So, I've given my new Minipresso a quick go and here are my thoughts...
Firstly, this is a portable coffee maker, and in no way is it meant to replace or be as good as a home/pro espresso machine. Rather than having a valve to release the pressure, this requires manually pumping, so as the pressure is only applied when you pump, it may not be consistant. I also believe that the "crema" may be helped along with the use of a device to pressurise the basket, like you get in the cheaper home espresso machines. This isn't a big problem for me, I just want quick, easy, and most importantly, tasty coffee when I'm away from home.
If you have a decent grinder and espresso machine at home, this won't match it, so let's not try to compare them.
Quick review: I'm impressed with it and the coffee that it produces. I'll certainly be using it when I'm at work and when I go away.
More in-depth review: Here come the pics....
So, this is it unboxed. You get the Minipresso and a small manual which guides you through the different components, and the using and cleaning of it.
Close-up of the Minipresso. It is plastic, but I think it looks very nice and it feels solid and well made. It's about 8 inches tall and weighs around 500g.
When taken apart, the Minipresso breaks down into these individual components. Starting at the top and going clockwise:
1- The main body of the device, which includes the pump mechanism. The pump is the circular section which, when you unlock it, pops out to allow you to pump it.
2- This is the hot water reservoir which is the bottom part in the complete Minipresso pic above, but which will be at the top when it's in use.
3- This is the cup for the end product, and it has a rubber grip around the outside for easy holding.
4- This is the coffee scoop.
5- This is what the ground coffee goes in, and this then sits on top of the main body (No.1).
6- This part is then inverted and sits on top of No.5 on the main body, and it screws in to keep it tight. The bottom of this section has the exit hole for the coffee.
This is the end result. It's probably best not to judge it just from the photo for a coupe of reasons:
Firstly, it was my first attempt and whilst the first few pumps get the water into the coffee chamber, the following 15-20 pumps require a small amount of muscle work (I may be a bit of a wimp). I used all the water in the chamber which is probably more than should be used for 7g of coffee.
Secondly, the grind wasn't perfect. I was using my Porlex Mini hand grinder which I only ever use for my Aeropress. I did adjust the grind setting but I could see that it wasn't as fine as it should be. I will be trying again this evening using my Mignon at home.
Thirdly, I wanted to see the espresso so I didn't use the included cup, and all I had was a tall glass. You can see that there is no "crema" in the middle of the glass, this is because the espresso had to drop about 8 inches into the glass.
What did I think of the end result? I used
Brazial Fazenda Inglaterra from Has Bean. It was a little thin, and it didn't have as much body as I'd expect or like, but it was certainly quite drinkable. I didn't preheat the glass prior to pumping, but it was still hot to drink.
This is the coffee section after use. I didn't tamp down the coffee before use, but I did gently tap it a couple of times just to level the grounds off.
Cleaning was quick and easy, just rinsing out these two sections and also the hot water chamber.
Conclusion.
I like it. Although it's plastic (which may affect the heat retention), it looks good and feels well made. I'm not concerned that it may not strictly be an espresso maker (whether it gets to the correct pressue, I don't know), but the coffee it makes is more than worth the small effort required when out and about. It is comparable to the Handpresso (which I currently don't own), but at about £30, it is quite a lot cheaper.
As I said, I'll be trying again later with a decent grind. I'll pre-heat everything, and will measure the extraction weight and temperature. I'll update if there is anything to add.
They're 
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. May just have to settle on the De'Longhi and hope that me knowing no better doesn't affect it lol
