MiniPresso – portable espresso machine – Apparata

Overkill or a life saver? For a real expresso enthusiast, the answer to this is of course clear, and the MiniPresso is, in one word, great.

Expresso, but mini

You usually associate an espresso machine with an oversized thing that takes pride of place on your kitchen counter. Not something you can take with you on the go. Yet many coffee lovers are often on the go, and a thermos of stale coffee is not a pleasant prospect for a true caffeine addict.

But fortunately, all kinds of industrious inventors have thought about the best way to turn ground coffee beans into the famous drink of the gods. Like the MiniPresso, from manufacturer Wacaco.

The MiniPresso, making coffee with muscle power

One of the more successful attempts at this is the MiniPresso (€50 excl. VAT). This small and extremely compact coffee maker is able to make cups of espresso using hot water. This device works without electricity, but you have to use hot water and quite a bit of muscle power yourself.

For the real guys, because 12 kg of pressure is not what everyone can handle smoothly. You start by placing the coffee in the holder. You tamp it down and screw the cap on. Then you fill the device on the other side with boiling hot water to the brim in the reservoir. Now you have to pump the hot water through the coffee powder.

The result is, if you have done everything right, a delicious cup of espresso. In a video below you can see how this all works exactly. You can choose from a type that works with loose coffee or with cups.

MiniPresso or NanoPresso?

The MiniPresso does exactly what it promises: producing one or two cups of espresso using the water and muscle power. That makes the device a welcome companion for people who travel or camp a lot. This is partly due to the low weight of less than 400 g. Because the amount of coffee you can make with this is limited, around 70-140 ml, this is especially suitable for people who travel alone or at most with two.

Do you want more flexibility and be able to switch between cup and powder coffee? Then it is smarter to opt for the slightly more expensive NanoPresso. given the modular structure, it is also easier to configure to your wishes. You pay a lot for those extra accessories.

To buy or not to buy?

Can you really do without espresso? Then the MiniPresso or the more expensive and more versatile NanoPresso is recommended. In principle, you will have spent the € 60 that this device costs in 20-30 uses. Cups of coffee on the go are not free either.

For espresso lovers who are usually at home, it makes more sense to buy a somewhat larger espresso machine that you can connect to the power supply. Do you travel a lot by car or truck? Then you better opt for one of the more expensive espresso machines that you can connect to the cigarette lighter. They also supply hot water.