Last year I picked myself up a little birthday present - A Handpresso Wild Hybrid . I got it when Whole Latte Love was doing their deal a day sale after Thanksgiving. It's been a lot of fun, so today I thought I would post about it. I've had some time to play with it and learn what seems to work and what doesn't.
It came in a nice storage box.
The Handpresso does not heat water - so first (and not pictured) I put some water on to heat. Then I got it out and ground 7 grams of coffee. 6 might be better, but I tend to be messy when getting it into the tiny portafilter. Getting the grind right was the hardest part for me. Too coarse and no crema. On the other hand, just because my grinder will go Turkish fine doesn't mean I should. That just gave me a few drops of coffee that was kind of bitter. I used beans I didn't like to play around with and adjust the grind settings. For this shot I used beans I do like, even if they were not actually intended to be espresso. I had some darker beans from Lanna Coffee Co that were given to me byKc Coffegeek. That's what I used here. The flash makes the grounds look lighter than they were, but I'm just not in an editing mood. If you have a Handpresso - use whatever beans make you happy. Nothing says it has to have espresso written on the bag.
Really don't need much water so it doesn't' take long to heat. Then it's time to pour into the Handpresso. Just up to the bottom of the cross that portafilter sits on.
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The portafilter is tiny and even 7 grams is a lot of coffee for it. The handle is sized to be a tamper.
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The you put the coffee filled filter into the Handpresso with the water and put the cap on. Turn the cap to the locked position and - I CAN NOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH - make sure the button to the side of the lock makings is in the correct position. That's the release button and if it's already triggered you will end up with a mess when you start to add pressure. A mess that involves very hot water. Think of it as the safety on a gun - make sure it's on before you start messing around with anything.
Now you have to pump the handle until the gauge is in the green area. Pretty easy at first and about two bars from green it gets much harder - by the time you reach green you're getting a workout. At least I am. Be careful how you hold it during this. I have accidentally pressed the release button. Then I have to start over from the beginning AND there is coffee all over my floor. Not
Get it up to full bars and press the release. Espresso happens. Real espresso without a big machine.
It's not perfect, but it's pretty good. I would not say it's as high quality as the big bulky machine, however I am not taking the big bulky machine camping. Given one camping coffee maker only I would choose the AeroPress, but both are small and I can take both. Some days I just want to make a fancy espresso drink - even when I'm not in a place normally conducive to making a fancy espresso drink. I prefer this espresso to the coffee concentrate that passes for espresso from the AeroPress, but I prefer the AeroPress for a regular cup of coffee.
When I go on my road trip in November I'm bringing both.
When I go on my road trip in November I'm bringing both.
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