Favorites amongst individuals who enjoy a rich flavor to their coffee: The French press and the Moka Pot. Let’s discuss the similarities and differences between these two staples in the coffee community.
Both favorites for coffee lovers who want to make the drink with precision, the French press offers you a wider variety of options, whereas Moka Pot coffee usually offers bold and concentrated flavors.
When using a French press, you must consider the temperature of the water, the size of coffee grinds, and how coarse or fine you want to grind your beans.
Of course, if you grind your coffee freshly it will taste better. Figuring out the correct temperature and brewing time is important because with the French press each cup will taste different as the variables change.
What is a French Press?
A simple, easy to use coffee maker created by the French around the 1920s.
It’s has a cylindrical shape, made out of glass or stainless steel.
This coffee maker is known for its movable plunger that separates your coffee grounds from the actual brew.
To make coffee with a French press you place your grinds at the bottom of the cylinder and cover them with hot water. The amount of water used should equal the volume of coffee you are trying to brew. After a few minutes, you press down on the plunger, which acts as a filter, to separate your coffee grinds from your brew.
What makes the French press unique is that it can make completely personalized coffee every time.
As you get more familiar with the French press, you’ll need to adjust certain variables of the brewing process. Everything like coffee grind size, the water temperature, and the brewing time is completely up to you.
What is a Moka Pot?
Moka pots are simple to get your head around.
First, the coffee machine comes in 3 parts. One for the water, one for the beans, and a third for the final coffee brew. On a stovetop, the coffee maker uses pressure to produce coffee. Once you place the ground coffee in the chamber you let the stove do the work.
One can’t argue that the Moka pot is one of the most famous coffee accessories on the planet. Everyone has had a chance to see the neat steel contraption synonymous with good coffee.
Why Get a Moka Pot?
One simple reason for having a Moka pot is the ability to make café quality coffee at home that’s relatively inexpensive. The affordability of a Moka pot puts other coffee brewers to shame.
A coffee maker can cost upwards of $200 dollars and a real espresso machine starts around $500 but you can get a Moka pot for around 50 bucks.
What makes it a bit more appealing than the French press is that it requires a lot less babysitting. You just set the pot on a stovetop and let time do its thing. Whereas a French press needs constant attention.
You can make a strong high-quality cup of joe without the fuss of taking care of it the whole time.
What to Expect from the Cup of Coffee?
Now you know how each coffee maker looks like, how it operates, and what makes it unique. You’re probably thinking, what would the coffee taste like if you tried each brewing method.
When brewed correctly, coffee from a Moka pot will have a bold and pronounced flavor. Mostly recommended for people who enjoy the full and rich taste of coffee beans.
Moka pot coffee often resembles espresso in taste and texture but with less caffeine.
A French press gives you more control over the finished product. If used successfully French press coffee can be brewed to your specific liking each time. The coffee you get from a French press is bright and flavorful. It’s ideal for anyone who enjoys the real taste of coffee beans.
The Final Verdict, French Press or Moka Pot?
If you are looking for the real bold taste of coffee, then the stovetop Moka pot is your answer. Coffee enthusiasts will be happy to tell you how rich the coffee is.
If you don’t want to go all the way to the strongest tasting coffee but are tired of the bland taste of a drip coffee maker try a French Press.
As someone who has both, I can confirm that each has its ups and downs but coffee from the French press has a little more individual personality to it.
Although, coffee enthusiasts argue that the French press makes the best tasting coffee. Even the CEO of Starbucks chimed in on the debate, saying “the best cup of coffee can be made at home with a French press”.
Related Questions
What Grind Size Should I Use for the French Press?
It’s generally agreed that a coarse grind works best with a French Press. Bigger coffee shreds have a larger surface area, allowing hot water to extract all the flavor, oils, and caffeine from the beans.
To get the most out of your French Press you want to use coffee ground coarsely. That’s because the flavor extraction process needs maximum water surface area to be fully effective.
What Grind Size Should I Use for the Moka Pot?
Fine grind is an absolute must for the Moka pot. You need to have your coffee ground finer than table salt to get the best results when using this kind of coffee maker. If your coffee is too coarse the resulting coffee will just be brown water with a metallic taste.
Does Moka Pot Make Espresso?
Even though Moka pots are often referred to as a stovetop espresso machine they can’t actually brew a real espresso. A stovetop pot will use about 1-2 bars of pressure to make a cup of coffee where a real espresso machine uses between 7-9 bars to pull a shot of espresso.
The taste and caffeine content of each brew is significantly different.
References:
How Starbucks CEO likes his coffee: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-likes-his-coffee-151851286.html#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20people%20is,at%20home%20for%2025%20years.
I’ve always seen coffee as a way of bringing people together. Everywhere I go people seem to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and that’s what drives my passion. There’s always a new brew to master, and there’s always a new face to enjoy it with. Hitch a ride with me on a coffee-fueled adventure to find a perfect cup.
