|
I am very glad I made the investment. It is a delight to be on a day hike and surprise my companions by serving up restaurant quality espresso with this exquisite gizmo.
Enjoy the opulent indulgence of a genuine espresso anywhere. This little gem is a wonderful bit of engineering.
However, as the machine 'breaks-in' a bit with use, the crème has gotten better and better. The press is well built and beautifully packaged.
This is the real deal.At first pull, the crème was about 50% of what you would get from a traditional espresso maker. Like a great piece of technical clothing, this bit of tech makes life significantly better out on the trail, the road, or sitting on my deck.
Bravo Handpresso.
One advise, make sure your cup is warm and the Handpresso cover is not cold otherwise the coffee comes out not warm enough though the taste is not affected. I received it recently and tested it with the included 2 Gran Crem ese pods. A fantastic invention to use at home or anywhere. It is at least wonderful. I got a lot of crema and heavenly tasting espresso comparable or better than most coffee shops. It looks to be very well built machine but I have to wait for the durability factor. I feel it will last for a long time.
The simplicity is ingenious, and it makes you wonder why nobody thought of this years ago. Takes 10 seconds. It is beautiful in form, and pretty much flawless in function. It is made out of metal, and has a nice weight to it (could make a good weapon in a pinch). This thing is SOLID. I would love to be able to play around with different coffees, roasts, grinds, etc., but I still have my french press for that. Cleanup is more simple than any other brewing method I can think of, just throw away the spent pod and rinse off the 'portafilter'. I love the convenience and consistency of this machine+pods.
That will be great for those who like to buy fresh roasted beans and grind their own. I tried this out with some Illy pods and I was blown away. You get what you pay for here. The only issue I'm having is trying to keep my consumption down.Note: there is a new version coming soon (according to their website) that lets you use your own coffee. I'm new to the world of espresso but have been a coffee 'snob' for quite some time. The pods are a little pricey, but buying in bulk helps. If I had $300 to spend on a good grinder, I probably would have waited for the new model. When I'm pressed for time, or just want a freaking delicious espresso anytime, pods work quite well, and I am a super happy man right now (especially after the two shots I just had).Tip: fill with boiling water until it just touches the holes at the top (1.75 oz or so I think), but only extract about 1oz of espresso or it will taste bitter and watered down.
The Handpresso is very cool. I was surprised to get a full 20 second-ish shot out of it with decent crema, and very drinkable. As anyone trained in specialty coffee would know, water pressure, water temperature and coffee grind are very important. While the grind of the coffee is left in the hands of the coffee pod people, everything else one in pretty much in control of. You're not going to get a La Marzocco shot out of it, but its certainly better than any home semi-auto espresso machine under 500 or 600 bucks in my opinion. And its so cool, and easy to use.
I took it to a local coffee specialty store and no one there was able to get it to work. Be very cautious with the number of positive reviews here. I bought this item a couple of months ago and it was a COMPLETE waste of money.It DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. Even the technician who builds and repairs all models of coffee and espresso machines was unable to get it to work.I have no idea who contributed the positive reports on here but this machine DOES NOT WORK. The pump pressure is extremely difficult to build up, and, once you manage to get it to a working level, and press the button, the water either leaks out the sides of the machine or the coffee holder falls out. Seller--through Amazon-- has completely ignored my requests to return this product and never responded.Several friends and co-workers tried to get this to work and they were unable to. It looks cute, is very light, and generates conversation, it just doesn't work. At all.
|
