half a coffee pot

December 7, 2009 6:34 AM

How to make half a pot of coffee from a cafetera?

I have a Bialetti Stove-pot espresso making device (cafetera). It supposedly makes 6 cups. How can I make half a pot, ie 3 cups? Half the water? Half the coffee powder?

posted by dhruva to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

Sometimes, these cafeteras come with a disk with holes and a distance holder on one side that can be inserted to accommodate half the coffee powder, the idea being that it needs to stay together during processing. Perhaps you can buy one as an extra.
However, these disks typically land in the trash one day when you're not looking and some well-meaning guest straightens up the kitchen for you.
In other words, mine is gone and I usually use the whole amount of coffee and slightly less water and the lowest possible temperature for processing from the point onward where the pot starts making noises. The coffee gets vastly better this way, than when one fills the pot all the way to the escapement valve - at least in my pot.
But I suppose if I had a 6-cup, I might consider buying another, smaller one.
posted by Namlit at 6:56 AM on December 7, 2009

I think you are courting disaster here, buddy. Is this something you plan to do on a regular basis - like, you needed a 3-cup cafetera and all they had was a 6 so you got that, and now you're going to have 3 ounces more coffee than you need, every day, forever?

Because if that's true, I can tell you that unless you're roasting and grinding your own espresso beans, which you're not, since you're using a stove-top cafetera, you can just leave the coffee in the pot and drink it tomorrow. It will taste almost just as good, and if you're drinking it with steamed milk, you won't notice the difference.

of course, if I've imagined entirely the wrong scenario, please disregard.
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:56 AM on December 7, 2009

I'd opt for buying a smaller one. I've tried several times to make a half-pot from my Moka, usually ending badly. I eventually gave up and bought an AeroPress, saving the Moka for company.
posted by ConstantineXVI at 7:14 AM on December 7, 2009

I make a half pot in my 6-cup moka all the time, and I have never experienced any disasters. That said, I carefully measure everything, and I pour the coffee the instant it changes from gushing to spurting into the top compartment so that nothing gets burnt. I'm probably breaking some kind of rule there, but my coffee always tastes fine, and the pot itself has been fine for the year I've owned it.
posted by katillathehun at 7:34 AM on December 7, 2009

Response by poster: I usually make a 6 cup. But occasionally, when I want just a little bit more, and seems overkill to make another 6 cups. And when I make extra I usually put it in the fridge, and promptly forget it for days :)

That said, I carefully measure everything,
How do you measure? Half water: half coffee?
posted by dhruva at 7:50 AM on December 7, 2009

I'm probably breaking some kind of rule there

No rules in coffee making, that's the magic of it. On reviewing, I should have considered what toodleydoodley says; maybe using all the coffee and half the water tastes better, but, yes, follow your heart (literally). I'd buy a smaller pot.
posted by Namlit at 7:51 AM on December 7, 2009

You're going to get the same amount of water out that you put in (minus a trivial amount that stays in the grounds), and how much espresso you put in will determine the strength and flavor of the end product. So, put in 3 cups worth of water and experiment with the amount of grounds until it tastes right to you. Personally I always do a full basket and just adjust the amount of water, but there is no "right" way to do it.
posted by bizwank at 8:24 AM on December 7, 2009

How do you measure? Half water: half coffee?

Yes, exactly. Half the amount of water. Half the amount of grounds. But katherineg's suggestion to do a little more than half probably can't hurt. Really, though, you should experiment with the measurements to see what you like best. You're probably not going to damage your pot. That's the great thing about stovetop coffee makers. They're pretty tough (and, contrary to toodleydoodley's assertion, they don't mean you're drinking low-rent coffee. It's good coffee. Straight up and without a paper filter. Doesn't matter what made it).
posted by katillathehun at 9:30 AM on December 7, 2009

Mod note: few comments removed - if your answer isn't helping the OP make their coffee it need to be in email, thanks.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:51 AM on December 7, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks y'all. I'll try the half and half method and see what happens.
posted by dhruva at 5:05 AM on December 8, 2009