BENFUCHEN Portable Espresso Machine For Travel, USB-C Charging, Self-Heating Electric Espresso Maker, 19 Bar Mini Coffee Maker On the Go For Camping & Hiking For Ground Coffee & NESPRESSOpods, Red

As someone who owns a $2,000 coffee grinder, I take my espresso seriously. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to test a means of getting quality espresso on the go. This portable espresso maker has truly impressed me. It's incredibly compact, probably as small as a device this functional can get. Charging is simple with USB-C, and it comes with everything you need except for the coffee itself (grounds or pods), a grinder (if you're using grounds), and hot water (though it can heat water for you). They even include a handy carrying bag! The only mystery is a random opaque plastic ring that seems to have no purpose.Using the Device:The included instructions aren't very helpful, so here's a quick guide:* Pre-boiled Water: Double press the button to activate the device without heating. This saves battery and lets you get more uses per charge.* Room Temperature Water: Long press to heat the water and then brew. This uses a lot of battery, and you'll only get a couple of uses before needing to recharge. With 74°F water, it took 5.5 minutes to heat before brewing, and the final brew temperature was 152°F (measured immediately after brewing).* My Preferred Method: I use pre-boiled water but still do a long press to heat it slightly. This adds less than 30 seconds of heating time but results in a hotter final brew at the expense of some battery usage.Pods:Pods are the easiest way to make espresso on the go. This device uses the original (small) Nespresso pods. I tried Peet's, Nespresso, and a generic brand, and they were all decent. Crema was generally light or non-existent, but depending on the coffee, the flavor was still bold. As a coffee snob, I'm not usually a fan of pods, but their convenience is undeniable.Grounds:This is where this device truly shines. While I haven't had a chance to fully dial in the perfect shot, the espresso it produces with freshly ground coffee is excellent – even better than some shots from my Flair 58! The maximum tamped dose is about 8.1 grams. I calculated this by weighing the empty "portafilter" and subtracting it against the weight of a fully packed and tamped "portafilter". I used a coarser pour-over grind, and the result was a flavorful shot with plenty of crema. To be fair, I used fresh and recently roasted single-origin coffee so that probably was a significant factor.Conclusion:This portable espresso maker is ideal for anyone who wants great espresso on the go. You can use pods or grounds, and it even heats the water for you! I use it frequently at work and even took it on my last camping trip.Pros:* Extremely portable* Can use pods or grounds* Heats water* Produces surprisingly good espresso, especially with grounds* Includes carrying bagCons:* Battery life is limited when heating water* Instructions could be clearer* Includes a mysterious plastic ring with no apparent purposeOverall, I highly recommend this device for coffee lovers who are always on the move!

This espresso machine is pretty neat and gets the job done! It comes with a bunch of accessories, most of which are pretty straightforward—except for the white ring (which helps keep the coffee grounds in place while you pack them) and the black attachment (which is actually for using coffee pods). The instructions are a bit confusing, so it took me a minute to figure everything out. I did notice it takes a while to heat up on its own, but adding hot water makes it start brewing instantly. The wall plug-in is a nice touch, and rare addition these days. Overall, it’s a good espresso machine with a few quirks, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a solid choice!

I got this for a Vine product review because I make espresso daily using a stove top carafe and thought this would be much more expedient and better. I was wrong.PROS* well made machine* good for taking with you* easy to chargeCONS and I'd have given this 2.5 stars if I could* super pain in the butt to use* makes way less than my stove top carafe and I have a tiny one* coffee barely hot...I mean barely, it's marginally warmer than room temperature* even if you fill the water section it does not brew the entire water inside you have to keep on repressing to brew* way over priced for something that does not make piping hot espresso and takes forever to actually make your warm coffeeWould not recommend. You're better off buying one you use on the stove and putting it in a thermos to go....and still have money left over!

This machine makes great espresso quickly and includes all the accessories you need. You can grind your own or use Nespresso type expresso capsules. I like strong black coffee but I couldn't see paying $3 for 2 oz of coffee. With this machine you can use a 50 cent Starbucks capsule and get decent espresso. You need a good burr grinder to make grounds for espresso. I have a hand cranked grinder but I hadn't used it since I got a rechargeable one. I now use the hand grinder for espresso. I adjusted it for the finest grind it could make. I couldn't figure out what the white cylinder was for but realized it holds the grounds basket to make it easier to load grounds without spilling. Then I use the cute little included coffee scoop to load the grounds. Also included is a tamper to compress the fine grounds. You can then add hot water or let the machine heat it for you. I'm not an expresso expert but is see that $500 espresso machines have 20 bars of pressure and this machine does 19 bars. Espresso lovers want to see a good crema which is the light foam on top of the shot that adds flavor. Using my hand ground beans this machine makes espresso with a good crema. But all that really matters to me is that it tastes good and I'm happy with this machine. I love how small and portable it is and I will take it camping to replace the instant coffee I used to take.