Wacaco Picopresso Espresso Maker Review

Straight to the Point

The Wacaco Picopresso is an impressive portable espresso maker that makes it possible to pull flavorful espresso shots on the go. It takes some tinkering, but once you’re dialed in, it produces aromatic espresso with noticeable crema. It packs up to the size of a mug and is ideal for frequent travelers who want easy access to great espresso.

For coffee enthusiasts with aspirations to create café-level drinks at home, the best espresso machines from our tests get the job done with user-friendly and efficient features. Our favorite Breville models easily churn out cappuccinos and lattés, and while we wish we could pack them up in our suitcases when we travel, that proves to be difficult given their size.

Our interest was certainly piqued when we learned about the Wacaco Picopresso, a portable espresso maker that packs up to the size of soda can and utilizes a hand pump to create pressure in the machine. For $130, the form factor is certainly alluring, but can it produce consistently good espresso? We made espresso with it for over six months to test how easy it is to use, how flavorful its shots are, and whether or not it’s actually worth its salt.

The Tests

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Espresso Test: We made espresso with the Picopresso to assess the flavor, aroma, and taste of the shot.
Usability Test: While making espresso with the Picopresso, we noted how easy it was to assemble, use, and disassemble.
Cleanup Test: We noted how easy it was to clean up the tool and its parts after using them.
Longterm Test: We’ve been using the Picopresso for six months (and counting) to assess the quality of its materials and see how it performs over time.

What We Learned

Espresso Test

We were pleasantly surprised with the Picopresso, which has a dedicated following on Reddit, though it does take some time to get to know the machine. A bit of tinkering is required to achieve the right timing and pressure level, but once we locked in a consistent workflow, the payoff was impressive. The first few shots we pulled as we were getting used to the machine tasted watery, but after experimenting with grind coarseness and pressure pump timing, the resulting shots were flavorful and aromatic, with noticeable crema.

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Usability Test

The Picopresso comes with a filter basket, shower head, tamper, scoop, brush, distribution tool, and funnel, which all fit into the body of the machine to create one compact package. The kit also comes with a protective case for traveling. While all the parts may seem overwhelming at first, they come together intuitively.

The biggest obstacle to using the Picopresso is how difficult it can be to press the pump during the brewing process. The machine utilizes a manual piston design to create enough pressure to push water through the espresso puck. It takes quite a bit of effort to press on the pump, which doesn’t make it gentle on hands and wrists. Additionally, while Wacaco gives clear instructions on how to brew with the machine—including how many pumps to do and the recommended duration of each one—it really takes some time to figure out the ideal timing to achieve a balanced espresso shot.

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Cleanup Test

Cleaning the Picopresso is incredibly easy. The parts come apart quickly after each use and clean up in seconds under warm water. It’s not recommended to put the espresso maker and its parts into the dishwasher, but it doesn’t take long to clean by hand. Just make sure you don’t lose any of the parts after leaving them out to dry separately.

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Longterm Test

After using the Picopresso for over six months, the body and its parts are still in pristine condition. There are no cracks or worn-down parts despite near-daily use.

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The Verdict