WACACO Picopresso Portable Espresso Maker With Case

This device surely represents a new level in portable espresso creation. What a massive innovation over the previous model, the Nanopresso, which was already a very nifty little device. But this is something else. The Pico will create true espresso with luscious crema and a thick, viscous body. It will pull out all the those nuanced flavors from your blend. Judging just on the quality of the espresso, this device rivals my $2500 prosumer machine. Of course, the prosumer machine is superior for many other reasons, but quality and taste of the shot alone? They are nearly equals.

Here’s how the Pico is different from the Nano and why it is capable of creating such good espresso:

1. A true espresso portafilter shower screen and basket, made from stainless steel and precisely machined.
3. beautiful, grippable metal portafilter. No more struggling to unscrew parts.
2. A robust, larger pump with smoother action and response, capable of generating more pressure and pushing out a larger flow of water.
3. Rubber seals and durable threads throughout. You’ll never worry about water leaking or threads wearing down on the Pico.
4. The water tank is now integrated into the pump housing. This saved a lot of space and also further eliminates the possibility of hot water leaking out of the machine and burning you. The volume of the water tank is perfectly measured for a double shot of espresso.

One caveat: YOU NEED A GOOD GRINDER. This device, like any good espresso machine, requires precision coffee grinds of uniform coarseness. You will likely need to go finer than what you get from preground stuff like Illy or Lavazza. Invest in a good manual grinder, like 1Zpresso JX Pro or J-Max. They are amazing devices that will last your lifetime.

I’m not going to bother addressing any of the “problems” identified by negative reviews. If you are intrigued by the possibility of creating sublime espresso from a device that fits in the palm of your hand, and you understand and appreciate the artistry of pulling a great shot, this machine is for your you. If you just want some caffeine, don’t bother.

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.

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.

Still the espresso if awesome in the extreme so worth the fussiness.

La compré porque me gusta tomar expreso y cuando voy a apartamentos alquilados u hoteles, no suelen tener maquina para hacer expreso. Es perfecta, fácil de montar y usar, facil de limpiar, y el café sale bárbaro. Luego la guardas en su estuche y no ocupa casi nada de lugar. El material es bastante resistente, la tengo hace ya casi 2 años y se la ve aún muy bien. Lo que recomiendo es que aparte lleves un molino de café electrico (los hay pequeños y recargables con usb) para hacer la experiencia más rápida.