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Hi and thanks for the comment! Reduction in parking, I concede I have seen no data on. I know that in my city, when they end up removing parking spaces, they prioritize keeping the handicapped spots. But you do have to pick your poison on this: more parking = more cars on the road = more traffic. I think saving the road capacity for those who need to drive due to disability work their work is a good idea. As for your claim that the data comes from activist groups, I’m afraid that is flat out refuted by the 13 papers described in the video and linked to in the description of the video with in-line citations above those. These are all peer-reviewed papers published in transportation and urban planning journals. But I would welcome any sources you’d like to contribute that I’ve missed. On the question of the lanes being installed without consulting local residents, I can’t speak to this and don’t have sources one way or the other that specify whether on a national level, these lanes were installed with more or fewer community impact meetings than any other infrastructure project but I’d be open to any sources you’d like to provide.

@@loodog555 Reducing traffic by reducing the number of cars on the road, just means people are having a harder time using the roads. And it isn't producing less traffic. Where I live traffic has gone up. Accessibility is more difficult. And it has made things harder for people with disabilities. I can't speak to your sources and studies but locally here, I have been following the discussion about bike lanes in our media. It seems to me that the people doing the studies are often also advocates and the results they keep saying should happen don't. All I know is there wasn't sufficient public discussion, the bike lanes appeared suddenly during shut downs (which wasn't a strain until the shutdowns ended). Not it is much harder not just to drive into the city, but to drive around in general (traffic congestion is terrible everywhere). But also the bike lanes are largely unused because our streets and climate are horrible for bike riding. At the end of the day, this has become the one issue I vote on. And all of the bike advocacy groups I have heard from in my area aren't just advocating for bike lanes for themselves, it is becoming clear they are ant-car. But you really need a car to get around here, especially if you have chronic health issues (which I do). It has made the quality of life worse for a lot of people and there is a lot of anger towards the bike lanes because people feel like they weren't informed about them when they were happening and they feel like people like you are talking down to them like they're plebs

@@loodog555 In terms of sources on the lack of commutation. Try talking to residents. I am from the Boston area. While there are certainly supporters of bike lanes who will repeat every word you just said, if you talk to a broad cross section of society, you will hear the same complain I made about bike lanes appearing suddenly and without much public input. Also this isn;t like adding a cross walk. This was a massive overhaul of the roads. The city I lived in had two lanes on either side to accommodate traffic flow and suddenly they were reduced to one lane. But the same number of people still needed to use those streets with cars so the congestion just got worse. I don't know if there are studies on it. But anyone who drives around can see this with their own eyes. We say the change on a day to day basis and we saw how it impacted things. And try talking to local businesses; you will get a lot of complaints. One of my pet peeves with the bike crowd and the bike lane social engineering crowd is how utterly dismissive they are of regular people raising their concerns. If a candidate came a long and said they were going to tear down the bike lanes, that is all I would need to know about them. Bike lanes may be perfectly great in a place like California. They don't work in Boston

@@ac27934 the number one rule of Brewing Coffee is that if you like what you’re getting, you can keep it. That said, there are unanticipated consequences you underfill the water level: your coffee actually brews faster: m.th-cam.com/video/NQrRzTzU_Yk/w-d-xo.html Also, there will always be leftover water in the base because of the design of the Moka pot: th-cam.com/video/F1ofrthmrV8/w-d-xo.html There’s no good way to vary the amount of coffee you get out of a moka pot besides buying a different size Moka pot.

😂❤

Interesting, I hadn't heard about this brand (Grosche): www.amazon.com/GROSCHE-Stovetop-Espresso-Italian-Protection/dp/B017DOT3M6 That said, if you watched the video and though the message was "your moka pot will give you aluminum poisoning", I think you better watch it again!

True dat! Thanks for the comment!

