WCCO Picopresso Portable Espresso Maker with Case

Brand: WACACO

Rating: ★ 4

Category: Home & Kitchen > Kitchen & Dining > Coffee, Tea & Espresso > Espresso Machines

ASIN: B097DCNLL6

Reviewer: Aaron Soderholm
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Little dynamo that saves space
Review: I bought this espresso maker to make Americanos with. As everyone says, getting the grind right is the best way to ensure this works correctly. I found a local roaster that has great roasts and will grind all the way to Turkish (dust). I’ve found that espresso grind is just right. I almost returned it before trying a better grind and roast for it. Now I crave its output (is that a good thing?).In comparison to an Aeropress it takes about the same time to prep. However, it’s easily double the work to clean. It does provide a much stronger brew though. I’ve found for what I’m used to a much longer steep time (pump 10x wait ~2 minutes) yields a much stronger Americano and one that is worthy of spending the extra cleaning time over an Aeropress.It’s extremely well built and has a premium look and feel to it. I chose the Picopresso over the less expensive and smaller MinipressoGR2 because of the larger basket. One Aeropress scoop (9g) is perfect for my needs. The basket can hold up to 18g but I find that too much caffeine for the roast I’m using. However I could double the water used to water it down and nurse it for much longer than just breakfast.I find that the additional all metal stand, not included, to be of great help when pulling. The mirror is a nice touch so you can easily see how well the flow is moving. It breaks apart to flatten for travel.I’m not that much of a snob to care about weighing grounds and water. I find that it doesn’t make much of a noticeable difference if you’re used to an Americano. Sacrilege, I know.I wouldn’t call it easy to use. It takes work to put together but it’s nothing that wouldn’t keep you from using it once you’ve tasted how well it makes espresso. It really does provide an amazing quality shot for the price and it takes up almost no room (high partner approval factor).
Reviewer: Indira Y Grullon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Easy to use and great flavor
Review: I bought this so I can use on the road. Now I use it daily at home and wherever I go. I have limited space at my home, and I cannot imagine pushing out $1k for something that is not even premium quality. Now this product I am completely satisfied with. The bad reviews just skip them. listen to me, this thing pushes out really good quality espresso and its really easy. The build I think is of good plastic and great steel build. Even though the plastic container worried me it is very well made. many people mention how hot it gets let me tell you it is not that serious. you can cup it and it will not burn a bit. The coffee temperature is good, brew time is quick and easy, the weight is very light and easy to handle, since I have little space (another reason why this works so well for me) this is amazing, its super easy to clean! so easy it is literally just running water rinsing and putting on dish rack to dry or whatever you want to use to dry your device. The device does everything well and you will be impressed if you are moving up from something like a moka pot. Americano, straight shot of espresso, or a mixed drink? all will be on a higher level than you thought. You will also see how much better your drinks are compared to the ones store bought. You will also spend a lot less per cup.
Reviewer: Patrick
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great espresso but some things to consider and now broken
Review: Exactly as advertised, very high quality manufacture, great espresso. Some things to consider:1. there are a LOT of parts that will be hard to remember how to assemble at first. It would be nice to have a printed blow-out illustration of assembly order on the inside of the holding case. A bit fussy to assemble/disassemble/clean.2. you have to twist the edge of the pump plunger to get it to pop out. The edge is very thin and made of slippery material. If this were ridged it would make twisting it much easier.3. if you have a home espresso maker / grinder you will find the Picospresso needs an even finer grind, sometimes labeled as “Turkish coffee”. You really MUST have a quality burr grinder to get this fine. I pre-grind with my home grinder when I’m on a trip so this is not a problem but you may need to invest in their hand grinder, which I did not try.4. heavier in the hand than you might