Medaglia D'Oro Espresso Italian Roast Ground Coffee. I know you specified beans you could grind and my choice may otherwise seem heretical, but this is what we drank at home when I was growing up and I still think it makes very fine Moka Pot espresso.

Not heretical at all - I grew up on Medaglia d'Oro along with Café Bustelo and d'Amico coffee (old time local roasters local to Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill). In the 1970s era Brooklyn those were basic staples. Now I roast my own coffee but still occasionally by some just to have when I am feeling nostalgic and want a darker roast.

Pressino wrote:Medaglia D'Oro Espresso Italian Roast Ground Coffee. I know you specified beans you could grind and my choice may otherwise seem heretical, but this is what we drank at home when I was growing up and I still think it makes very fine Moka Pot espresso.

I also cannot deny that I enjoy some Bustelo on a moka pot. If I forget everything I've learned and (ghasp!) add a pinch of sugar, it is very enjoyable.

I took my moka pot and a portable induction cooktop on an essentially business trip to Vegas. Tried out Lavazza Crema E Gusto and Oro pre-ground coffees. Followed James Hoffman's recipe; hot water fill, aeropresso filter on top, low wattage once flow starts, and cold quench upon sputtering. Both "beans" produced enjoyable cafe au lait, but they do taste very different. I take that to mean that my technique is reasonable. Still lots to learn. My Creme E Gusto came out a touch bitter while the Oro came out a touch sour. Watching the moka pot do its thing is kind of zen .

Thank you for everyone's help.

A little tip for those using a glass electric range, instead of trying to adjust the heat simply move the Moka pot slightly off the burner. Half on/half off works well when the coffee starts to emerge.

I think that the moka pot videos by The Wired Gourmet on youtube are very much worth watching and trying to duplicate. His idea of a slow extraction and pulling when you get roughly 3x your dose I believe are good advice. I recently bought a small 2 cup version that takes a 14g dose which is perfect for me. Once the flow starts I can hold the pot 8 to 10 inches above a low gas flame and still get a nice even slow flow.

My induction cooktop does not like missing a pot on top. It would beep and display an error code. The glass plate is not hot, so the lifting can be simulated by turning the cooktop on and off briefly. At the 300W setting, it cycles on/off naturally anyway. I get a very slow trickle coming out, much like the Wired Gourmet videos. On a gas range, I have to turn the flame way down and set the pot off centered to avoid burning the handle. Moka pots are nifty inventions.

Miltonedgebert wrote:Something I do with my moka pot:
Grind espresso fine. (so I don't have to change settings)
WDT and strike off the grounds flush with the basket, but avoid compressing the grounds.
Wet an areopress filter and put it over the upper screen.
Brew normally from here.

It works really well for me.

I use a Moka when traveling. I find the small original aluminum (with the angled body) made in Italy makes the best coffee. I also just use my espresso grind setting -- I do a very light "tamp" with my fingers. The trick of getting off the stove before the "big bubbling" happens helps avoid excessive bitterness.