{"id":1753,"date":"2016-02-15T09:00:14","date_gmt":"2016-02-15T15:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=1753"},"modified":"2016-02-14T21:54:39","modified_gmt":"2016-02-15T03:54:39","slug":"review-minipresso-manual-espresso-maker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=1753","title":{"rendered":"Review: Minipresso manual espresso maker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note from Margaret: For my first guest post\u00a0this year, I’m thrilled to feature an equipment\u00a0review\u00a0from my dear friend Rosalyn Story!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"tn_IMG_1367\"<\/p>\n

As with most coffee lovers who came of age before the Starbucks\u00a0revolution, my taste in coffee has evolved over time. From the tin of ground\u00a0Folgers and Butternut in the kitchen cupboard of my childhood to the vending\u00a0machine-dispensed swill in my college cafeteria, and eventually to the perfect\u00a0cup of froth-rimmed brew in a Paris caf\u00e9 on a trip abroad in my twenties, coffee\u00a0has kept me alert, productive and happy.\u00a0But it was never as much about the caffeine as it was about the flavor, and\u00a0even in those days of canned, pre-ground grocery store roast, I always searched\u00a0for the best tasting, richest coffee. When Starbucks came onto the scene, raising\u00a0the coffee bar (no pun intended) it was hardly reminiscent of that perfect Parisian\u00a0cup, but it was at least a cut above Folgers.Then came the third wave of young\u00a0baristas – tattooed and pierced millennials mostly –\u00a0flaunting their skills in crafting\u00a0the perfect espresso, latt\u00e9 or pour-over.\u00a0But as hard as it is to believe in these days of ubiquitous high-end coffee\u00a0shops and passionate connoisseurs, good coffee is still too often hard to come\u00a0by. One needs to be in a kitchen (equipped with state-of-the-art machinery) or in\u00a0a shop that has joined the new culture of no-nonsense, quality coffee.\u00a0Easy enough to find, except when it’s not.<\/p>\n

I love to travel, and am constantly lamenting the lack of good espresso on\u00a0the road. The Minipresso from Wacaco is a cleverly designed palm-sized\u00a0espresso maker I ran across while cruising the Internet. Small enough to pack\u00a0into a suitcase, backpack, or purse, and requiring only ground coffee, hot water\u00a0and a little hand strength, it solves the problem I often encounter – I’m on holiday\u00a0staying with relatives who either don’t drink coffee, or aren’t as picky as I am; I’m\u00a0on a 15-minute break at work and there’s no coffee house within walking\u00a0distance; I’m at a family reunion in the piney woods near Magnolia, Arkansas and – well, enough said about that.<\/p>\n

When I got the machine, it took a minute to figure just how to produce a\u00a0quality espresso. The water temperature had to be just right, parts required preheating,\u00a0and the grind size had to be well-calculated. And then there was the\u00a0technique itself. But in time and with patience I was able to ‘pull’ a shot better\u00a0than anything I’ve gotten at coffee shops that use ‘push-button’ espresso\u00a0machine, and as good as the coffee in my AeroPress.\u00a0The technique is surprisingly simple: pour hot water into the 1.5 ounce\u00a0tank, place 7 grams of ground coffee in the portafilter basket, assemble, and\u00a0pump the piston about 5 times. Pause a few seconds (for proper infusion) then\u00a0pump another 10-15 times. The result: a very nice shot of espresso with good\u00a0flavor and an impressive crema.<\/p>\n

There were a couple of things I learned in the process of honing my\u00a0technique: the water must be at a rolling boil (at least 212 degrees), so when it\u00a0hits the cool apparatus it will not dip below 190-205 degrees. The grind must be\u00a0fine enough for espresso but not so fine that it puts too much pressure on the\u00a0pump. The tank and group head should be pre-heated with a little of the boiling\u00a0water.<\/p>\n

If done properly, the espresso produced is as good as from any\u00a0‘pressurized-basket’ machine I’ve seen. While a pressurized portafilter, normally\u00a0found in entry level espresso machines, may not deliver the subtle range of notes\u00a0and complexity of flavor as shots from the more expensive non-pressurized\u00a0portafilter machines, it also doesn’t require the level of finesse and skill. Still, you\u00a0will get a smooth, consistent cup of espresso.\u00a0While extremely well-designed, the Minipresso is still new, and improving.<\/p>\n

