When traveling or on trekking tours, good, home-brewed coffee is always a welcome treat for fellow travelers. Usually, filter coffee is the right choice to keep a group happy, as it is easier to brew in sufficient quantities quickly. In an article and video, I look specifically at different coffees for on the go.
But when the craving for espresso strikes, filter coffee isn't the right answer. Flair, Aram, and the like are only mobile to a limited extent and therefore not very well suited for travel. The Wacaco Picopresso, however, promises exactly that. And after achieving decent results with its predecessor, the Wacaco Nanopresso*, I was particularly curious about what the Wacaco Picopresso* promises in terms of coffee quality and build quality.
Coffee quality with the Wacaco Picopresso
With all mobile espresso makers, the first and most important question is whether they are even capable of brewing espresso. Espresso is characterized by one core feature, which is the concentration of dissolved coffee particles in relation to water. This concentration range, also known as strength, is not definitively defined but typically ranges between 6% and 12% TDS (Total Dissolved Solids).
With the Wacaco Picopresso, we brewed an espresso with a strength of 9.7% TDS, using a brew ratio of 18 grams of ground coffee 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 taste profile leaning slightly toward acidity. The acidity is emphasized by the rather low brewing temperature. The result is good for a mobile espresso maker.
Anyone wishing to compare the Wacaco Picopresso with a top-tier portafilter espresso machine will notice fluctuations, especially in terms of consistency and reproducibility of results. However, from our perspective, that is not the goal of a mobile brewer. It is designed to be able to brew a good espresso on the go, and we had that experience every time we unpacked the Picopresso on a kayak tour, hike, or even at the stadium.
Brewing with the Wacaco Picopresso - Tips
According to the manufacturer, the basket of the Wacaco Picopresso holds 15 - 20 grams of coffee. We recommend working with 18 grams of coffee. With a lower fill, we noticed significantly more channeling.
- 18 grams is also a good amount for brewing our classic recipes that we provide for various coffees.
- First, the Picopresso should be thoroughly flushed through with boiling water. To do this, fill the brewing chamber with boiling water, screw on the lid, and flush it through using the pump. Unlike Wacaco's manual, we recommend preheating the basket as well.
- Then, quickly add the prepared 18 grams of espresso-fine ground coffee evenly into the basket; if necessary, use the included needle tool to break up clumps and tamp level. You can use the dosing ring as a guide for this.
- Next, place the shower screen on top, screw on the basket, add boiling water again, close the brewer, and start pumping. After approx. 10 pumps, performed steadily and without pause, drops should appear at the bottom of the basket. These are only visible if the restrictive plastic spout is not attached. The plastic spout can certainly make sense, but we recommend working without the spout when dialing in 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 much earlier or the coffee is already flowing out of the brewer quickly and spraying in all directions, the grind size was set too coarse.
- We used the Timemore C3 and set it to 8 to 9 clicks, depending on the espresso.
- When the first drops appear, we recommend a pause of 5 to 10 seconds so the coffee can become fully saturated with water. Then continue pumping steadily until the water is empty or the desired amount of 36 to 45 ml is in the cup.
Without the plastic spout, you can admire the beauty of an espresso extraction with a bottomless portafilter if your puck preparation is good. However, it is not at all 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 constantly forces itself out of the holes in small fountains and sprays in all directions instead of flowing evenly into the cup.
With the plastic spout, the espresso is unified and 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, but inside it contains an entire collection of useful items.
Let's go through the Wacaco Picopresso's scope of delivery from left to right. At the top left is the bottom sealing lid. The 15-20 gram basket is filled in the photo. A dosing ring makes it easier to add the coffee grounds precisely and also serves as a guide for the tamper. Practical! The shower screen distributes the brewing water evenly over the coffee. The tamper sits flush with the basket. The lid at the top right seals the upper brewing chamber. Small and at the bottom left, you can see the included needle tool. It is a bit clunky but works nonetheless. The main body of the Picopresso can hold all the items mentioned, except for the lids, for transport. The spout unifies the brew and reduces visual channeling (though not actual channeling). The brush and the dosing spoon are the two less useful items. The packed Picopresso with all its individual parts fits into the case with a zipper.
Conclusion on the Wacaco Picopresso
If you want an espresso every now and then while traveling, you will find a good mobile espresso maker in the Wacaco Picopresso, which weighs just 450 grams. All the accessories necessary for brewing are included, and the Picopresso is cleverly designed in other respects as well. The result is impressive and, as an espresso, has nothing to hide. We don't know of any more compact brewer that can keep up in terms of espresso quality.
Important: a good hand grinder, good coffee, and a kettle are necessary to be able to brew the espresso. 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 that can only be balanced by high brewing temperatures. From our range, we like Mamy, Toca, Apas, and Boton very much.
Our espressos in Switzerland.
- Mamy, Robusta from Guinea
- Toca, Mexico
- Apas, Brazil
- Boton, blend
