Portable Coffee Machines

Contrary to popular belief there isn’t a Starbucks on every corner. Ok maybe if you live in the city but what happens when you are traveling or camping or can’t just pop out of the office for a coffee fix? Well there are a number of options on the market for hand held, portable espresso/coffee makers. Some use ground coffee, others are compatible with pods, all promise damn fine coffee anywhere you go.

AeroPress Coffee Maker

Firstly the original portable coffee maker. Released in 2005 the AeroPress is still one of the most popular today.

This lightweight and portable coffee machine consistently produces the smoothest, richest coffee in a matter of minutes. After letting the coffee brew for a couple of minutes in the chamber, AeroPress uses gentle pressure as you push down on the plunger to give a smooth coffee without the bitterness.

The AeroPress is also easy to clean which is great when you are out and about. Just take off the basket and push out the coffee grounds, clean the rubber plunger and the plastic parts with hot water and you are all set for your next brew.

Wacaco Minipresso/Nanopresso

Wacaco started out with the original Minipresso GR. A hand operated espresso maker with no need for a battery or electricity. Add ground coffee to the coffee filter basket and add boiling water to the water tank and unlock the piston. Pump several times to pressurize and extract the coffee.

Now Wacaco have a number of items in their product range. There is the Minipresso NS that is compatible with Nespresso capsules. Nanopresso that is an upgraded version on the original machine and accessories for all models.

The Nanapresso has an impressive 18 bars of maximum pressure (Compared to 8 bar on the Minipresso). It comes in 4 different colours and there are 2 special addition versions. Available accessories include different water tank capacities so you can produce multiple espresso types, ranging from ristretto to caffè lungo. The Nanopresso is also extremely light and compact making it perfect travel accessory.

Oomph Coffee Maker

Another popular portable coffee maker designed to be used anywhere is the Oomph Advanced Coffee Maker. Again like the others it is fast, convenient and highly portable. Unlike the others this one boasts that it’s the only coffee brewer capable of stopping and restarting the brewing process. Due to this feature you can adjust the strength and flavour without wasting a drop.

Although all of these portable coffee makers require no electricity, you need a way to boil or carry hot water.