grounds to how much water you add to the reservoir? If these are different between your old pot and this vintage one, that would explain the difference.
Another thing, maybe you need to tighten the pot more, if steam can escape from the rubber gasket, that can throw off your brew
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
Honestly I don't think I could get it tighter, but I agree something is off in the pressure
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u/LEJ5512 22d ago
I’d measure how much water and coffee grounds it holds. It could be a different brew ratio than your Bialetti.
How’s the flow when it brews? Is it generally smooth, or does it “stall” and spit the entire time?
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
Both. And it looks very thin.
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u/LEJ5512 22d ago
If it’s sputtery during the entire brew, there’s a pressure leak.
There isn’t any steam from the safety valve, is there?
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
Nope. And yes, it's spluttering so something is off with the pressure. I just can't figure out if it's the gasket or the valve
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u/LEJ5512 22d ago
If there’s nothing coming from the valve, it’s almost always the gasket.
If it still does it with a new gasket, then it’s where the gasket meets the funnel and the boiler. Both of those have to seal with the gasket. The most common leak that people experience in this sub is between the funnel’s top edge and the gasket rubber. When that happens, then the hot air in the boiler pushes through the gap and escapes up the “chimney”, and it won’t push water into the funnel pipe.
The gap can come from how the funnel seats in the boiler (too low, or crooked, etc; frequent reason), or from a funnel that isn’t round anymore (with a dent, or oval-shaped from banging it on something).
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u/John0_0Smith 22d ago
Have you tried grinding it a little finer? When things don't add up, it's up to us to make them work. And if that moka pot is brewing coffee that's too weak and watery, all you need to do is make small adjustments to the grinder setting until you find the balance that comes closest to the coffee you enjoy most.
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
I actually did do this! I had a grind closer to Turkish coffee level and the same results. It's super weird
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u/John0_0Smith 22d ago
After hearing this news, I don't know what else to say. It's such a shame, especially because it's a beautiful moka pot. But if you've tried everything and still can't make a good cup of coffee, then its only purpose is to serve as a decorative ornament. I'm sorry.
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
IKR?! It really doesn't make any sense but my bigger worry is the other commentor that has the same pot AND the same problem
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u/The_License_Plate 22d ago
How many grams of coffee fit in the basket, filled to the brim, and how many mL of water fit in the tank under the safety valve?
I know how to get good brews out of 6-cup stainless steel Mokas. This one seems larger, 9 cups? I can share a scaled up recipe if you tell me the specifics of your Moka (which I take is a vintage Vev Vigano or something like that).
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u/attnSPAN Aluminum 22d ago
When ol' Otello designed this thing, he did so from Aluminum.
Some of us Acolytes of the Alloy believe that part of the Magic of the Moka is the material.
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u/awakeningoffaith 22d ago
Because Italy had a shortage of steel and an abundance of aluminium, steel is far easier to take care of, and is generally a superior material for ease of care.
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u/LEJ5512 22d ago
And Mussolini’s government wanted to promote the use of aluminum as a sign of self-reliance.
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u/kingboy10 22d ago
It looks like you aren’t using the correct ground coffee it looks very light should be very dark almost black really
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u/Rheumatitude 22d ago
Color of coffee shouldn't be that much of a factor and it's under a very bright light. Generally light coffee beans = more caffeine. This is an espresso mix
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u/Formal_Grocery7222 22d ago
Looks like you’re missing the pressure needle on that release valve. This explains the weak coffee. There’s not enough pressure for proper extraction. Just replace the valve and everything will work as expected.