I wasn’t expecting much when my friend handed me a cylindrical black devices when she decided to come down to India for a Vacation. “This one’s for you,” she said with a grin, like she knew a secret I didn’t. I looked at it and it was just sleek, matte, and delightfully cryptic. No brand name, no flashy logo. Just clean lines and a subtle promise of caffeine.
Fast forward a few weeks, and this mystery gadget has become a staple on my desk, in my backpack, and even sometimes to a coffee shop that makes shit coffee (Okay I’m Joking Here, But This Would Be A Great Thing To Do 😂). I’ve brewed a shot of espresso in the middle of a road trip and even once at the edge of a trail before sunrise. If James Bond drank espressos on his missions, I imagine this is what he’d use.
I decided to do a full breakdown of this device just for this lovely community here so instructions, review, and a few fun hiccups I had while using it. The video I shot explains the usage visually, but this blog post goes into all the juicy details including how I used pourover grounds because I didn’t have fine espresso grind that day.
What Is This Portable Espresso Maker?
What Is This Portable Espresso Maker?
Let’s start with what we know: it’s a compact, USB-C rechargeable espresso machine that works with both ground coffee and capsule pods. It’s got a water tank, an on-button, a battery level indicator, a capsule puncture needle attachment, a coffee ground filter attachment and a detachable coffee cup that screws into the base. Simple but surprisingly powerful.
There’s something beautiful about gadgets that don’t overcomplicate things and this one doesn’t try to connect to your phone or demand an app download. You just charge it, add coffee, and brew. No nonsense 🫡
Using Ground Coffee with the Portable Espresso Maker
Using Ground Coffee with the Portable Espresso Maker
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Charge the device – Use the USB-C port to fully charge the battery. It usually takes around 2-2.5 hours to charge completely. The LED lights indicate battery levels.
Add water – Pop open the top water tank and pour in 60ml hot water which is a full tank. This particular model heats water as well so you can add room temperature water too.
Prep the ground coffee basket – Open the capsule filter. Add one scoop of finely ground espresso coffee. In the video, I used a medium to coarse pourover grind (Which Didn’t Give Me That Rich Crema), but it still tasted smooth and pleasant. Just don’t tamp it down too hard as light pressure works best.
Assemble the filter – Fit the Coffee Ground Basket into the filter and then Screw the filter into the base of the device, making sure it’s secure.
Brew – If you’ve poured in Hot Water in the tank then press the on button and immediately press the button twice to go into heating mode and then press and hold the button for about 2-3 seconds until it beeps. The machine will immediately start the brewing process, and within seconds, you’ll hear a satisfying gurgle. Coffee slowly drips into the detachable coffee cup below.
If you’ve poured in room temperature water press the on button and then immediately press the button twice to activate the heating mode, here you’re water will begin to heat (Which Is Around 5 Minutes) and come to the right temperature and when it’s ready it will automatically begin the brewing process.
Sip & reset – Carefully unscrew the filter and rinse all parts. The spent grounds can be composted (Which I Do), and you’re good to go again.
Using Capsule Coffee Pods
Using Capsule Coffee Pods
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Insert capsule – Instead of using the ground coffee basket, place a Nespresso-compatible capsule into the capsule filter.
Since I don’t use capsule based coffee I currently don't have one to demonstrate.
Puncture setup – Secure the capsule filter onto the device and align it with the capsule puncture needle.
Add water – Fill the water tank with hot or room temperature water.
Brew – Same as above. press the on button and immediately press the button twice to go into heating mode and then press and hold the button for about 2-3 seconds until it beeps. The machine will immediately start the brewing process
Capsule mode is perfect when you’re on the go or don’t want to deal with clean up. I tried a hazelnut flavoured capsule on a train journey once and it genuinely shocked a fellow passenger who didn’t believe such a thing was possible without electricity or a plug point.
Let’s Talk About Performance
Let’s Talk About Performance
What impressed me most ? Consistency. Even when I used sub optimal coffee grounds, the machine extracted a decent espresso. It won’t match a pro grade espresso machine, but it’s easily better than most automated dispensers I’ve tried in hotel rooms.
The battery life is another win — I got about 3-4 uses from one full charge using ground coffee with hot water. If the machine needs to heat the water from cold/room temperature, battery life drops a bit faster and you’ll get to brew about 2 cups.
Design Details I Love
Design Details I Love
Portability: It fits in a cars cup holder! Enough said.
Battery Indicator: Those small LED dots saved me from a caffeine-less hike.
No Leaks: I tossed it into my bag more than once and no mess whatsoever!
Quirks You Should Know
Quirks You Should Know
The Needle Is Sharp – Be careful when cleaning the capsule puncture needle. I pricked my finger once while daydreaming about 
Cleaning Matters – If you’re using ground coffee, clean the basket thoroughly or you’ll get bitter tasting coffee in the next round.
Anecdotes from the Road
Espresso in the Hills: I took the machine on a road trip to Coorg and brewed a quick espresso at sunrise while sitting on a friends Jeep bumper. The silence, the mist, and that rich espresso shot and that definitely goes into my top 3 coffee moments of my life.
Office Hack: Once, our office machine broke down and I whipped this out during a 3 PM slump. Suddenly, I had six people in line behind me. My now Ex-boss thinks I’m some kind of espresso whisperer.
Final Thoughts
This little no name espresso maker has unexpectedly become one of my most used gadgets. It’s not perfect, it won’t replace your high end machine or give you latte art (Maybe It Will, I Just Personally Suck At It) but it does one thing extremely well: deliver a decent good shot of espresso wherever you are.
If you travel often, camp, work remotely, or just want the freedom to have espresso anytime, this is an excellent investment. Sure, I wish I knew the brand so I could recommend it by name. But maybe that’s part of the charm, a coffee secret you only share with people who really care.
You have various brands that have a similar machine and one such brand that I would recommend in India at least would be Coffeza
P.S. The video in this post shows exactly how I used it, and you’ll notice the coffee I used was more suited for pourover. So if you’re serious about espresso shots, go for a finer grind. But if you’re like me and sometimes just want a solid cup wherever you are, this machine won’t let you down.
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