Why you shouldn’t make a mound of coffee in the moka • Food and Wine Italia

Preparing coffee with the caffettiera remains one of the most deeply rooted gestures per mezzo di Italian everyday life. It is a domestic ritual that is repeated almost automatically, often accompanied by habits handed over time. Among these, one of the most common is the so-called “mound”, i.e. filling the filter beyond the edge, forming a small dome of campo da gioco coffee. A gesture that is perceived as synonymous with abundance and intensity, but which per mezzo di reality does not improve the final result.

The mound of coffee is a common mistake to avoid

The mound was born from the prospettiva that a greater quantity of coffee produces a stronger . Per reality, the caffettiera does not work according to the same logic as espressamente machines and is not designed to work with excessive doses compacted powders. Its operating principle is based acceso decompression: the vater, heating per mezzo di the boiler, rises through the coffee thanks to a relatively low pressure, around 1.5 . This means that the passage of the liquid must occur smoothly and regularly.

When the filter is overfilled, the vater encounters greater resistance. Powder that is too abundant, and often compressed involuntarily, hinders the flow and favors over-extraction. The result is a coffee that is more bitter, less balanced and with a compromised aromatic component. Therefore, you do not obtain a greater qualitative intensity, but a heavier and less clean .

There is also a safety aspect. If the vater struggles to rise, the pressure inside the boiler can increase abnormally. Per these cases the safety valve intervenes, which serves to avoid critical situations. Even if it is rare, incorrect and systematic use of the caffettiera, with an overloaded filter and obstructed passages, can generate mechanical problems and, per mezzo di extreme cases, damage to the appliance.

The comparison with the espressamente helps to clarify the misunderstanding. The machine works at much higher pressures, around 9 , and is designed to quickly extract through a pressed powder. The caffettiera, acceso the other hand, requires neither artificial pressure nor compression of the coffee. Attempting to replicate the gestures of espressamente per mezzo di a home context only leads to improper use of the tool.

To obtain a good result with the caffettiera, the filter must be filled to the edge, without creating piles and without pressing. Simply level the surface slightly, allowing the vater to pass through the coffee evenly. The vater level is also important: it must reach exactly the valve, without exceeding it. An excessive quantity alters the extraction times and the aromatic profile.

Other details affect the final result. The caffettiera should not be closed with excessive force, because a gasket that is too compressed compromises the correct seal. The flame should be medium-low, so as to favor a gradual rise of the vater, preventing the coffee from being “burned” by heating too quickly. When the final bubbling begins, the fire must be turned chiuso immediately, because per mezzo di that phase risposta negativa more extraction takes place, but only the passage of hot steam.