Two choices come to mind immediately: the AeroPress and the Moka Pot. They’re both known for giving espresso style coffee without the expense or hassle of a big expensive espresso machine.
Today, we’ll compare these two options so you can choose the best coffee device for you!
What is better: AeroPress or moka pot?
The answer to this questions comes down to what you value about your coffee experience. Let’s look briefly at a few of the key similarities and differences, so you can determine which is going to be a better match for your coffee lifestyle.
Which one is easier to use?
The moka pot is infamous for having a steep learning curve when it comes to brewing the perfect cup of coffee. Moka pots are known to be finicky about temperature – if you start with cold water, your coffee may be over-extracted and miserably bitter. And if you put the moka pot on the middle of the burner, or if the burner temperature is too high, it may boil the water too quickly, causing the coffee to be under-extracted and weak.
The AeroPress, on the other hand, is basically foolproof. If you follow the manufacturer’s instructions, you will be able to consistently get a delicious cup of coffee. Additionally, the AeroPress makes coffee in less than half the time than even a small moka pot.
Something to keep in mind, though, is that the AeroPress does require a bit of “manual labor” in order to produce your coffee. Some people find the pressure needed to extract the coffee from the chamber to be a lot of trouble, requiring too much strength and dexterity first thing in the morning.
Which one makes tastier coffee?
As mentioned above, making coffee in a moka pot can be tricky. However, die-hard fans who have also tried the AeroPress still prefer the moka pot. Supposedly, once you get the hang of the moka pot, you can continue to “level up” the flavor of your coffee to a level of mastery you just can’t achieve with the AeroPress. And it’s apparently easier to get a flavor much closer to espresso with a moka pot.
On the other hand, fans of the AeroPress love how easy it is to make a cup of really good coffee without having to waste time figuring out how to even make a passable one. Sure, you may never get “artisinal Italian style coffee,” but unless you mess up really badly, it’s practically impossible to get a bad cup of coffee. AeroPress coffee is basically always delicious, from the very first time you use the device.
How easy is it to clean and maintain?
The AeroPress wins by a wide margin on this one. It was designed to be incredibly easy to use and clean: just push the filter and “coffee puck” out of the chamber with the plunger, and all the parts can easily be washed, rinsed, and left to dry for the next use.
Moka pots, on the other hand, require a lot more care in their maintenance. Cleaning a moka pot thoroughly can be a real hassle because of all the little spots coffee oils can accumulate.
A couple of important notes:
The kind of people who will prefer an AeroPress are not the kind of people who will prefer a moka pot, and vice versa. The AeroPress is all about convenience and ease-of-use for one person. Moka pots are more about the ritual and delicate care of making the perfect cup, and feeling accomplished for improving your skill.
One area that fans of both the AeroPress and the moka pot can agree on is that both devices require a particular grind of coffee in order to perform best. Pre-ground coffee usually doesn’t have a uniform grain size. So regardless of which of these you choose, you should probably also invest in a good-quality coffee grinder.
Moka pot vs Prismo
One of the common issues people have with the AeroPress in comparison to the moka pot is the AeroPress requires a separate filter. These paper filters can be a hassle to replace, not to mention the added waste and its impact on the environment.
The other issue some people have with the AeroPress compared to the moka pot is the fact that some of the coffee goes through the paper filter before it’s fully brewed, resulting in a weaker cup. In order to combat this, you have to use the “inverted method” of brewing, which basically involves brewing the coffee with the AeroPress turned upside down. This can be a bit unweildy and awkward – especially if it’s your first cup in the morning!
The Prismo is an extra attachment valve that is available for the AeroPress, and it answers both of those complaints.
First, it includes a reusable fine mesh filter. All you have to do is rinse and dry that filter once you’ve finished making your coffee, like you do with the rest of the AeroPress.
Second, it actually creates a more powerful seal between the brewing chamber and your coffee cup, so you don’t need to do any acrobatics to make a strong cup of coffee.
If you want quick and easy cup of coffee for one person that’s almost espresso, the AeroPress combined with the Prismo valve attachment is the way to go.
Is AeroPress better than a moka pot?
The AeroPress is the better choice for a single serving, or as a personal coffee maker for the office. If you only need to make one cup of coffee at a time and you need it fast, the AeroPress wins hands down. Nothing beats the convenience and esspresso-like taste of the AeroPress, especially when you add the Prismo valve.
If, on the other hand, you need to make multiple servings of “almost espresso” at a time, or if the slow ritual of making coffee is what matters most to you, then the moka pot will be a better choice.
