I already have a Keurig but wanted to be able to make true espresso with espresso pods as well. However there is no way I can fit two big coffee machines in my kitchen. This handy, compact cylinder is a fabulous solution! It makes absolutely delicious-tasting espresso and even leaves a bit of froth at the top. I am surprised at how well this works to extract the flavor even when not using the heated mode and less- than-boiling water. There are some downsides but they are generally not a huge issue for me so far. The battery life on one charge for making and heating espresso is not great. This means if you take camping and don’t have a solar generator or juiced-up portable chargers you will only be able to make 4-5 tiny cups. I find the water reservoir extremely small especially if you add the lid so I tend to pour in 2 or three bits of hot water. This extracts more of the flavor than the tiny amount that comes out, and as I tend to use to either make an Americano-style drink or add richness to a weak cup of keurig coffee. I add extra hot water from my keurig to make it more of a regular coffee, like I did this morning- see photo. I use coconut milk which is why you see oil on tiop that is not from the espresso maker. I find that even if I use hot water by the time it comes out it is still too cold from my taste. The top reservoir is so small with lid on that I tend to pout the water in and brew without the lid so I can add more hot water, of course sometimes doing it this way it spills on my hands. However II am using hot water from a keurig po=ured into a seperate cup, so it is not boiling hot water, and no injuries- just would not recommend if you are using boiling water straight from the fire. Another thing to note about the design, you must remove the bottom cap (which doubles as a cup if you don’t mind drinking hot liquids from plastic) BEFORE you brew. The first time I used I left it on and it spilled over the edges. This cap is more to catch the drips after use and keep it clean for travel/storage. Rinse after using, be sure not to stick your fingers inside when washing- I pricked myself by accident when cleaning. Generally this feels like a very solidly-built, quality piece, While I have some minor quibbles with the design, like the charge life being a bit short and the water reservoir too small, I am sure these were trade-offs to delivering a compact package. What matters most to me is that this actually works really well, makes an incredibly flavorful; and well-extracted coffee, doesn’t require alkaline batteries, and is compact and easy to use. I have been using this daily since I first tried it and an generally very happy with this small but mighty espresso maker. The listed price is a bit more than some comparable models and less than others, but cheaper is not a value if the product doesn’t work well which this one does.
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