Gadget of the Week – Wacaco Minipresso GR

Published on February 17, 2016

If you're a regular reader of the Geek blog, you know that coffee is the most important meal of our day. We love our Aeropresses, pour-overs, and Chemexes; our baristas know us on a first-name basis and might even pity our raging caffeine addictions. 

This is why we're five-cups-of-coffee-thrilled for the Wacaco Minispresso GR, a portable espresso maker. We repeat: a portable espresso maker. The skinny and black bullet-shaped device has all of the equipment you need to make two killer shots while you're out playing 'Man vs. Wild,' including a tamping device to ensure the correct amount of pressure. 

According to Chicago-based barista Kate Hawbaker-Krohn, this pressure is key to great espresso. "Regular coffee is made by gravity acting on water, drawing it down throughout the filter and washing over the grounds, extracting the coffee," she says. "Espresso uses the force of pressure, pushing water through a vacuum sealed filter, creating a more of serum than a washed liquid." Espresso harnesses gases, creating that yummy crema resting on top of your shot. 

You might be wondering what separates the Minispresso from an Aeropress. The answer lies in its ability to store hot water and keep it at suitable temperature for brewing. In this respect, the device serves as thermos and espresso maker, distinguishing it from similar models on the market.