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Best Manual Portable Espresso Machines
Find out a list of some of the best portable espresso maker options on the market today.
Published November 23, 2021
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Erik Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
If you enjoy hiking, backpacking or camping but feel lost without your usual cup of coffee in the morning, a manually-operated, portable espresso machine can be your perfect option for powering your outdoor activities, along with being ideal to use while at home too. All you need to do is add your coffee grounds and hot water, and use some hand pressure to get the perfect shot of espresso with a generous amount of crema on top. If you’re thinking about getting a portable espresso maker to make sure that you can get your perfect cup of coffee no matter where you are, keep reading for a list of some of the best portable espresso maker options on the market today.
Wacaco Minpresso GR
The Wacaco Minpresso GR is a handheld espresso maker that offers the perfect experience for anybody who wants to make sure that they can access their perfect cup of coffee anywhere. It is compact, lightweight, versatile, and simple to operate along with being very effective for making the perfect coffee anywhere, any time. It’s the ideal choice for packing in your bag whether you’re spending a day in nature or want to take a longer camping or backpacking trip. It works well with any type of bean or roast, making it perfect for any coffee-drinker.
AeroPress Espresso Maker
The AeroPress is likely to be something that any coffee enthusiast will have heard of, offering great value for quick, total immersion brewing that results in a cup of coffee that is rich, acid-free, and without bitterness. Along with being a great portable espresso machine, one of the best things about using an AeroPress for making coffee outdoors is that you can also easily use it to make regular drip.
Wacaco Nanopresso
This Wacaco portable mini espresso maker is an ideal choice for anybody, with eighteen bars of pressure and 15% less force needed in comparison with competitors for pumping and extracting the espresso. It’s highly recommended that you use finely ground, well-tampered coffee grinds to get the best result from using this travel espresso maker. The components are very easy to take apart and put back together, making it really convenient to clean and maintain.
Fortune Candy Portable Espresso Maker
If you’re looking for a portable espresso maker with decent pressure and less force required, this portable espresso maker review might be for you. With fifteen bars of pressure, you will only need half the force to pump a good 60ml shot of espresso with a delicious thick crema on the top. And, if you don’t like the idea of all the hassle that comes with bringing your coffee grounds out hiking with you, you’ll love this option since it is also compatible with the more convenient Nespresso pods. It’s easy and convenient to clean; you can simply fill it with warm water and press the piston to clean out anything left inside, or you can safely use it in the dishwasher too. It comes with a detachable jug that you can use to foam milk for lattes and cappuccinos.
Staresso Portable Espresso Machine
This compact option weighs under a pound, making it the perfect choice if you want a lightweight travel espresso maker that you will barely notice is in your bag. It offers 15-20 bars of pumping pressure for a thick, creamy espresso. If you love specialty coffee, you will really enjoy the ability of this espresso maker to create rich, frothy milk for those cappuccinos and lattes.
VECH Portable Espresso Machine
This is a travel compatible espresso maker that comes with easy to assemble parts that are super-simple to clean and maintain. It is designed to provide a hassle-free and easy way to provide the perfect espresso taste. It can be used with any coarseness of ground coffee; however, if you want to get the most vibrant flavor with a thick crema, fine powder is the most recommended option.
Moocoo Manual Espresso Maker
The advanced pumping technology of this manual espresso maker means that you can easily achieve a generous twenty bars of pressure while using half the force of other manual espresso makers. It is a two-in-one maker that allows you to make and enjoy a rich cup of coffee whether you want the convenience of using a coffee capsule or freshly ground coffee beans. It is made from high-quality food grade materials and offers an ergonomic, easy to use design.
Simpresso Portable Espresso Premium
If you enjoy traveling and want to find the perfect espresso maker for all of your outdoor adventures, the Simpresso is an ideal choice for you. It features a range of reusable smart capsules and is compatible with Nespresso capsules, making brewing with this premium espresso maker easier than ever. It comes with nineteen bars of pressure and a double-insulated wall, providing a burn-free touch that makes brewing coffee outside as convenient as possible.
Fdit Portable Mini Espresso Maker
Whether you want to make any K-cup pod coffee of your choosing or prefer to brew freshly ground coffee, the Fdit portable coffee maker is the perfect option for satisfying your coffee cravings wherever you are. It offers a large, 12oz capacity and comes with an easily detachable body that makes it very easy to clean and maintain. It’s super-lightweight, so you won’t even notice it in your backpack, and the food-grade body only makes it even more convenient.
Leverpresso Portable Espresso Maker
With just three minutes of your time and some hand pressure, you can get a good cup of coffee that is as silky and as creamy as you like your espresso to be. While this portable espresso maker does require some more effort compared to others as there are only nine bars of pressure, the results can be very rewarding when done right. It comes with a dual level system.
Arlime Portable Manual
If you’re looking for the best manual espresso maker to operate as effortlessly as possible, this portable machine from Arlime could be the best option for you. It offers twenty bars of pressure with a labor-saving pumping system that allows you to easily pull rich, silky shots of espresso every single time. And if that wasn’t enough, the maker also provides you with the ability to make frothy milk for your cappuccinos or lattes easily. It is easy to disassemble and simple to clean, making it a really convenient option no matter where or when you want to use it.
NH Kitchen Mini Espresso Maker
This elegant mini espresso maker comes in a sleek all-black, and there’s much more to it than meets the eye. It’s a great choice for brewing a quality cup of coffee and comes in a protective bag, along with a container that you can use for storing enough coffee grounds to make up to seven cups. It’s the perfect size and weight for your backpack, making it the perfect choice for going outdoors, taking to work with you, or even when traveling abroad.
DoubleSun Espresso Maker
While this espresso maker is small when it comes to the size, weight and footprint, it’s big on performance, giving you an authentic coffee-shop-like experience when brewing espresso no matter where you are. It’s ridiculously easy to use; all you need to do is add hot water to the coffee and press. It comes with a stainless-steel double-layer filter, a shock resistant water tank, and the sleek and modern design looks great no matter where you take it. The easily detachable parts are very easy to clean, making it an even more convenient option.
How Do Manual Espresso Machines Work?
A manual espresso maker is a machine that is operated by hand, so it does not require energy or charging, making it ideal for traveling and other portable uses. They offer a simple way to brew espresso no matter where you are, but do require a little more labor compared to using an electric machine. While you don’t have the luxury of simply pushing a button to extract the shot of espresso, you do get to enjoy the benefit of being able to take your espresso wherever you are.
Choosing the Right Manual Espresso Maker
If you want to get a manual portable espresso maker, then it’s important to consider all of the different features that are important to you to make sure that you get the most satisfying experience. Consider the following:
- Size: If you need a portable espresso maker, you’re probably planning to travel with it frequently. Consider how you are going to take it with you, and make sure that you choose one that’s a size that aligns with your requirements.
- Capacity: Consider how big you will need the capacity to be. Maybe you only need one that will make one shot of coffee for yourself, or you are planning to get a coffee maker that allows you to make coffee for a couple of people or more at once.
If you miss your coffee when traveling, camping or hiking, a portable espresso maker can be an ideal choice.
About the author
Erik Hedlund
With Era of We and The Coffee Lab, I hope to share knowledge, increase the value of coffee – and secure the future of coffee.
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