I can't really give specific numerical recommendations. To a certain extent, you don't really have control over the final brew ratio that you think you do, since there will always be leftover water in the bottom by design: th-cam.com/video/F1ofrthmrV8/w-d-xo.html I would experiment around by gradually reducing the water fill level by about a 1cm at a time until you like the results you're getting. Good luck!

Thanks. Greyt comment!

Fortunately for you, here's a follow-up video to address that specific issue: th-cam.com/video/O14BIH-9KTA/w-d-xo.html

Uhh... there's a video above your comment that answers this! 😂

Hey thanks!

When in doubt, you can just do a couple runs through with water and that should re-create a protective layer, the way this video shows.

Hey, amigo, thanks for the comment! I've put kind of provocative language in the video b/c it's the internet but of course if you like what you're getting, you don't have to change a thing! In fact, many Italians are so used to the baseline bitterness, they dismiss my advice as wrong, since their Italian grandmothers have done things differently! However, if you're game to experiment, there are a surprising number of ways to play around with it. For example, one of my most viewed videos is about using na AeroPress filter with my moka pot: th-cam.com/video/fy1YKqrPYCw/w-d-xo.html Once I tried it, I've never gone back!

Yes, this advice is pretty consistent within the literature. Underextracted coffee is sour/acidic. Overextracted coffee is bitter and dry. With a moka pot, you can't really control the brew time very much so it mostly comes down to: 1) Water fill level. Putting less water in can result in coffee brewing sooner, at a lower temperature. This is helpful if you're using a dark roast or otherwise have overextraction: th-cam.com/video/NQrRzTzU_Yk/w-d-xo.html 2) Grind size. Finer the grind, the more you are going to extract. Most people have the problem that a moka pot overextracts, and so tastes bitter. The solution to this is grind more coarsely. If you're getting acidic/sour coffee, grind more finely. 3) Initial start temperature. Starting with hotter water means you brew with hotter water and so this increases extraction. May I also in general recommend an AeroPress filter to improve your moka pot results? I've found it makes quite a difference: th-cam.com/video/fy1YKqrPYCw/w-d-xo.html

If you're getting sour/acidic coffee, it sounds like you had a classic case of underextraction. That said, I'd expect the opposite of the results you just reported. Hotter water helps the coffee extract *more*, so now I'm wondering if you changed any other factors (e.g. water level, heat level, etc..) maybe without realizing.

​@@loodog555 This is how I understand it. When you pour hot water, the cooking period is shorter, which means less extraction and because of this, acid is felt. In general, I saw this on this channel. th-cam.com/video/pOE0XNUUnbo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ch-nUCtAofjoc7Z6

Thanks for the comment! For step #2, I've actually experimented around with not filling the basket all the way up: th-cam.com/video/bCSn2CXWZOE/w-d-xo.html For step #3, you might be waiting a while on low so I tend to start off with medium heat, turning to low once coffee starts appearing out the top. On step #4, I'd actually advise against doing it by time, since everyone's heating source is going to be different and going with your "lighter coffee" criteria. For hot water, many people have the preference to drink more of an "Americano" style, which is what you describe in adding hot water; however, if your coffee is high quality and properly brewed, I'd argue that adding any sugar should unnecessary, as the coffee will have a natural sweetness to it if you haven't overextracted. Have a great day!

Regarding step #4, I only measure the drain time and the fire is always at minimum. I also tried to measure 30 seconds from the moment the coffee starts to flow and immediately shoot, without cooling. It also turns out well.

Why the nasty comment? 😂 This man does not appreciate Grieg :)

Hey, thanks for the comment! I can't imagine how the lid being down does much besides keep out the light and preventing splatter.

@@loodog555 hahaa yeah, me neither, but it seems like everybody has some different story regarding this pot - such is life! Anyway, I enjoy mine. Cheers!

