Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker

There are days that I crave a small cup of very potent coffee, with foamed steamed milk added, alas, the cappuccino craving!

But also, there was no way I was going to start another journey, an espresso machine journey. That is in a league of its own.

Something convenient, something that would still allow me to get results that resembled an esspresso... and possibly also allow me to add foamy steamed milk (is latte art upcoming?).

I started looking around for a tool that fits the description and came across the Nanopresso portable espresso maker. Small, convenient, rugged and looks like it produces crema. Seems promising especially since I had a camping trip coming up.

Usage

I think the hardest part might be assembly, but once you get it, it clicks. The concept is that you hand pump (not battery operated, score for camping/backpacking) the nanopresso so that it reaches a certain pressure (supposedly up to 18 bars) then it will release the shot.

It comes with a cap used as a cup, a water cup chamber, the filter basket where you put your coffee, the filter cap and the nanopresso body.

Setup

Timemore Chestnut @ 10' / Comandante grinder @ 15'
Grocery store purified drinking water @ 94C
Ratio 1:10 (8g coffee to 80g water)

Process

A quick step-by-step

Preheat the nanopresso by doing a hot water shot (see steps below for actual shot)

Fill filter basket with coffee grounds using the scoop
Temper the coffee grounds with the bottom of the scoop
Put filter basket into nanopresso filter chamber
Screw on the filter cap to the nanopresso body
Pour hot water into the water cup (chamber) up to the measuring line
Turn the nanopresso upside down
Screw on the water cup to the body
Release the hand pump
Start pumping until pressure builds and the first stream of coffee is released
Stop and wait 10 seconds
Continue to pump into cup until no more coffee comes out

Compared to a real esspresso

The nanopresso is forward tongue, slight acidic/sour. It is definitely stronger than a drip but if you are comparing to an espresso machine... it's hard to be an actual machine. This shot was compared to a shot pulled by a Profitec Pro 3000 (dual boiler with PID control). The taste from the Profitec is astrigent... the flavor comes in like "BAM", thick, back of tongue taste and so so strong, leaving a lingering on the tongue.

See comparison pictures below. Nanopresso on the left and espresso machine on the right. There is crema on both, but the machine crema is more concentrated.

Additional thoughts

Ah, what a cute little cup of esspresso... literally... 80ml or 2.7 fl oz. If you want more, it'll take another couple of minutes of cleaning the equipment (at least just the coffee filter basket), getting hot water and resetting. But, if you buy the Barista kit addon, you get a double shot with double the water amount.

Speaking of cleaning, I guess it could be a hassle, but so is cleaning any coffee or esspresso machine. The machines you probably won't need to clean after each use unlike the nanopresso.

But bottom line, it is super portable and for camping or hiking, it's a good thing to have! It definitely tastes stronger than drip coffee.