Any good compact and handheld espresso makers?

fuzzybabybunny

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Jan 2, 2006
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I'm getting a bit tired of my Aeropress. It works fine, but I want something more espresso-like. The coffee it makes is basically somewhere between a French press and an espresso, but closer to a French press.

I have used a friend's Minipresso and was very impressed by it.

Compared to the Aeropress:

- The mouthfeel is a lot more smooth and rounded. Not watery.

- It doesn't use as much coffee grinds for the same amount of strength.

- It extracts much more caffeine from the grounds. I use about half the amount of grounds in the Minipresso and still get a stronger brew than the Aeropress.

- The difference to me is night and day. The Minipresso, while it doesn't reach the pressure levels of true espresso (and the "crema" it produces is actually just foam) it is much much more espresso-like than the Aeropress.

- The big downside to the Minipresso is that it makes so little espresso. I have to pump and make two servings in order to get a satisfying amount of liquid to sip on, so it's a big pain in the ass, especially if you're making it for other people.

So anything out there that's light, portable, and hand-powered for espresso? I've also heard of the Handpresso.