When I think about making espresso...
I generally picture myself at home, or in a cafe working behind a classic countertop machine, but I also have to remind myself that other people actually leave their house sometimes. So something like the Wacaco Nanopresso may actually be a the perfect option for those adventurous, espresso-loving spirits who don't experience existential dread when they leave their house. Even though I may not be one of those people, I feel compelled by a sense of responsibility as a specialty coffee lover, and part of the coffee media, to put this little espresso pill to the test for those who are.
This small, but seemingly mighty handheld espresso machine boasts some seriously impressive numbers. For example, the manufacturer claims that this little pill can muster up 18 bars of espresso extracting power. Thats a whopping 261 pounds per square inch, for those who are keeping count, and thats quite a bit of power sitting gingerly in the palm of your hand. Especially for something that weighs a paltry three hundred and thirty-six grams, but as we know size isn't everything. The real question is, can it make some real espresso, and that's exactly what I intend to find out.
So hit play on that video above to find out if the little Nanopresso lives up to its lofty claims.
November 12, 2022
Thank you so much for this detailed review. I have been having trouble dialling in my new Nanopresso so was looking around for honest help (ie other than on their own site). I previously had a much cheaper portable hand-pump machine which had been doing wonders for me for 4 years, but it stopped working and is no longer on the market, so I got this and couldn’t get it to make something good even though it claims 18 bars (my old one only claimed 12). I think I need to try grinding the coffee finer than I dared, so thanks for that advice.
In answer to your last question of what a machine like this is useful for: a machine like this is AMAZING for me when I’m traveling. I travel a lot for work and it is really hard to get even a half-decent espresso almost everywhere I go in the US. Not to mention, if I fly in the night before and have to get up to give a presentation the next day, I do not have the energy to go traipsing around a town looking for a decent espresso. A little machine like this is perfect because I can bring coffee I ground at home the day before (ok, not fresh, but not too bad) and heat water up in the hotel room using the Keurig or microwave or whatever is there, and then get a pretty decent espresso in the morning without having to leave my hotel room. The machine packs up small and light enough for me to just taking in my handluggage at all times. (Unless I’m going to Sydney, where espresso in coffee shops is amazing!)
Thanks again for your video!