expect — fastidious backpackers may complain but for my travel via car/airplane it is not an issue. On the other hand it is because it seems very well made and of high quality metal and silicone.5. The carrying case is very nice but tight and I worry that the zippers might not be up to the task for the lifetime of the product, even though they are made of sturdy stainless steel — not plastic ones.6. I have heard the pump action described as “a bit stiff” but I found it quite smooth and easy to use. It is two handed but unless you have strongly arthritic hands you should have not problem with it.7. A real portafilter basket, nice. Does NOT use pods — ugh!8. obviously you will need a source of boiling water. If your hotel only has electric outlets and no microwave, you may need a portable hot water maker.9. perhaps obviously it does not steam milk.I love the Picospresso and am a picky espresso drinker. This will make my travel (6-8 weeks per year) so much more enjoyable. Good espresso on the road is spotty at best and now I probably won’t bother looking.UPDATE:I’ve now used this one a few trips an it does make incredible espresso! However I find two problems.1. It is like solving a puzzle each time I re-assemble it. They designed for compactness but sacrificed in the somewhat ridiculous complexity of packing it back up.2. When I traveled with another espresso lover I found that pulling the second shot will lock up the device. The portafilter becomes extremely hard to push water through AND it was impossible to unscrew after the (difficult) second shot. I had to wrap it in a plastic bag (it will leak) and pack it with grounds still in the device – then disassemble and clean at the next opportunity. From now on I’ll wash the bottom section, the one with the portafilter, in COLD water before trying to pull the second shot. This should help with both problems like it does in my home machine.UPDATE 2:Some design suggestions after extended trip usage:1. The plastic lid on top contains the hot water. It has no grippy texture like the portafilter tightener. Be CAREFUL, if this is not on TIGHT you’ll get boiling hot water dribbling on your hands when you pump. It would be great if this lid had a grip texture. Same for the screw-out pump handle locking mechanism – it is very thin and slippery when wet, when locking it down for storage.2. The pump is a bit hard to use – you have to squat or contort to cover some cup or glass receptacle and compress using your chest muscles, not your hand gripping muscles – all without splattering hot coffee everywhere. I eventually found a plastic insulated cup the fit tightish around the bottom of the picospresso. This allows me to hold it in a way where I use my gripping muscles. The bottom has a flat rubber cover, why not make an accessory rubber cup-sized cover to solve this problem?These tweaks would make it easier and safer to use and less messy.UPDAYE 3:Broken! In cold weather the plastic tabs the hold the plunger from comeing out of the side of the unit broke mearly by releasing the pump piston. This is how you are supposed to release the piston so clearly another flaw in design materials. I’m very disappointed so tried a Nanospresso to replace this but the coffee is dismal so trying another Picospesso. This device is the ONLY true espresso you are going to find on the road/camp so despite all my issues above it is the only game in town so far.ADVICE: EASE OUT THE PISTON! don’t let it pop out or you may end up with a handful of metal parts and a broken piston.Five stars for espresso quality and size, far less for plastic part qualty.
Reviewer: Michael Dornik
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Better than more expensive machines
Review: This thing makes amazing espresso of the quality of a very high end coffee shop. There is more quality flavor extraction than I expected. It is very simple to use if you have a scale and follow the instructions. It’s also easy to clean, great to pack with you on a trip, and is WAY cheaper than machines that would create the same quality of espresso and provide the same durability.
Reviewer: Amazon Kunde