A larger water tank is now being offered, and questions about cleaning and\u00a0descaling are being addressed by the manufacturer. With a high quality but\u00a0mostly plastic body, long-term durability is an obvious concern. I would love to\u00a0see a Minipresso someday made of stainless steel, and at $59 total per unit\u00a0when ordered from it’s manufacturer Wacaco (and $64 on amazon) I would\u00a0happily pay a little more for such an improvement.\u00a0That said, the Minipresso is impressive in sheer quality of engineering and\u00a0smart design. While the shots can’t compete with a $800 Gaggia or Rancilio\u00a0Silvia for complexity and depth of flavor, who in their right mind would expect\u00a0that? For the convenience of portability and a very satisfying flavor, the\u00a0Minipresso is a dandy espresso maker that holds its own again machines several\u00a0times its size and price.<\/p>\n

Wacaco Minipresso<\/a><\/p>\n

Rosalyn Story is a violinist and writer in Dallas, Texas.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note from Margaret: For my first guest post\u00a0this year, I’m thrilled to feature an equipment\u00a0review\u00a0from my dear friend Rosalyn Story! As with most coffee lovers who came of age before the Starbucks\u00a0revolution, my taste in coffee has evolved over time. From the tin of ground\u00a0Folgers and Butternut in the kitchen cupboard of my childhood to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"Today's post is from guest writer Rosalyn Story and features the Wacaco Minipresso manual espresso maker!","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[9,113],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tn_IMG_1337.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1015,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=1015","url_meta":{"origin":1753,"position":0},"title":"Advice: What should I order at a third-wave coffee shop?","date":"August 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Third-wave coffee shops are popping up everywhere. Walking into one is quite different from walking into a Starbucks; the menu is different, the equipment is different, and it can be a little intimidating if you don't know what to expect. A quick history lesson for anyone that isn't familiar with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advice"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/IMG_1154-e1438621349480.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":539,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=539","url_meta":{"origin":1753,"position":1},"title":"Coffee Destination: Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room (Seattle, Washington)","date":"June 10, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm back from my hiatus! And trust me when I say I will definitely be making up for lost time. I picked up 5 different coffees from 5 different roasters during my time in New York and Seattle and I can't wait to review them all. BUT FIRST.... I have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cafes"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_1065.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5510,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=5510","url_meta":{"origin":1753,"position":2},"title":"Review: Waka Coffee, 100% Arabica Freeze-Dried Colombian Instant Coffee (Walnut, California)","date":"January 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Instant coffee was my introduction to coffee. Taster's Choice was what we had in our house while I was growing up, for my mom's consumption (my dad didn't drink coffee). I remember feeling a grand feeling of accomplishment when I was old enough to be entrusted with making my mom\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ready To Drink"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/IMG-5711-e1546412326947.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2595,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=2595","url_meta":{"origin":1753,"position":3},"title":"Review: Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend (Berkeley, California)","date":"May 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in the days before I made my own coffee, I was fond of visiting Peet's Coffee locations to get my fix. For those who don't know, Alfred Peet was the man that trained the founders of Starbucks how to roast beans. Starbucks coffee is generally a bit too darkly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blends"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/tn_IMG_5877-e1491796710718.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":121,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=121","url_meta":{"origin":1753,"position":4},"title":"Review: Dunn Bros. Espresso Blend (St. Paul, Minnesota)","date":"March 21, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Dunn Bros. is another Dallas-area roaster\/coffee shop that I've been meaning to try for a while. These beans came to me courtesy of my friend Vilma (thank you!!). I haven't had a chance to visit the Dunn Bros. store in Addison yet, but I certainly will next time I'm in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Espresso"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0803-e1430540532403.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":138,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=138","url_meta":{"origin":1753,"position":5},"title":"My Coffee Journey (Or, Don’t Be a Coffee Bigot)","date":"April 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"When I started drinking coffee, it basically came in two varieties: hot and iced. I cared not a whit about how the coffee tasted, because it was going to be drowned in milk and sugar anyway! I always liked the smell of coffee, but thought it was too bitter on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Musings (Coffee-related)"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tn_IMG_1262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5QIia-sh","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1753"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1753"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1849,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1753\/revisions\/1849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}