Portable espresso machine - JH

LMSC

This might be of interest to some one looking for a portable espresso machine. This is another typical JH video.

If I am desperate, which I am clearly not, only Picopresso stands out costing £130. The AeroPress costs just under £30 and makes a lovely coffee. Wouldn’t that be enough, if one must?

Dusk

But as JH says, an Aeropress doesn’t make espresso

LMSC

Of course, it doesn’t.😊

tompoland

My favourite portables are the Flair (non 58mm variety) and the portapresso (pic of my travel bag of the latter uploaded)

tompoland

The gadget on the right is a hand held air pump that fills the pressure chamber with 150psi, enough for espresso.

tompoland

And ready for espresso…

Doram

tompoland And ready for espresso…

It even has room for a little campfire under the tripod to heat the water! 🔥

DavecUK

Imagine getting that onto an aircraft in todays world.

LMSC

I was thinking exactly the same when I watching his video. All the 4 to be honest.

CoyoteOldMan

At least it’s a hand pump rather than a gas canister like this one

DavecUK

I saw something today which looked exciting and dangerous all at the same time. The pump is battery operated and it produces 9 bar to make espresso……

forgot the link https://58espresso.com/products/sptk-1?variant=40384764543168

tompoland

DavecUK its the same sort of hand held battery air pump that I have packed in the case alongside the Portapresso. The kickstarter Xbar machine also has a 58mm basket and uses the same type of battery pump device. Max pressure is 150psi which is pretty darned good. They recharge via a USB cable.

Regarding getting the temperature up to say 90 degrees, if the device allows the removal of the group head, like the flair, I simply place it in the kettle, get it to boiling and fish it out with a pair of tongs. I have a heat strip on the outside. Its a wee bit dodgy in terms of accuracy and its certainly not stable but it mostly does the trick. And some places I go, it can be very challenging to find an espresso that I like. With my espresso travel kit, I’m gauranteed a quality fix for my addiction before I step out of the hotel in search of breakfast.

LMSC

Interesting! Looks like a direct competition to products like Flair. Not sure about the battery life and its’ general availability

Official YT video

Ofc, LH did one a couple of months ago.

I also wonder why it did not feature in JH’s reviews

Edit :

Too much of a faff and the temperature is no where near 90 at least. Perhaps, after 2-3 preheating, it may hit high 80s for a dark roast.

CoyoteOldMan

LMSC I also wonder why it did not feature in JH’s reviews

Timing? Everything seems very very recent, and the JH “mad” video may have been filmed prior to the SPTK being available? (Just guessing - it would have made more sense as a comparison than the Flair, in my opinion)

DavecUK

LMSC Too much of a faff and the temperature is no where near 90 at least. Perhaps, after 2-3 preheating, it may hit high 80s for a dark roast.

I just don’t see how it can be a practical or sensible device…Pretty well nigh impossible to get it to 85 and how many kettles of water do you have to boiler to get even that. The portafilter will always be too cold. It’s not just the temp of the water hitting the coffee bed, but ultimately the temperature of the entire environment.

Now put a couple of cartridge heaters in the unit so it heats the portafilter and maintains the water temp, fill it with boiling water and wait…then perhaps they would have something.

LMSC

CoyoteOldMan

JH’s video is barely 2 weeks old. Lance did a review a couple of months ago. I am not sure, JH normally needs that much time to produce a video; may be, he did shoot the portable machines video long ago.

CoyoteOldMan

It’s hard to say when it was filmed… (the JH piece) but from the very small number of people walking around Piccadilly Circus (at 11:30), I’d say it must have been during lockdown or near enough to that.

LMSC

DavecUK Exactly. That’s the problem with all portables, is it not?

I think it is a good thinking, but needs to evolve. May be, a thermal flask concept to retain the temperature or a portable heating element. In the case of latter, we would be lugging the battery.

We prefer a mess free travel either for business or pleasure. We don’t drink coffee, if we don’t find any decent shop.

Edit

I will also be a little wary of carrying these portable devices for flights! 😁

JahLaza

If it’s ‘well’ enough marketed none of that would be needed to give a great coffee out of this ‘placeboetically’ 😂😂

CoyoteOldMan

LMSC We don’t drink coffee, if we don’t find any decent shop.

This.

tompoland

Agree 100% that the most challenging aspect these portaable esspresso makes is temperate regulattion. The flair (non 58) and the portapresso and the machine above all present that challenge. But as machines for use when I am travelling or going away on holiday, the flair and portapresso work very well. I have them pre packed along with grinder, puck rake and beans etc and the back they are paccked in go into the check in bag, easy as. Mind you, I don’t mind the faffing around of getting the group temperature up and its pretty rate that I pour a sinker. They are not recommeded for those who get frustrated with work flow ineffeciency and while I enjoy the noveltyy of using them on holiday, I wouldnt want to use these machines at home each day..