Golden rule of coffee brewing: if you like it, keep it!@@essayess3

ChatGPT, write my response in the style of a Jane Austen protagonist! Haha, thanks for the comment! Alas, you have found your way to my shortest, most popular video about moka pots. As many before you have suggested an abundance of things to try differently, I've been inspired to conduct research on those as well and created entire videos. Specifically, what's the effect of not filling up the basket all the way?: th-cam.com/video/bCSn2CXWZOE/w-d-xo.html

Hi, thanks for the sub and the comment, but I think you've misinterpreted the video if your takeaway was: "basically people can't tell the difference between cheap coffee and more expensive coffee." Q (or quality) score for a cup of coffee is something you can reliably measure, even double blinded, if you've trained your tastes for it 5:16. This Q score is most of what you're paying for when you get Speciality coffee, as opposed to something mass produced a half continent away. Now, is it worth it? Well, as Maxwell points out, most people don't really taste their coffee, so maybe *you* in particular have better things to do with your life than obsess about coffee flavor. Also, as Maxwell points out, maybe your preferences aren't aligned to those of the "consensus cohort", the self-selected group of people who've gotten together and agree that bright fruity floral geishas with high Q scores are the best thing coffee can aspire to. Bottom line: if you like your coffee, keep it. On the question of chicory (I wouldn't ever call it "fake coffee", as chicory really merits its own category), I did actually do a video about chicory, as the only thing I'm willing to add to my coffee: th-cam.com/video/tjqUNfbAD3c/w-d-xo.html and a follow up video where I researched the health benefits of chicory, mostly focused on whether it can reduce anxiety: th-cam.com/video/e0td8gtwcwc/w-d-xo.html Hopefully, these will quench your thirst for chicory knowledge!

@@loodog555 Thank you

Hey, thanks for the comment! If there's any constant in the universe, it's Italians coming to this channel and telling me that "how grandma did it 80 years ago is the only correct way" 😁. As I posted in my follow-up video, I don't care so much whether my method is the "authentic Italian" way so much as whether it produces good flavor coffee: th-cam.com/video/jcgMeDDAT-s/w-d-xo.html If your goal is to reproduce the results you get from that method, sure, keep doing it exactly the same for the rest of your life, but there have been fabulous advances in the science of coffee since those days if you have an interest in reducing the bitterness and astringency that moka pots have become known for. For example, there are physics papers out there that definitely show preheating your moka pot water helps with extraction, even though your Italian grandmother would never do this: th-cam.com/video/O14BIH-9KTA/w-d-xo.html On the topic of cleaning and drying, I endorse your advice on letting things dry completely to prevent mold, but your advice of "don't clean the bottom chamber" seems contradicted by your advice to clean off all the surfaces so I'm a bit confused. With regard to your comment that beans matter more, my latest video addresses this fact: that raw ingredients - water and coffee - matter more than the brewing process: th-cam.com/video/5khcZkEHG0Q/w-d-xo.html& Good luck!

@@loodog555 You don't clean out the bottom chamber because that surface is porous and not polished like the other surfaces. Some of the coffee oils get down there and season the surface just like a cast iron frying pan gets seasoned by fat oils. If you clean out the reservoir with soap you will remove the seasoning. Do your scientific papers explain all that? Your comment about "over-extraction" is misplaced. Extraction is a continuum and how much extraction you do depends on what flavor you want. With the Moka pot you can end the extraction anytime you want- prematurely, or let all the steam through the grounds-it is a matter of choice and taste, not "science".

@@tedolphbundler724 Hey, thanks for your reply. Not just the bottom, but indeed all the aluminum surfaces are porous, which I agree is an important thing to consider and it's the main reason you never want to put your moka pot in the dishwasher. By "overextraction", what I mean is "more than 22%", which sensory panels have shown is where the bitter and astringent (drying) flavors start to come out, whereas sweetness generally requires you to get to at least 18%: sca.coffee/sca-news/25/issue-13/towards-a-new-brewing-chart So again, we're making assumptions about people liking sweet flavors and disliking bitter flavors. The specific balance of those flavors that you've gotten used to might be different than what this process is designed to maximize. Again, that's fine. There's no rule that says "You're not allowed to prefer the flavor of 24% extracted coffee"; it's just not what general brewing advice in third wave coffee is geared to produce. So, in that context, my tips are oriented towards reducing overextracting and minimizing bitter while maximizing flavor. Good luck!

