This brings me to the most important factor to consider with the Picopresso: precision is the key to getting a good and consistent output. But, after fine-tuning the grind and dosage, I was soon making some entirely decent shots. Some shots ran straight out, and others were impossible to push through.

Having seen beautiful shots being pulled through the Picopresso in videos online, I decided to give it a few more goes. The water ran right through and resulted in a lackluster brew that was akin to bitter black coffee or something out of a stovetop espresso maker.

To set the stage, the first shot I ever pulled through the Picopresso was an underwhelming mess that roughly matched my initial expectations for the device. And it does so while fitting in the palm of your hand. Unlike alternatives that produce an espresso-like drink, the Picopresso makes real espresso with thick crema and rich flavors that rival anything you’ll find in most third-wave coffee shops. There’s no battery and nothing to plug in it relies solely on a built-in hand pump to create up to a claimed 18 bars of pressure. It has a 2.70-ounce (80-milliliter) capacity and brews a double shot of espresso in under a minute. With its largely metal construction, it feels stout in hand, and even its plastic parts feel substantial. Measuring around 4 x 3 x 3″ (106 x 78 x 71 mm) and weighing in at 0.77 pounds (350 grams), the Wacaco Picopresso is an impressively compact and portable espresso maker that features the same naked portafilter and 18-gram, 52mm stainless steel basket found on most commercial machines. Following a couple of months of experimenting with one on a daily basis, I’m happy to report that it has more than surpassed all of my expectations. After a long period of feeling like brewing and drinking coffee has been more habitual than anything, the Picropresso has me feeling excited again.

I’m glad it did, as using it has reignited my passion for coffee and shaken up my coffee-making routine at home and around camp. But, for whatever reason, with its more robust build quality and seemingly more serious demeanor, the Picopresso (2021) piqued my interest earlier this year. Instead, I suppose I wrote them off as just two more contraptions amid the sea of coffee-making gadgets out there.

I’d seen Wacaco’s Minipresso (2014) and Nanopresso (2017) compact espresso makers around during the past few years but never found them quite captivating enough to merit a closer look. As such, I’m always looking out for new and more portable ways to make great coffee outside. More than a few of my overnight bikepacking trips have been motivated by the simple promise of waking up and sipping coffee from the cozy confines of my sleeping bag with a view.

Presso espresso parts