All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
When it comes to espresso makers, I’m a big believer in the idea that you get what you pay for. Generally, I’ve found inexpensive models (many of Amazon’s top hits that cost $150 or less) lack adequate temperature or pressure controls generally found on mid-range machines like our favorite Breville or high-end ones like the Rancilio Silvia Pro. I know I’m painting with a broad brush, but they also make lousy, inconsistent coffee. So if an espresso maker, even a manual one, costs less than $70, I’m immediately throwing it side eye, especially when that espresso maker comes with self-promotional claims of being “one of the best and most versatile.” So despite its wide praise by outlets as diverse as Wired and National Geographic, I was wary of the Wacaco Nanopresso.
The Nanonpresso is a tiny (just 6x2") hand-pumped espresso maker shaped like a Bluetooth speaker and works by creating pressure via a piston pump. It has been touted more than anything as a camping or hiking accessory. It could surely be that, but after a day filled with far too many shots, I think it could actually just be the espresso maker of anyone willing to endure a morning finger workout.
The first thing I tried with the Nanopresso was making a precisely measured shot. The instructions suggest that the size of the basket and water tank is ideal for 8 grams of freshly ground coffee and 80 milliliters of water. I dutifully got out my scale and filled everything just so. I tamped, as suggested, with the bottom of the included plastic coffee scoop, added water heated to exactly 195°, and squeezed. What came out was a shot with a lovely layer of tan crema on top. As I sipped espresso side by side with a shot pulled from a Breville machine, the Nanopresso lacked some of the bright acidity of the electric machine but was worlds better than what I’ve experienced on espresso makers that cost twice, even three times as much.
Now, weighing the perfect amount of coffee and precisely heated water are generally requirements for a pro shot, but they also undercut the main selling point of the Nanopresso: that you can use it anywhere, regardless of equipment, heat source, or proximity to civilization. No one is going to take a digital scale or electric kettle with them on a camping trip to the North Woods. So I also made a shot under, let’s say, more realistic circumstances. I scooped coffee (still freshly ground) out of a reusable plastic bag more or less to the top of the scoop. I heated water in a kettle without a thermometer until steam was coming out but no whistle, then I filled the water tank to what looked like a max fill line (the tank is actually not that well-marked). I flipped the Nanopresso over and squeezed again. Wouldn’t you know it: another more than serviceable shot with a lovely layer of crema.
The Nanopresso is dummy-proof in the same way a double-walled filter basket is. If you haven’t used one before, it’s like a typical espresso filter basket clad in another layer of metal with a single hole in it that produces consistent shots almost entirely regardless of grind size or weight. The Nanopresso’s design for consistency likely means there are limits to what you can do with it (as I said, the coffee that came out was a little flatter than on a higher level machine), but it also means it will work for almost anyone and will work almost anywhere. And in the home espresso world, where it’s easy to drop $1,000 or more on equipment, that’s saying something. If you are interested in a hand-pumped machine that requires you to dial in your grind, tamping, and temperature, Wacaco released the Picopresso in 2021 that operates with much of the same technology as a Nanopresso but uses an open filter basket. It goes for a still-affordable $130.
Am I going to ditch my temperature-regulated espresso machine for one of these? I am not. But for someone who wants a good espresso in the morning and can neither stomach spending hundreds nor free up the dedicated counter space, the Nanopresso is a great choice.
