Hot or Not? – Wacaco Picopresso manual espresso machine on test

If good coffee is your lifeline, you need solutions on the go. After all, if you’re out enjoying nature, it would be a shame to ruin the moment with bad coffee. With the manual Picopresso espresso machine, Wacaco aims to delight coffee lovers with top-notch, hand-pumped espresso. Does it work?

For hobby baristas who want to take great coffee into the great outdoors, an ever-growing number of options have emerged over the last decade: AeroPress, Handpresso, Flair Espresso…. Hong Kong-based company Wacaco were first on the scene back in 2014 with their Minipresso, the first hand-operated manual espresso machine. Since then, they’ve added to their lineup, and the Picopresso coffee machine is a further development of the idea, which they say is technically much closer to a professional espresso machine. The € 125 machine uses a stainless steel filter basket holding 18 g of grounds, just like you would find in a full size espresso machine, rather than the small plastic portafilter found in the Minipresso. According to the manufacturer, it can generate up to 18 bars of pressure to create a dense crema, and produce a more intense, consistent espresso.

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Wacaco promote the Picopresso as a top-tier gadget for seasoned baristas and true coffee lovers. The focus is on manual control of the brewing process, allowing coffee fans to tailor their espresso to their own preferences. The promise: an “authentic café-quality espresso that can rival any expensive high-end machine.“ That’s a bold claim. Can the Picopresso live up to it in our test?

What can the Picopresso manual espresso machine do?

Providing real, pressure-brewed espresso on the go! That’s worthy of an exclamation mark. So how much espresso can you make with the Picopresso? With a capacity of 18 g for coffee grounds and 80 ml of water, it could theoretically even make an Americano. To clarify: it’s generally assumed that a portafilter for a double shot holds 18–19 g of coffee grounds. The “classic“ extraction ratio is 2:1, meaning 18 g of grounds yields 36 ml of liquid. So, depending on the amount of water used, the Picopresso can make anything from a Doppio to a quadruple-length Americano.

The Picopresso’s compact dimensions of 71 x 78 x 106 mm make it easy to travel with. At 350 g, it’s lightweight yet sturdy – no protruding, fragile parts, and high-quality materials throughout. Compared to its predecessor, the Minipresso, Wacaco has significantly reduced the use of plastic. The tamper (the handy tool for compressing coffee grounds) is made of metal, and has enough weight to evenly press the coffee. The portafilter and stainless steel filter basket are also metal. The overall premium feel is further enhanced by Wacaco’s thoughtful solution for storage and transport: when assembled, each piece fits perfectly together – even the tamper slides into the water tank with a satisfying “click“.

What we find really cool: the Picopresso offers outdoorsy hobby baristas the chance to experiment with grind size, bean and water quantities, and extraction time – just like with a portafilter machine. Essentially, the same steps are required: grind the beans, preheat the device, distribute the coffee in the filter using the cute little tool provided, tamp, and extract. Preheating is done by first pumping boiled water (heated externally on a gas stove) through the machine into the cup without coffee grounds. This also warms the cup. The final extraction, however, is powered by your own muscle strength. We’re eager to see if we can achieve the same great extraction results as our favorite local café. During preparation, it becomes clear that the Picopresso is better suited to those who love the ritual of making coffee than for crazed caffeine addicts craving their first hit in the morning. The many small steps and the need to follow them in sequence give the entire process – depending on the user – either a ceremonial or slightly overwhelming feel. Just give me my coffee!

The result, however, is impressive, at least visually: after a series of increasingly difficult pumps, it’s time for the highlight of the ceremony – that moment when thick espresso slowly drips from the small pores of the portafilter into the cup. An aesthetic experience to truly satisfy the soul of any hobby barista.

The only downside: unsightly splashes around the rim of the cup ruin the look. Sure, we’re out in nature, but in our minds, we’re still baristas. Theoretically, these splashes can be avoided by using the optional funnel-like silicone portafilter cap, which channels the coffee flow during extraction. It’s a great idea, but poorly executed, popping off the bottom of the Picopresso almost every time you use it, making an even bigger mess than if you hadn’t used it at all.

Another issue: the seal on the water tank lid doesn’t sit evenly, or seems to become misaligned when screwed on too tightly, causing hot water to escape during closing and pumping. Be careful not to burn your fingers! Savvy bloggers have found that this happens when the coffee grounds exceed 17 grams. The extra coffee pushes the portafilter housing upwards, preventing the lid from sealing properly. However, Wacaco recommends using up to 18 grams. We’re now prepared and would suggest not exceeding 17 grams.

So, how does the espresso actually taste? Can it compete with the brews from stainless steel professional portafilter machines? The good news for espresso nerds: with a bit of experimentation (adjusting the grind size and perfecting your tamping) you can achieve impressive results. The manual effort pays off with a high-level espresso, especially considering the machine’s size, weight, and portability. The texture: dense and creamy, leaving lovely oily edges on the cup. And we quickly agreed: rich and full-bodied, the espresso won us over – the Picopresso brings out the subtle nuances of the coffee perfectly.

Unfortunately, we have to wake you from your caffeinated dreams: When making espresso outdoors, following the instructions, the coffee comes out lukewarm at best – not remotely hot. This happens because, although the water is boiled, it loses heat during the preparation and brewing process. Preheating the water tank alone isn’t enough. For espresso as hot as from a professional machine, you’d also need to warm the portafilter, and place the cup in a pot of hot water. This is quite cumbersome when you’re out in the open with a gas stove and a pot, and becomes an even greater hassle in cooler temperatures, which cause the espresso to cool even faster.

Espresso pros might argue that you shouldn’t drink it too hot or preheat the cup, as it can affect the delicate aromas. But since many fans prefer their espresso a bit warmer, we’re giving the Picopresso a clear point deduction here. However, it’s not the only machine with this issue — this problem is common among manual espresso makers, like the Flair Espresso or the STARESSO.

If you’re bothered by the temperature, your options are to turn your espresso into an Americano by adding hot water, or try Wacaco’s Nanopresso, which has fewer reports of cooling issues and costs half the price.

Do you really need the Picopresso manual espresso machine?

The Picopresso delivers delicious espresso, but when it comes to temperature management, Wacaco can’t quite compete with larger portafilter machines. So, the Hong Kong company only partially delivers on its big quality promise.

For those without a portafilter machine at home but who’d like to cautiously dip their toes into the world of meticulously-weighed beans, it’s a decent entry point for € 125. The best results come at room temperature, and in places where both the portafilter and cup can take a warm water bath before brewing.

However, for outdoor enthusiasts who appreciate the simplicity of a stovetop espresso maker that guarantees hot coffee, the Picopresso might not be the best fit. The whole fiddly process requires a lot of enthusiasm and, if you’re preparing multiple servings, quite a bit of endurance too.

Would we buy the Picopresso espresso machine?

“Not hot“ can be taken quite literally this time. Wacaco’s Picopresso suffers from a temperature problem. We love cold coffee when it’s an iced latte in the city or a cocktail on the beach, but not when camping or hiking in the mountains. That’s why we wouldn’t buy the Picopresso. If you’re not up for preheating the cup, water tank, and portafilter before brewing (or if you’re not a fan of Americanos) then unfortunately, the Picopresso isn’t for you.

For more info, visit wacaco.com

Words: Felicia Nastal Photos: Julian Schwede