Coffee Equipment

Vietnamese Coffee Press

If there is such a thing as a “guilty pleasure” in the world of coffee gadgets than this is the most likely candidate. 

The Vietnamese coffee press is well known in any Asian bistro or restaurant, most often found in the desert section on the menu, this rich coffee made this way has sweetened condensed milk served hot or over ice. The press itself is a simple item with a perforated bottom and top that screws in, and a lid. That’s it, nothing fancy or expensive.

It is a slow process to brew for only one cup of coffee and hence the reason you won’t see it at your favorite coffee shop. The other reason is the sweetened condensed, too many calories. I personally use vanilla soymilk, in that way the calories are cut in half and just as tasty.

If you have a taste for adventure add some cream type of cordial (wink, wink, nod, nod) with some of the condensed milk or replace all of it, if you are spending the night home.

Buy two of these wonderful presses so you can enjoy the experience with someone special!

It is easy to use, put 3 spoonfuls of your favorite dark coffee, ground coarsely, screw in the top part down tight add hot water, 195-205 degrees, wait until it starts dripping over your cup, prepared with sweetened condensed milk, if the coffee comes out to slow, loosen the screw to make the right adjustment and enjoy.

“Moka” a single word that can make any coffee geek’s knees go soft and their taste buds anticipation the rich flavor of espresso made with this tired and true icon of the coffee drinking world.

The “Moka” was first patented in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti. His company continues today making these fine stove top espresso makers. The “Moka” was originally called the mcchinetta , meaning little machine. Over the years the name has been shortened to Moka and is quite simple to use and maintain, hence it’s popularity.

There are three parts:

1. The water chamber, which is the bottom.
2. The coffee holder, for the coffee grounds of course.
3. And finally the pot itself where the coffee ends up.

The maintenance for the Moka is easy, just wash and dry after dumping the coffee grounds out.

Using the Moka pot is just as easy:

1.Fill the bottom water chamber with water just below the release valve.

2. Put in the coffee basket in the chamber, fill with coffee level off. Tamp, clean off any ground that are not in the coffee grounds basket.

3. Screw on the pot to the water chamber.

4. Put it on your stove and let the water heat up and soon you will have rich tasty espresso in the pot. Pour out when it is done percolating; serve straight up or with milk.

Mmmmm, yum.

There are several types of Moka pots out on the market. You can buy a single shot or a large 10-cup version, pick one according to your needs. Bialetti is still the most popular manufacturer.

As always look for quality first and don’t settle for the cheapest. Make sure all the seals are tight and the pots are smooth and have a tight seal when they are screwed together.

Ah, the French press, favored by coffee geeks the word over. This particular item is perhaps the best way to bring out the full taste and feel of the coffee. While there are several manufacturers creating good quality presses, the most popular is by a company called Bodum. But with all things in life, take your time to find what works best for you.

Here are the some tips for finding the perfect press for you:

• Check the workmanship – quality is the key (isn’t it always?).
• Look your potential new press over carefully to ensure that the fine wire mesh is folded over and has no loose wires sticking out.
• Check to see that the press slides smoothly up and down along the glass pot, it shouldn’t stick along the way.
• The piston (the rod) that “presses the coffee should be firm, not allowing for any wobble. This helps prevent breaking the glass.
• The glass pot should be easy to take out for cleaning (although I always clean mine in the holder, it’s easier) and the press mechanism should disassemble easily, also for cleaning.

As a matter of practicality, make sure that replacement parts are easy to come by for your press, especially the glass pot. I have on occasion broken my glass pots and have learned the hard way that some are easier to replace than others. Check this out ahead of time and save yourself the headache.

Coffee is meant to be enjoyed and with the right equipment, the rituals of coffee are indeed quite enjoyable.