Cleaning stovetop espresso pot

faigs

I have a Bialetti stove top pot and looking for a way to clean it as you can't use detergents. I tried steeping it with coffee cleaning tablets but there are still black spots in the bottom of the water reservoir. The whole thing is also gone very dull I wouldnt mind getting it back to its shiny self! Have it about 2 years now though.

Any advice appreciated.

davej

I don't think it's the case that you can't use some washing up liquid (a very small amount), it's just that if you do, you might want to make one or two throw away coffees before you drink it again.

My approach has been to try to clean it with boiling hot water pretty quickly after I've used it. As soon as i pour my cup, I empty out the Bialetti and give it a quick rinse (leaving some clean water lying in the pot).

Note advice from http://www.espresso-machines-and-coffee-makers.com/stove-top-espresso-maker.html

When you leave your Moka pot unused for a long time, the oily layer may become rancid. If that happens just put in water with a bit of detergent and boil it on the stove top for a while. Then wash it thoroughly. This should remove the rancid oils.

davej

Slaphead07

my experience of this is confined to arriving at Italian villas to find a stove top pot which hasn't been used for quite some time.This usually means a bit of mould growing on the inside!
I boil water in it, rinse it and then clean it with loads of salt. Another good boiling should get it clean enough to use. By that stage I'd drink coffee out of a Fiat's mud-flap anyway.

andy1249

Fill it full of Coke and leave it for about 2 hours , and it will shine it up like new ?
No Joke !

IsThatSo?

andy1249 wrote: »

Fill it full of Coke and leave it for about 2 hours , and it will shine it up like new ?
No Joke !

Scary, but true


Remember how our parents/teachers used to try scare us away from coke by saying it would shine up a 2p coin and what was it doing to our insides? etc etc

sendic

I've had my bialetti for a couple of months and have just been lightly scrubbing it then rinsing with cold water after the pot has cooled down. Have noticed black spots on the base and was wondering what to do to clean it. Will try the advice above. Thanks folks

Fajitas!

A good scouring pad and some elbow grease, run through some boiling water, and it'll be good as new.

Gran Hermano

Do NOT put the aluminium moka pots in the dishwasher, I ruined one
years ago doing so. The heat and chemicals discoloured the metal and
the coffee from it never tasted the same again - luckily it was a cheap
Ikea one and gave me an excuse to replace it with a Bialetti.

Boiling water with a dash of vinegar and some kitchen paper is all I'd use now.

Interestingly I came across a video on Square Miles blog site
recommending using a coarse grind.

http://www.squaremileblog.com/2009/01/21/videocast-4-stove-topmoka-pot/

I always used a grind slightly coarser than espresso grind but otherwise the video
is pretty similar to how I used mine (apart from using a cold towel at the end).

RE*AC*TOR

James' video though is aiming for a different end result - it's not an approximation of an espresso, rather a potent filter-like brew (more like the output of an aeropress I think).

I don't particularly like the moka pot, despite the romance of it. If you really have to have one though, I'd get a stainless steel one, if only because it's easier to clean.

JIZZLORD

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

I don't particularly like the moka pot, despite the romance of it. If you really have to have one though, I'd get a stainless steel one, if only because it's easier to clean.

once i read the first pot i went into the kitchen on a quest. My aluminium pot is a bit rough looking, though not mouldy and spotty due to taking care of it. My stainless steel one is perfect apart from needing a polish, it's far easier to keep clean and it shows.

as reactor said, if you need to go down the moka route (like me), the stainless steel route is far easier

antoniosicily

just water, no dishwasher, no washing liquid, NOTHING, you have to keep the flavour of the previous coffee. Given the water is boiling inside you shouldn't be scared... don't worry you won't die for a coffee pot not cleaned thoroughly, otherwise most of Italians were already exinct