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I have a moka pot

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I'm really happy with the coffee from this. However, after I've poured the first cup out, if I leave the heat on (however low), the coffee gets a metallic taste to it. If I turn the heat off then it goes cold.

So, my questions are: is this kind of coffee maker only good for the first cup? If not, how can I avoid either outcome? Also, can anyone tell me why it gets this metallic taste to it?

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    This is the exact reason why these pots come in so many sizes. The coffee is meant to be drunk right away, not kept for getting a second cup. If you are brewing for one person, you should use the one cup version, the larger ones are for more people.
    – rumtscho ♦
    Aug 10, 2014 at 13:55
  • @rumtscho For optimum flavor, I'd say you are exactly right; one person should use a one-cup moka pot. Holding a cup for a time (even in an excellent travel mug or thermos) is going to negatively affect the flavor of the second cup. But I make the assumption that the OP doesn't want to brew the second cup seperately, that his/her time has value too. So I offer my answer as compromise. Perhaps the OP should get a one-cup moka to use on lazy days off?
    – Jolenealaska ♦
    Aug 12, 2014 at 1:19

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America's Test Kitchen recently tested Moka Pots. In the video, they specifically say to pour all of the coffee immediately when it's done brewing. They don't mention a metallic taste, but they do say that not leaving the coffee in the pot is important for flavor, and that it was equally true for all of the models they tested. So for your purposes, I would recommend that you use a good small thermos or travel coffee mug, and pour your second cup into that immediately upon brewing.

For what it's worth (since I was looking at ATK equipment reviews anyway), this one won their top recommendation for travel mugs:

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The coffee simply picks up the aluminum from the pot, as the coffee is acidic. Pour it out. Most importantly - Do not leave the coffee on the heat after the brew is done! There is no water left in the bottom chamber to insulate (and cool) the pot! You could have a disaster on your hands!! At least, you will damage the sealing gasket as it is not made to handle these high temps.

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  • Thank you for your answer. We try not to use all-caps for emphasis here, so even brief uses like yours seem jarring to eyes accustomed to this site. I took the liberty of editing out your all-caps, but I tried to keep your sense of emphasis. Welcome to Seasoned Advice!
    – Jolenealaska ♦
    Aug 12, 2014 at 1:28
  • That concerns me. Doesn't cooking acidic things at high temperature in aluminium cause aluminium poisoning or something?
    – Paul Michaels
    Aug 12, 2014 at 10:01
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Theres usually two reasons for this, so it could be either.

  1. The pot - Try rinsing out the pot with spirit vinegar followed by water and bicarbonate. You might want to use a toothbrush to get into all the corners and give it a good scrubbing.

  2. Your water - If you live in a hard water area, this can cause what you're experiencing, or even new water pipes can also cause the problem. Try brewing a pot with bottled water to see if that's any better.

You should also note that coffee can burn from the residual heat in the pot, and you should keep an eye on your temperatures.

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  • Bottled water is very hard so I don't see how that would solve hard water problems. If you want to try making coffee with softer water, boil the water and let it cool before using it, though that will only remove hardness due to calcium content, not any magnesium.
    – David Richerby
    Aug 10, 2014 at 13:08
  • We personally have a filter jug that is good at getting rid if a lot of the hardness. It does mean that you have to wait a bit if you run out, but it does help.
    – Tim
    Aug 10, 2014 at 16:17
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I have bought glass moka pots from Home Sense. It's great: I can leave my second cup in it and taste is the same as the first one.

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  • Hale, I'm a bit sorry that this has been downvoted without explanation. We generally try to avoid specific brand or store recommendations without citation, but you bring up an interesting point about glass. Welcome to Seasoned Advice.
    – Jolenealaska ♦
    Sep 2, 2014 at 6:08

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