Right up front, we declare that we do not sell moka pots or stovetop devices in our mycuppa store. However, we do love coffee and know that the stovetop is a popular way to brew it in Australia.
Lot's of people ask us about the best stovetop coffee beans and whether it is a good way to make coffee at home or not. Let me explain.
This is a true story about how I re-discovered one of life's wonderful coffee pleasures - the humble yet amazing stovetop coffee maker.
A few weeks before last Xmas, I was still contemplating and deliberating on a big decision. It was whether we should drive from Melbourne to Newcastle or fly to save time and energy.
It's the same paralysis that overcomes me each year - weighing up the pros and cons of driving versus flying.
The obvious advantage of driving means we can lug our wonderful espresso coffee machine and grinder up with us for the trip. That means we never miss out on a great cup of coffee.
OK, so you think it's kind of extreme to take all this gear away with us?
Not really, it's just like taking another body in the van and we have plenty of space. My friends take their Thermomix, so why can't i bring my coffee machine? Plus, I also want to enjoy my rare few days off with some stunning coffees.
We enjoy the festive season and sharing a love of coffees with our family and friends.
But then again my darling wife hates being stuck in the passenger seat for 11 hours driving. We are also pretty time-poor so the fly option won out this time.
Now that the decision was made, the next step or problem was selecting the appropriate brew method to accompany us on the journey.
Would it be Aeropress, Airspresso, Plunger, Cold-Drip or Stovetop. So many choices.
This time around I ended up choosing the good old reliable stovetop as it has always been a good performer in our travels. Now which are the best coffee beans for stovetop?
Grabbing some PNG, Ethiopian Sidamo and Kenya, we packed a couple of kilos ground coffee as I could just imagine what would happen. These are my favorite stovetop coffee beans at the moment.
Up there in Newcastle I tend to spend a good part of my time, dosing, brewing and repeating the process over and over for all the family, friends and guests that drop in throughout the day.
But it had been many years since I had the stainless cafetiere in use. In fact, I could not remember the last time we used it. Shame on me.
A quick clean and inspection of the rubber seal - yep, she'll be right mate.
The first morning in Newcastle, upon waking I headed straight into my parents kitchen, opened a pack of Sidamo and carefully dosed the correct amount.
A gentle pack and tamp, filled the bottom with tap water, fired up the gas burner on Mum's stove and plonked the stovetop on that heat.
Minutes late we could hear that familiar bubbling and gurgling, then a strong and wonderful aroma of brewing coffee followed by a few high-pitched whistles and I knew that delicious coffee was ready for consumption.
What amazed me was the pure clarity and depth of the brew.
Maybe I had my coffee goggles on, perhaps it was the change of scenery but wow it was a superb brew.
Sharing that first brew with my darling wife, the parents and my sister was truly a slice of heaven.
There is something so simple and elegant about the stovetop brewer that has been lost on me for a such a long time. How could I have forgotten such a wonderful coffee experience.
For the next 6 days I experimented with the PNG and Kenya - all were sensational.
Why would people drink instant when for the cost of $60 they can thoroughly enjoy fresh brewed coffee from a stovetop for years and years with little or no maintenance.
PLEASE NOTE: We recommend using a stainless moka pot/stovetop as we are aware there can be some health risks from aluminum units.
If you have a favorite stovetop coffee bean choice from our store, then let others know in the reviews.
