Wacaco Nanopresso review

0.74 lb in a backpack, with the hot water left to you8.9/10

Portability is the reason to buy the Nanopresso, and it is widely liked. At 0.74 lb it is, in The Coffee Delight's words, "small enough to disappear into a backpack, carry-on, or even a large jacket pocket".1 It is entirely hand powered, so there is no cord and no battery to think about.

The design packs into itself. The water tank doubles as a cup, and the optional case holds every piece in a tight bundle. Tim Collins ADV carries it in a day pack, and coffeeness.de would take it on a day hike in a pocket.

The catch is the water. The Nanopresso does not heat anything, so a kettle, a camp stove or a thermos travels with it.2 Add ground coffee or capsules to the packing list and the kit is a little bigger than the device.

Smooth shots with crema, cooler and sourer than a machine's7.3/10

The coffee is widely liked for a device this size. With fresh beans and a sensible grind it produces a short, bold shot with body and a visible layer of crema, and the pressurized basket forgives pre-ground coffee and modest grinders. coffeeness.de found its shot sweet, complex and aromatic.

Nobody places it level with a proper espresso machine. James Hoffmann got creamy crema from it and still judged the drink okay at best: "it's not a patch on what a good manual espresso machine can make".3 Tom's Coffee Corner saw a thinner crema than hoped and called the result a nice strong coffee more than a true espresso.4

Heat is the weak point. The plastic body pulls warmth out of the water, and Matteo D'Ottavio measured a clear temperature gap between a cold device and a warmed one. Cooler brewing shows in the cup: thewaytocoffee.com reports "a tendency to underextract and turn pleasant acidity into sourness".5 Pump a tank of hot water through it first, and the shot improves.6

No dialing in, then loose grounds, small parts and a lot of pumping5.8/10

Ease divides opinion: the brewing is simple and the chores around it are not. There are no electronics or settings, the illustrated manual is clear, and European Coffee Trip praises how little espresso knowledge or equipment it asks for.7 The steps stick after the first few shots.

Filling the small basket is the fiddly part. homecoffeeexpert.com calls it "nearly impossible to do without spilling some ground coffee",8 and coffeeness.de says the same. Pack the coffee too tightly or grind too fine and the pump gets hard to press. European Coffee Trip also had hot water leak onto a hand while screwing the tank on.

Cleanup splits the same way. A rinse under the tap is enough for the next day, and the puck drops out easily.9 The brew head, though, is a stack of small pieces, and oily residue builds up unless you take it apart every few shots.

Volume is the last limit. Each shot is small and takes a steady run of pumping, which is fine for a single cup and tiresome for a group. As The Coffee Delight puts it, with several drinkers "you're going to be doing a lot of pumping".10 The capsule adapter, sold as an extra, removes the loose grounds and the packing-out of wet coffee.

Sturdy plastic and a well-made pump, with a squeak and small seals to guard9.5/10

Build is praised almost without exception. The body is mostly plastic and does not feel flimsy: the grip is secure and the parts lock together tightly. homecoffeeexpert.com singles out the piston, writing that "the build quality on the pump is exceptional".11

There is a long-term account too. Tim Collins ADV has carried his for years and says "it has taken all the use I have thrown at it".12 Alternative Brewing expects it to survive a drop.

The complaints are minor. European Coffee Trip names a noise from the pump: "the most annoying thing is the squeaking sound".13 The small parts inside the brew head also matter more than they look, because losing a seal ends the pressure and the crema with it.

Fair at $64.90, before the case, the kettle and the add-on kits8.8/10

Value is widely liked. At $64.90 it costs far less than any counter machine, and myfreerangefamily.com calls it "great value for money".14 A scoop that doubles as a tamper and a small brush come in the box.

The extras raise the bill. The case, the capsule adapter and the Barista Kit, which adds a bigger tank and basket, are each sold separately, and a travel kettle may join them. For thewaytocoffee.com the small standard shot is hard to justify against the setup and cleaning, and the add-on kits are what make the device worth owning.15

If any travel coffee will do, there are cheaper routes. tobedetermined.cc kept the Nanopresso on its packing list and still conceded that "a more traditional Aeropress remains a cheaper coffee option".16

Our verdict

Buy the Nanopresso if you want a short, strong, crema-topped coffee on the road and travel mostly alone. Skip it if it would sit on a kitchen counter, serve several drinkers, or be judged against a real espresso machine. Preheat it with hot water before every shot, and add the capsule adapter if you would rather not handle loose grounds outdoors. Decide on the case and the bigger basket before you order, because they change both the price and the cup.