When traveling or on trekking tours, good, freshly brewed coffee is always appreciated by fellow travelers. As a rule, filter coffee is the right choice to keep a group happy, as it can be brewed quickly in sufficient quantities. In an article and video, I specifically address different coffees for on the go.
But when espresso cravings strike, filter coffee isn't the right answer. Flair, Aram and co. are only somewhat mobile and therefore not ideal for travel. The Wacaco Picopresso promises to do just that. And after already achieving decent results with its predecessor, the Wacaco Nanopresso*, I was particularly curious what the Wacaco Picopresso* would deliver in terms of coffee quality and overall build quality.
Coffee quality with the Wacaco Picopresso
For all mobile espresso makers, the first and most important question is whether they are capable of brewing espresso at all. Espresso is characterized by one key feature: the concentration of dissolved coffee particles in relation to water. The concentration range, also called strength, is not definitively defined but typically falls 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 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 that had a slight tendency toward acidity. The acidity is emphasized by the rather low brewing temperature. The result is good for a mobile espresso maker.
Anyone wanting to compare the Wacaco Picopresso with their top group head espresso machine will find variations, especially in terms of consistency and repeatability of results. But in our view, that's not really the goal of a mobile brewer. It's designed to brew a good espresso while traveling, and we had exactly that 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 working with 18 grams of coffee. With less coffee, we observed significantly more channeling.
- 18 grams is also ideal for following our classic brewing recipes that we provide for various coffees.
- First, the Picopresso should be thoroughly flushed with boiling water. To do this, pour boiling water into the brewing chamber, unscrew the lid, and flush with pump strokes. Unlike the Wacaco instructions, we recommend preheating the basket as well.
- Then quickly add the prepared espresso-finely ground 18 grams evenly into the basket, use the included needle tool to break up any clumps if necessary, and tamp straight. The dosing ring can be used as a guide.
- Next, place the shower screen, screw on the basket, add boiling water again, close the brewer, and begin pumping. After approximately 10 strokes, performed steadily and without pause, you should see drops at the bottom of the basket. These are only visible if the tapered plastic spout is not attached. The plastic spout can make sense. However, we recommend working without the spout when adjusting the grind size.
- If espresso drops don't appear at around 10 strokes, the grind is too fine. If the first drops appear much earlier or if coffee flows quickly out of the brewer and sprays in all directions, the grind is 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 completely saturated with water. Then continue pumping regularly until the water is empty or you've reached your desired amount of 36 to 45 ml in the cup.
Without the plastic spout, you can admire the beauty of espresso extraction with a naked basket when the grounds are properly prepared. However, it's not so easy to brew espresso with the Wacaco Picopresso without channeling, as the pump strokes don't create consistent pressure. Channeling is visible when the espresso repeatedly forces itself out of the holes in small fountains and sprays in all directions instead of running evenly into the cup.
With the plastic spout, the espresso is channeled together and lands precisely in the cup.
Contents of the Wacaco Picopresso
The Wacaco Picopresso may be compact at 7.8 cm at its widest point and 10.6 cm at its tallest, but inside it contains a whole collection of useful items.
Let's go through the contents of the Wacaco Picopresso from left to right. In the top left is the lower locking cap. The 15 - 20 gram basket is shown filled in the photo. A dosing ring makes it easy to add the ground coffee 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 in the top right closes the upper brewing chamber. At the bottom left you can see the included needle tool. It's somewhat clunky but works nonetheless. The main body of the Picopresso can hold all the mentioned items except the caps for transport. The spout directs the brew and reduces visual channeling (but not actual channeling). The brush and dosing spoon are the two less useful items. The packed Picopresso with all its parts fits in the zippered case.
Conclusion on the Wacaco Picopresso
If you occasionally crave espresso while traveling, the Wacaco Picopresso, weighing just 450 grams, is a good mobile espresso maker for you. All accessories necessary for brewing are included, and the Picopresso is cleverly designed overall. The results speak for themselves and the espresso doesn't need to hide. We don't know of a more compact brewer that can match this in terms of espresso quality.
Important: a good hand grinder, good coffee, and a kettle are necessary to brew the espresso. Since the Wacaco Picopresso, like all mobile brewers, has difficulty maintaining temperature, we recommend medium to dark roasts. Light roasts bring plenty of fruit acidity on their own, which can only be balanced by high brewing temperatures. From our selection, we particularly like Mamy, Toca, Apas, and Boton.
Our espressos in Switzerland.
- Mamy, Robusta from Guinea
- Toca, Mexico
- Apas, Brazil
- Boton, Blend
Our espresso roasts in Germany, Austria, and the EU
- Mamy, Robusta, Guinea
- Toca, Mexico
- Apas, Brazil
- Boton, Blend
