coffee percolator safety valve factory

Exploding coffee makers—especially when they’re pressurized—tend to be day-ruiners. Yeah, cleaning isn’t that fun, but trust me…. it’s necessary, especially when it comes to moka pots. Safety and cleaning are actually interconnected with this brewer.

Moka pots don’t just immerse coffee grounds in water. They create a ton of pressure that generates steam—and this pressure can be troublesome if your brewer’s not in good shape.

Now, moka pots do have asafety valvethat’s designed to keep too much pressure from building up in the device. Once more pressure than is necessary is generated, it starts to shoot out of the valve in the form of steam.

The valve is clogged with coffee grounds. If grounds happen to fall into the valve, they’re probably going to get stuck there. Over time, this can cause blockage in the valve and compromise its safety.

The valve is clogged with water gunk. If your local water source is ‘hard’ (has a high level of calcium and magnesium), you’re bound to see white gunk build up inside your moka pot over time. This gunk can be pretty stubborn and can clog the safety valve.

You covered the safety valve with water. Over-adding water can cover the safety valve, which keeps it from being able to let out steam. Always leave a small amount of space between the water level and the safety valve.

Thankfully, cleaning your moka pot is a very simple process. It only takes a few minutes of your time, but it keeps your moka pot from destroying your kitchen—or worse—destroying your coffee’s flavor.

Over time, coffee oils and micro-grounds build up all over the insides of the moka pot. These are harmless when it comes to your health (unless those grounds are in the safety valve), but they do impact your brew’s flavor. Those old oils can go rancid and the grounds continually impart bitter flavors into later brews.

Don’t put the moka pot in the dishwasher. Don’t scrub the moka pot with an abrasive material. There’s a coating on aluminum moka pots that keeps your coffee from taking on a metallic taste, and you don’t want to accidentally scrub that off.

All coffee makers need descaling eventually. Even soft water has a small amount of minerals—and they’re bound to build up and cause blockages eventually.

These two acids are strong enough to break down hardened calcium deposits but are generally considered safe for use with moka pots, both stainless steel and aluminum models. You can also use a dedicated coffee machine descaler, but chances are you already have these two acids available.

Add lots of water. Fill the lower chamber, cover the safety valve, and keep adding until the water line hits the coffee filter basket (that way the oils can be cleaned from there at the same time).

Pour out some of the water. Make sure the safety valve is no longer covered—you’re about to do a plain water brew cycle and want the valve to work if needed.

Run a brew cycle with the acidic water. Turn up the heat and pretend you’re making coffee like normal. The acidic water should rise up the brewer into the upper chamber. Once that’s complete, turn off the brewer.

While the process takes a few hours overall, there’s really only 5-10 minutes of hands-on cleaning—and it goes a long way. Now your brew will be untainted by old grounds, your moka pot won’t have a faulty valve, and you can brew will complete confidence.

Though cleaning is a rather annoying part of the coffee experience, it’s not one I suggest skipping. Everyone at JavaPresse agrees: a clean brewer just makes better coffee.

Of course, cleaning’s just a small part of making sure your daily mug of coffee is rich, delicious, and super satisfying. Themostimportant part? The coffee beans.

The devil is in the details. It is often the smallest things, the particularities, that make all the difference. This is also the case in regards to the preparation of a good coffee, a ritual in which all the steps and every single component play a fundamental role. Among all, one of the most important elements is the Moka valve. Often ignored, it is vital not only for the quality of the coffee, but also for the safety of those who prepare it.

The valve was born with the invention of the Moka Express in 1933. It is a safety valve positioned on the bottom chamber. To better understand the importance of the valve and its use, we need to take a step back and illustrate step by step

This is where the valve of the Moka comes into play. It must open when the pressure is too high. By doing so, it allows the steam to escape regularly, without causing any damage. In short, the Moka’s safety valve provides security. Hence, it should only intervene when the coffee maker is used under abnormal operating conditions.

A long-standing and debated question: how far can you fill the bottom chamber for a state-of-the-art coffee? The Moka valve can come in handy to answer this dilemma. Another important role of the valve is that it acts as a "measuring cup". Its position on the bottom chamber is not accidental. Rather, it indicates to those who prepare the coffee the correct amount of water to use. The only exception is for some special coffee pots that are already equipped with a measuring cup. Ideally the water should reach just below the safety valve.

By contrast, if you drown it completely, there is a risk that it will not work properly. Moreover, if the water goes beyond the filter, thus mixing with the grounds, it would hinder the gradual rise of the water, compromising the final result. Be that as it may, once the coffee has been prepared, it is normal that a small amount of water remains inside the bottom chamber.

The Moka valve, therefore, is not a decoration or a mere design element. Rather, it is a very important component for the correct functioning of the coffee maker. It guarantees safety and plays a part in the making of an excellent coffee.

Consequently, it is necessary to keep it clean and maintain it regularly. For example, using tap water to make coffee brings with it the risk of limescale deposits obstructing the hole in the valve. The resulting danger is that it could get clogged.

We have seen that one can simply use hot water to clean the Moka valve. To avoid limescale obstructions, simply move the piston that comes out of the valve along its axis when washing it. To ensure the Moka functions correctly, it is recommended to repeat this checkup periodically.

Safety valves open up at a certain pressure, if the boiler pressure should rise too much due to a pressurestat or PCB malfunction. The safety valve should be replaced if you hear it hissing, after machine has warmed up. ie reached 9 bars.