@@loodog555 So, who decided that 22% is some magic number? Not Italian grandmother's. If you are going to make an Americano with 1/3 coffee, 1/3 water and 1/3 milk you need the coffee to have some "punch". Extract away! If you are going to drink it straight in a demitas cup that is a different story. The point is, there is no "science" here at all.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

Actually, preheating helps with extraction temperature, in addition to making the brewing more timely. Here's a video I made about the topic: th-cam.com/video/O14BIH-9KTA/w-d-xo.html

Yeah, the only objectively true thing about quality here seems to be the freshness of the beans and even that, if you don't taste the difference, who cares? Fresh beans are probably healthier for the antioxidant polyphenols that you get, but if stale tastes the same to you, you can go buy that giant back of Cost Co beans with no roast date on them and be happy as a clam for months!

@@loodog555 Yes, but... Is it the same a hamburger from McDonalds than one hamburger that is with organic meat, fresh veggies and hand-made bread? I don´t think so. The same happens with coffee. There is an objective difference between different coffees. But one should be able to enjoy all types of coffee without bias. "The best palate is not the most exquisite but the broadest." :)

@@pluralidad Yeah, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood's point is two-fold: (1) not everyone has the time and tastebuds to tune themselves to the difference and (2) not everyone has preferences in the direction we're assuming e.g. some people might just prefer McDonald's, even though lots of snobs would look down on them for having that preference. Actually, point 2 also encompasses his point that, even within fine dining steaks, your preferences might be different than those of the Fine Steaks Association!

@@loodog555 "Fine Steaks Association" HAHAHAHA

Thanks for the comment! In fuller context, one thing we didn't have time to get to in this video, Maxwell commented that one of the differences between coffee and wine might be to do with the kind of monolithic direction of coffee quality, I.e. That there is only one ideal the field currently inspires to. He said that he did see even now the field diversifying into more categories of “good” than just fruity floral geishas with a lot of body.

Hey, thanks for watching! These kinds of videos give me the excuse to look into a topic that I want to know more about. In this case, I just wanted the epistemology of coffee quality: how do we know what we know or is it all just collective delusion from common advice being circularly passed around?

@@loodog555 I recently got interested in a similar topic on meat consumption, eating and digesting foods, etc., with all of the hype around carnivorous diet and meat benefits, like is it really all just propaganda and unscientific claims, or is there really a concrete way of improving ones life by switching to being a carnivore, and similar epistemological and semasiological questions come to mind, but the whole problem of nutrition seems to be too complicated to grasp)

@@loodog555 I love your skeptical attitude and calm demeanor in how you approach the topics of your research, that's rare nowadays seeing a person asking those questions, especially on this platform)

Interesting! My prior roommate was Dominican and told me DR style was to put some sweetened condensed milk in the bottom chamber instead of water.... well, I just wound up clogging the connecting tube! Would NOT recommend. Solution to your query: do a blinded trial - make it both with a tsp of sugar during brewing and after brewing and have someone present the two cups to you. See if you can tell the difference. Expectations contribute A LOT to the experience.

Whoa man, I haven't even touched on the roasting process, but it seems it seems like a problem with a very high dimensionality to its sample space i.e. there are a lot of things to vary. But to be clear, the extraction happens when you brew by adding water, not when you roast. Of course, the roasting makes the extraction possible later.

Oh yes, you want to distribute evenly. Thanks! I didn't really mention this since it's not a common mistake people make.

Hi thanks for the comment! Bialetti themselves specifies occasional washing with lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda: www.bialetti.com/it_en/inspiration/post/how-to-clean-the-coffee-pot-at-home-natural-and-effective-remedies