Are you constantly on the go — hiking in the mountains, staying at a cabin, or roughing it somewhere without a decent coffee setup — and you’ve had enough of the watery sludge from petrol station machines or hotel room instant packets? Then I’ve got the perfect solution for you: the Wacaco Nanopresso travel coffee maker, which I’ve put through its paces so you don’t have to take any chances.
Review: Wacaco Nanopresso Travel Coffee Maker
Right, let’s dive into the review itself. In the following sections, I’ll share my honest thoughts on the Wacaco Nanopresso coffee maker and cover everything you should know before buying one.
You might also be interested in: The Ultimate Guide to Travel Coffee Makers
Design and Build Quality
The Wacaco Nanopresso boasts a sleek, modern design. I like to call it my little submarine — that’s exactly what it reminds me of! 😄 It has an ergonomic shape that sits comfortably in your hand, making the manual pumping action nice and easy.
The Wacaco Nanopresso consists of 8 parts in total:
- the coffee maker with manual piston,
- water tank,
- detachable espresso cup,
- portafilter with nozzle,
- coffee basket,
- scoop/tamper,
- cleaning brush,
- protective carrying case.
Weighing just 336 grams, it’s incredibly lightweight, small, and compact — making it a perfect travel companion. I took it with me to Bologna, where I was travelling with just a carry-on backpack, but it’s equally brilliant for a cabin holiday where there’s no fancy coffee machine, or for camping trips where there’s no electricity at all.
It’s made from durable plastic and measures 156 x 71 x 62 mm. The water tank has a capacity of 80 ml, which is enough for making a single espresso.
The filter basket is designed to hold up to 8 grams of ground coffee. It’s made from stainless steel, ensuring long-lasting durability and easy maintenance.
Performance, Functionality and Maintenance
The Wacaco Nanopresso is designed so you can use it even in the most challenging conditions — no electricity or charging required. The only thing you’ll need to sort out is heating up some water.
It’s a fully mechanical device. By manually pumping the piston, you can generate up to 18 bars of pressure, which is comparable to professional espresso machines. The whole brewing process takes just a few minutes.
Maintenance couldn’t be simpler. The coffee maker is easy to disassemble, and you just need to rinse the individual parts with water. It’s also worth regularly cleaning the filter basket and the coffee nozzle.
Coffee Taste
I’ll be honest — I was a bit sceptical about a handheld mechanical coffee maker at first. But the results genuinely impressed me. The coffee tastes fantastic, and the espresso comes out with a beautiful, creamy crema.
Another great bonus is that you can use any ground coffee you like, so you’re not locked into a single brand or type.
Pros and Cons of the Wacaco Nanopresso Travel Coffee Maker
Here are the pros and cons of the Nanopresso travel coffee maker as I see them:
| + Small, lightweight, and compact | – Requires hot water (from a kettle, stove, etc.) |
| + Excellent coffee taste | – Making multiple cups in a row is tiring (constant pumping) |
| + No charging or batteries needed | – Limited water tank capacity (80 ml) |
How to Make Coffee with the Wacaco Nanopresso
Brewing coffee with the Wacaco Nanopresso travel coffee maker is really straightforward. All you need is your favourite ground coffee, hot water, and a bit of elbow grease — since it’s a fully manual device.
Simply fill the coffee basket with the right amount of grounds and close it up. On the other side of the maker, pour hot water into the water tank and seal it. Then just pump the lever with your fingers to build up the pressure needed to extract a perfect espresso.
Accessories for the Wacaco Nanopresso
One of the big advantages of the Wacaco Nanopresso is that you can purchase additional accessories that are fully compatible with the device.
Capsule Adapter
If you prefer coffee pods, then the NS Adapter is just what you need. Simply pop a Nespresso capsule into the adapter, attach it to the Nanopresso, fill with hot water, pump the piston to build pressure, and enjoy a perfect cup of espresso.
Nanopresso Dolce Gusto Kit
If you’re a fan of Dolce Gusto capsules, you can pick up the Dolce Gusto Kit and enjoy not just espresso, but also cappuccino, macchiato, or latte. Simply mount the Dolce Gusto adapter onto your Nanopresso, and the coffee brews straight into your waiting cup.
Nanopresso Barista Kit
If you’re travelling with the whole family or a group of mates and your coffee consumption is on the higher side, I’d recommend the Barista Kit. It comes with an upgraded 140 ml water tank and an additional filter basket with a 16 g capacity.
Other Wacaco Travel Coffee Makers
If this particular model isn’t quite right for you, Wacaco offers several other portable coffee makers worth considering:
- Wacaco Picopresso: The smallest travel coffee maker in the Wacaco range.
- Wacaco Pipamoka: A portable brewer for filtered coffee.
- Wacaco Cuppamoka: A compact, lightweight pour-over travel coffee maker for ground coffee.
- Wacaco Minipresso: A travel coffee maker designed for brewing espresso from Nespresso capsules.
You might also be interested in: Outin Nano Coffee Maker Review
Review Summary
Wacaco Nanopresso Travel Coffee Maker
Summary
The Wacaco Nanopresso travel coffee maker is an excellent choice for anyone who can’t imagine hitting the road without a quality espresso. Its main strengths lie in its compact design, high pressure, superb coffee taste, and ease of use. The downsides — manual pumping and limited water tank capacity — may bother some, but both can be addressed by purchasing additional accessories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Wacaco Nanopresso?
The Wacaco Nanopresso is a portable, hand-powered coffee maker that lets you brew espresso without any electricity. It’s ideal for travelling, outdoor adventures, or use at the office or in a holiday cabin.
What coffee can I use with the Nanopresso?
You can use ground coffee as well as Nespresso or Dolce Gusto capsules with the help of an adapter (sold separately).
What is the water tank capacity?
The standard water tank holds 80 ml, which is enough for a single espresso. With the Barista Kit (sold separately), you can increase the capacity to 140 ml.
How do you clean the Nanopresso?
The Nanopresso is very easy to clean. Simply disassemble it and rinse the individual parts with water. It’s also recommended to regularly clean the filter basket and nozzle.
What pressure does the Nanopresso achieve?
The Nanopresso can generate up to 18 bars of pressure, which is comparable to professional espresso machines.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
