When traveling or trekking, good, home-brewed coffee is always a welcome treat for all companions. Filter coffee is usually the right choice to make a group happy, as it's easier to brew quickly in sufficient quantities. In an article and video, I specifically address different coffees for on the go.
But when an espresso craving strikes, filter coffee isn't the right answer. Flair, Aram and co. are only conditionally portable and therefore not well suited for travel. The Wacaco Picopresso, however, promises exactly that. And after I had already achieved decent results with its predecessor, the Wacaco Nanopresso*, I was particularly curious about what the Wacaco Picopresso* promised in terms of coffee quality and value.
Coffee quality with the Wacaco Picopresso
For all mobile espresso makers, the first and most important question is whether they are even capable of brewing espresso. Espresso is characterized by a core feature, which is the concentration of dissolved coffee particles in relation to water. The concentration range, also called strength, is not definitively defined, but oscillates between 6 and 12% TDS (Total Dissolved Solids).
With the Wacaco Picopresso, we brewed an espresso with a strength of 9.7% TDS, with a beverage ratio of 18 grams of coffee grounds to 36 grams of espresso in the cup. A strong double espresso, in a 1:2 ratio.
The texture of the espresso was creamy and balanced, with a slight tendency towards acidity in terms of taste. The acidity is emphasized by the rather low brewing temperature. The result is good for a mobile espresso maker.
Anyone who wants to compare the Wacaco Picopresso with their top-tier portafilter espresso machine will notice fluctuations, especially in terms of consistency and repeatability of results. But in our opinion, that's not the goal of a mobile brewer. It is suitable for brewing good espresso on the go, and we had this experience every time we unpacked the Picopresso on a kayaking trip, hike, or even at the stadium.
Brewing with the Wacaco Picopresso - Tips
According to the manufacturer, the Wacaco Picopresso's basket holds 15 - 20 grams of coffee. We recommend using 18 grams of coffee. With less filling, we observed significantly more channeling.
- 18 grams is also suitable for brewing our classic brewing recipes, which we provide for various coffees.
- First, the Picopresso should be thoroughly rinsed with boiling water. To do this, fill the brewing chamber with boiling water, screw on the lid, and flush it through with pumps. Contrary to Wacaco's instructions, we recommend preheating the filter basket as well.
- Then quickly add the prepared 18 grams of finely ground espresso evenly into the basket, break up any clumps with the included needle tool if necessary, and tamp evenly. The dosing ring can be used as a guide for this.
- Next, place the shower screen, screw on the basket, add boiling water again, close the brewer and start pumping. After about 10 even and uninterrupted pumps, drops should appear at the bottom of the basket. These are only visible if the narrowing plastic spout is not attached. The plastic spout can certainly be useful. However, we recommend working without the spout when adjusting the grind size.
- If the espresso drops do not appear after about 10 pumps, the grind size is too fine. If the first drops appear significantly earlier or the coffee already flows quickly out of the brewer and splashes in all directions, the grind size has been chosen too coarsely.
- We used the Timemore C3 and set it to 8 to 9 clicks depending on the espresso.
- When the first drops appear, we recommend taking a 5 to 10 second break so that the coffee can be thoroughly saturated with water. Then continue pumping regularly until the water is depleted or the desired amount of 36 to 45 ml is in the cup.
Without the plastic spout, with good grind preparation, the beauty of an espresso extraction with a bottomless portafilter can be admired. However, it is not so easy to brew espresso with the Wacaco Picopresso without channeling, as the pump strokes do not generate constant pressure. Channeling becomes visible when the espresso repeatedly forces its way out of the holes in small fountains and splashes in all directions, instead of flowing evenly into the cup.
With the plastic spout, the espresso is brought together and thus lands precisely in the cup.
Scope of delivery of the Wacaco Picopresso
The Wacaco Picopresso may be compact at 7.8 cm at its widest point and 10.6 cm at its highest point, but inside it contains a whole collection of useful items.
Let's go from left to right through the scope of delivery of the Wacaco Picopresso. Top left is the lower closure cap. The 15 - 20 gram basket is filled in the photo. A dosing ring facilitates the precise insertion of the coffee powder and simultaneously serves as a guide for the tamper. Practical! The shower screen distributes the brewing water evenly over the coffee. The tamper closes flush with the basket. The lid on the top right closes the upper brewing chamber. Small bottom left you can see the included needle tool. It is a bit clunky, but still works. The main body of the Picopresso can hold all the mentioned items except the lids for transport. The spout combines the brew and reduces optical channeling (but not actual channeling). The brush and the dosing spoon are the two less useful items. The packaged Picopresso with all individual parts fits into the zippered case.
Conclusion on the Wacaco Picopresso
For those who occasionally crave espresso while traveling, the Wacaco Picopresso, weighing just 450 grams, is a good mobile espresso maker. All necessary accessories for brewing are included, and otherwise, the Picopresso is cleverly designed. The result is impressive and doesn't need to hide as an espresso. We don't know of a more compact brewer that can keep up in terms of espresso quality.
Important: a good hand grinder, good coffee, and a kettle are necessary for the espresso to be brewed. Since the Wacaco Picopresso, like all mobile brewers, has difficulty maintaining temperature, we recommend medium to dark roasts. Light roasts naturally bring a lot of fruit acids, which can only be balanced by high brewing temperatures. From our range, we really like Mamy, Toca, Apas and Boton.
Our Espressos in Switzerland.
- Mamy, Robusta from Guinea
- Toca, Mexico
- Apas, Brazil
- Boton, Blend
