How to Steam Tea & Coffee

Use a moka pot to steam coffee if you don't have an espresso machine.

If you drink coffee and tea on a regular basis, you can mix up your daily routine by steaming these beverages. Steaming coffee or tea is a method of brewing it that forces steam to pass through the coffee grounds or tea leaves. Brewing coffee in this manner produces espresso, which then forms the basis of lattes and cappuccinos or café Americanos. Popular steamed tea drinks include sencha and chai lattes. You can brew coffee with a machine or a pot, while steamed tea requires a teapot.

Things You'll Need

• Espresso machine (optional)
• Moka pot (optional)
• Teapot

Instructions

How to Steam Coffee in an Espresso Machine

1. Add 2 ounces of cold water to the water chamber of your machine by opening the water chamber lid and pouring water inside. Make sure you refasten the cap tightly.

2. Temperature stabilize your machine. Attach an empty filter cup to the machine, place an empty cup underneath the spout and turn it on. Let the 2 ounces of water steam through.

3. Remove the filter cup and add espresso grounds. Pick the filter cup that corresponds to the number of cups of espresso you wish to brew. For one cup, use the single-spout filter cup. For two cups, use the dual-spout filter cup. Use a spoon to level out the grounds into a smooth surface.

4. Add cold water to the water chamber of your machine. Use 2 ounces for one cup, 4 ounces for two cups. Refasten the cap.

5. Place espresso cups underneath the spouts and turn on the machine and let it run until the water steams through the coffee grounds.

How to Steam Coffee in a Moka Pot

1. Fill the base of the moka pot with cold water. Unscrew the base of the moka pot from the steaming chamber, remove the filter basket and fill the base with cold water.

2. Place coffee grounds in the filter basket. Use espresso ground beans to make espresso.

3. Reassemble the moka pot. Drop the filter basket into the lip of the moka pot base, then reattach the steaming chamber by screwing it on.

4. Brew the water by placing the moka pot onto a lit stovetop set to medium-high heat. Don't open the lid while the water is brewing. Turn off the heat when you no longer hear bubbling and splashing sounds coming from the pot.

How to Steam Tea

1. Add tea leaves to the teapot. Use 2 grams of tea leaves for each cup of tea desired.

2. Boil water in a pot. Pour the boiling water into as many tea cups as needed to slightly cool the water. For example, if you added 6 grams of tea leaves, pour boiling water into three tea cups.

3. Add the water from the cups to the teapot. Pour the water directly from the cups into the pot immediately after filling each cup so you retain the heat from the water.

4. Replace the teapot lid and let the tea leaves steam for 30 seconds. Then pour the steamed tea into cups for drinking.

Tips & Warnings

• When steaming coffee or tea, use spring or deionized water if possible. The minerals in tap water can leave deposits on the inside of the pot or espresso machine.

References

• Coffee Research: Espresso Preparation
• The Hungry Mouse: How to Make Espresso on the Stove
• CD Japan: How to Prepare Deep-Steamed Sencha

Resources

• Coffee Geek: Milk Frothing Guide - Build Those Drinks
• Small Coffee Grinders: How to Make a Chai Latte
• 2 Be a Snob: What is Chai Tea?