How To Use a Minipresso

Minipresso is a unique and rather recent tool in coffee making. It allows you to make espresso quality coffee without electricity and needing a large machine. The Minipresso is about the size of an adult palm, which means it is also easy to bring around. 

However, how do you go about using it to make coffee? How to use a Minipresso?

To make coffee using a Minipresso:

1. Fill the bottom tank with hot water
2. Add coffee grind to the basket, and tamp the grind.
3. Assemble the Minipresso with the hot water tank at the bottom and the coffee basket at the top.
4. Release the piston at the center of the Minipresso.
5. Pump the piston several times to extract the espresso coffee. 
6. Enjoy!

Let’s look into making a cup of espresso coffee using Minipresso. I will also discuss some tips on using Minipresso to ensure your coffee tastes good. 

What Is A Minipresso?

Minipresso is a portable espresso maker about the size of an adult palm. It is made by Wacaco company and does not require electricity to operate. You manually press a pump on the Minipresso to generate pressure to extract coffee.

Minipresso is a portable espresso maker. It was made by a company called Wacaco, which also makes portable coffee machines. The Minipresso is incredibly small, about the size of an adult palm. It is also easy to clean, and you can take it apart to wash its parts.

The Minipresso is easy to use and does not need electricity or batteries, which makes it perfect for camping, traveling, or even just using it in the office. 

The Minipresso consists of several parts: a water tank, a filter basket, a brewing chamber, and a piston. 

The water tank is at the bottom of the Minipresso and can be taken out and filled with hot water. The ground coffee is kept in the filter basket, which you later insert at the top end of the Minipresso. 

At the center of the Minipresso, there is the brewing chamber. Here water and coffee mix to produce espresso. The process is done manually, pumping the piston to generate the pressure required to extract the coffee.

How To Use A Minipresso?

To use a Minipresso, add hot water and the coffee ground at the top and bottom containers. You then assemble them with the brewing chamber before releasing the piston. Finally, you push and pump the piston to extract the coffee.

Minipresso can be a bit of a marvel and mystery for many first-time users. This is because it is a rather unusual piece of kit. Not many are capable of ‘toughing it out’ with Minipresso. Perhaps that is why you are looking at this article. 

Fortunately, it is quite easy to use the Minipresso. Here are the steps:

1. Start by preparing the things you need:
   1. Hot water, enough to make a cup of espresso
   2. Coffee ground, enough to make a cup of espresso
   3. A small cup for your coffee
   4. Your Minipresso
2. Unscrew and remove the water tank from the bottom of the Minipresso. Pour in some hot water, and fill it at the indicator line. Ensure not to overfill, as hot water may leak out when you try to screw the tank back.
3. Remove the top cover of your Minipresso. You should be able to find a basket underneath. Remove the basket as well.
4. Now scoop up some of your espresso grinds, and fill the filter basket with the desired amount of coffee. 
5. You can now tamp the coffee down. Use the back of the scoop that comes with the Minipresso for a perfect fit. Tamp enough to compress the coffee ground slightly, but not too much.
6. Proceed to reassemble the Minipresso. Place the coffee basket into the top of the Minipresso before screwing in the top lid. Then reattach the water tank to the bottom of the Minipresso.
7. Unlock the Minipresso by twisting the center piston counterclockwise. Bring your Minipresso’s bottom end to the top of your cup, as the coffee will come from there.
8. Hold the Minipresso, and use the base of your thumb to pump on the piston. If you find this too difficult, you can also hold the Minipresso with one hand and use the other hand to pump the piston several times. 
9. You may need to make several pumps before the coffee starts coming out. The optimal pressure for extracting the coffee is between 8 and 12 bars.
10. Once no more coffee comes out from the Minipresso, the process is complete. 

You can also immediately disassemble the Minipresso to clean it. Open up the top and bottom lid, remove the coffee filter basket, and rinse with hot water.

Then, pick a damp cloth to wipe the brewing chamber and water tank. Allow all parts to air dry for future use.

Tips When Using Minipresso

Tips for using Minipresso:

• Warm cup and Minipresso first before pulling any coffee.
• Ensure the coffee ground is at the right grind size.
• Wait one second between each pump.

To make sure you make the most out of your Minipresso, here are some tips for you:

Warm Cup and Minipresso Before Pulling Any Coffee

If you care about your coffee, you know the key to great espresso is the right temperature. Often while making coffee, the heat is lost because the cup, or the Minipresso, is at room temperature. As a result, your espresso may be a bit cold. 

To counter this, consider warming up your cup and Minipresso before pulling coffee. This can be done by adding hot water and then pumping the Minipresso as if you are pulling coffee.

Ensure The Right Grind Size

The Minipresso can help you extract coffee at many ground sizes. Still, it works best when the coffee is ground down to espresso machine sizes. This means you should always use only espresso ground when pulling coffee using the Minipresso.

If you use anything finer, you may over-extract and have bitter, maybe tannic coffee. If you use anything larger, you could end up extracting your coffee.

Wait One Second Between Each Pump

The pumping helps to generate the pressure to help bring the hot water and coffee together and extract the coffee from the ground. However, you may under or over-extract the coffee if done too fast. The pressure may be too strong, and you may not be able to pump the piston. 

You can consider waiting for a second between each pump. This allows the water some time to permeate into the coffee, releasing the inner pressure inside the brewing chamber. This should make the extraction process better, giving you better-tasting coffee.