If you’ve followed Loam Coffee for any time then you’ll know that we love experimenting with different brew methods. Seemingly every month there’s a new device out on the market that claims to brew a “perfect cup” of coffee. As I’ve shared before, at times my home kitchen looks like a junior high science classroom with all sorts of beakers, carafes, scales, electric kettles, various grinders, filters, and more. So when we had the opportunity to test drive the new Wacaco Nanopresso it was a resounding, “YES!!!”

The first order of business was to select the Nanopress Orange Patrol (Loam Coffee orange?). The color pops and as soon as you hold it in your hand and begin disassembling you’re immediately struck by the quality and thought that went into it. So much engineering packed into a small hand-held espresso maker.

Now what exactly is the Nanopresso? Here’s the description from Wacaco’s website:

Packed with new features and capabilities, which will drastically improve the way you prepare your favorite coffee, Nanopresso is one of the best and most versatile espresso machines. A truly unique addition to your coffee toolkit! Built around a newly patented pumping system, the Nanopresso is capable of reaching, with the help of your hands, a maximum of 18 bars (261 PSI) of pressure for unparalleled coffee extractions qualities. The Nanopresso works best with finely ground coffee that is tamped hard. It is delightfully easy to operate and simple to use. The Nanopresso requires 15% less force to pump compared to previous models. With Nanopresso, the power is in the machine, not in your hands. After each shot, Nanopresso maintenance takes only few seconds. When necessary, every components of the portafilter are easily separated for deep cleaning.

Now for the test …

After we disassembled the Nanopresso we measured out about 9g of our Eskapee (Mexico Comalapa Regional Select) and heated water in our kettle to 212 degrees. The Nanopresso comes with a sweet little tamper (not in the photo above) so after we ground the coffee (fine for expresso) we tamped it and added the filter basket to the pump and reassembled the whole unit.

Then came the fun … we flipped the Nanopresso upside down and began pumping. For the sake of pictures and to see more clearly we pumped the coffee into a cup we use for cupping. One thing is clear about the Nanopresso … it actually makes a good shot of espresso … complete with crema! “Smooth” is the comment heard after the first sip.

Full confessional time … ready? I pretty much use the Nanopresso on a daily basis now. While my morning go-to coffee is brewed with an Aeropress my afternoon coffee is now an iced Americano with the Nanopresso. I will brew twos shot into water, add ice, and boom … cafe quality iced Americano. In other words, this is more than a review about some new fandangled brew method contraption. Instead, it’s a review of a product that I’ve personally grown to love and use daily. Not only that, but when I’m on the road or camping I bring this along with me. I use it whether I’m sitting at the beach on the Oregon coast or in the morning at my tent when I just wake up.

If you want quality espresso at home or on the road or around the campfire then the Wacaco Nanopresso is a must. 5/5 Stars *****

(Note: for fun these photos were shot with an iPhone 7 and were not edited)

Words by Sean Benesh, Loam Coffee Founder and Brand Manager.