Café-style coffee on the hoof ? I’ll drink to that!
Say goodbye to flasks full of tepid liquid sludge
‘The lovely crema was remarkable and, looks aside, the coffee was delicious!’
Wacaco MiniPresso €60 – see wacaco.com ★★★★★
I’m not sure when the coffee revolution started in Ireland. Whenever it was, these days in our towns and cities you’re never more than a stone’s throw from a cup of smooth Colombian and the list of options like cinnamon twists or soya milk seems to grow weekly.
Many of us have even got used to the home comfort of café-style coffee thanks to Nespresso machines, but as I headed for the beach last weekend I had a dilemma. I needed a portable gadget that would be able to provide my companion and I with a decent cup of coffee at the end of the day.
I settled on the Wacaco MiniPresso. It’s a small, portable gizmo that lets you bring Nespresso capsules with you on a day out and, with the addition of hot water, it lets you produce creamy, café-style coffee. Taking it out of the box reveals that it’s remarkably neat and very portable. At less than seven inches tall it’s no bigger than a child’s flask, and it’s easily packed if you’re walking as it weighs in at just over 12 ounces.
The only accessory that ships with the MiniPresso is a cleaning brush but everything else is part of the all-in-one set-up. There’s a screw-top outer lid that doubles as an espresso cup. I removed that and put it to one side, then opened the top of the machine. In here, is where you pop in a Nespresso capsule which should fit snugly. I reattached the screw-lid firmly and unscrewed the little water tank on the bottom of the machine. The water tank has a capacity of 70ml and there is a helpful lip on the reservoir to indicate the max hot water level to prevent splashes.
With the water tank secured, I turned the machine upside down and released the push handle. As you unscrew it, you can feel the pressure build up in the handle. With my cup at the ready, I began to slowly pump the machine and almost immediately the air was filled with the delicious aroma of warm coffee. The machine has an 8 bar capacity, so only slightly less than my machine at home. I discovered if I pumped more slowly, it produced a better tasting coffee. The lovely crema on the coffee was remarkable and it really did look better than much of the coffee I’ve been served in cafés. Looks aside, the coffee was delicious. Just as good as it tastes at home.
The need to bring hot water is a little tedious but not a great hardship if you’re heading to the beach or countryside for the day. That said, the machine is so neat and portable, I don’t think the design could be improved.
Additional accessories include a carry case and an additional water tank that will produce up to 100ml of coffee. There is also a ground coffee version if that’s your preference.
Overall, a great piece of travel kit.