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Ich schreibe normalerweise kaum Produktbewertungen, aber die Picopresso hat mich so überzeugt, dass ich meine Erfahrungen teilen möchte – gerade für alle, die (so wie ich) mit teuren „Profi-Espressomaschinen“ enttäuscht wurden.Zuerst kurz zu meinem Hintergrund: Ich bin neu in der Barista-Welt, habe mich aber intensiv eingelesen, um „die beste Espressomaschine zum kleinsten Preis“ zu finden. Nach viel Recherche habe ich mir die Gaggia Classic E24 (neue Version) gekauft, zusammen mit einer MiiCoffee DF54 Mühle, einem 9bar-OPV-Federkit, einem hochwertigen Tamper, IMS-Duschsieb und dem nötigen Wissen zu Extraktionsraten, Mahlgraden und Temperatursurfen. Mit Spitzenbohnen aus einer lokalen Rösterei (2/3 Arabica, 1/3 Robusta) dachte ich: das perfekte Setup!Die Realität: Nach einer Woche voller Versuche, 1 kg edelster Bohnen und jeder Menge Chaos in der Küche (meine Frau war kurz vorm Ausflippen) hatte ich nicht ein einziges Mal einen „Sweet Spot“. Entweder zu bitter (überextrahiert) oder sauer (unterextrahiert). Selbst Tipps von Profi-Baristas halfen nichts. Frustriert habe ich schließlich alles zurückgeschickt.Eigentlich wollte ich das Thema Espresso abhaken – aber der Wunsch nach gutem Kaffee ließ mich nicht los. Bei meinen weiteren Recherchen stieß ich auf die Picopresso – „die kleinste Espressomaschine der Welt“. Nach vielen Videos und Erfahrungsberichten habe ich es gewagt und folgendes Setup bestellt:• TIMECORE Chestnut C3 ESP Pro Mühle• Wacaco Picopresso mit Sleeves• Maestri House Mini-WaageMit denselben Bohnen wie zuvor, gemahlen auf 0.9, die Picopresso wie empfohlen mit heißem Wasser vorgewärmt und 17g in/36g out – und siehe da: Schon beim zweiten Versuch ein perfekter Espresso! Viel Crema, tolle Balance, keinerlei Bitterkeit, sondern einfach ein starker, runder Espresso, den man dieser winzigen Maschine niemals zutrauen würde.Fazit:Die Picopresso hat mich begeistert. Sie ist unkomplizierter, zuverlässiger und liefert ein besseres Ergebnis als mein deutlich teureres Gaggia-Setup. Für alle, die zu Hause oder unterwegs wirklich ausgezeichneten und hammer -starken Espresso möchten, ohne in ein und teures System einzusteigen: Unbedingt ausprobieren!Ihr werdet es bestimmt nicht bereuen!
Reviewer: amin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I have been using picopresso for some months, it works great! It is important to have the ground coffee fine enough and using a scale to measure the espresso weight. I also use the picopresso gauge to measure the pressure. It helped me significantly to correct myself.
Reviewer: hanaphoeb
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: joli machine qui permet de sortir d’excellents véritables expresso facilement, du moment que l’on ne débute pas dans le domaine.le socle pris en option est un gros plus, pour qui souhaite l’utiliser à la maison fréquemment.la portabilité de l’ensemble reste excellente.Un défaut subjectif, la construction en plastique du corps principale, qui fait un peu cheap dans son apparence, bien que le tout semble solide. Un défaut factuel, le couvercle supérieur n’est pas à la hauteur de la qualité de l’ensemble. je mets néanmoins 5 étoiles, car c’est une bonne surprise à tarif contenu à la vue(enfin au gout) du résultat en tasse.
Reviewer: Cafer GÖKDUMAN
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: ürün belirtilen tarihrte elime ulaştı sorunsuz
Reviewer: Shaun Ginsbourg
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I bought this for my partner and I together with a 1zspresso Q series hand grinder for an interstate trip. We have a good espresso machine and burr grinder at home and really miss a decent coffee at the start and end of each day when we can’t lug our equipment with us.When combined with the 1espresso grinder and good beans, this device produces an extraordinarily good espresso coffee: as good as any you would get in a cafe, and better than most of them on fact. It is tiny and weighs less than 1kg when combined with the grinder (which is heavier).Ignore those who complain about the number of parts. This is dead easy and quick to use, and just like drinking coffee, using it will become second nature after a couple of attempts. It is also extremely easy to clean (it just rinses off). It has no disposal filters or parts (unlike the Aeropress). My only proviso is that the pump requires a firm squeeze which may challenge people who are elderly or afflicted with arthritis.Make sure you invest in a good quality, adjustable grinder (at least A$100, ours was $150 and well worth it) and take the trouble to dial in the correct grind for best results. Don’t plan on purchasing pre-ground coffee. The grind won’t be the right size to get good results and it won’t be fresh.This is ideal for campers, travellers, and those who just don’t want to wake their household with the noise of machines first thing in the morning. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

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