by Nigel Ong
I am a fan of Wacaco Minipresso, having been using their Minipresso GR for a long time to make my espresso shots. They are small, portable, and sturdy espresso makers that you can easily carry around in your backpack.
With the popularity of coffee pods, I thought I would pick up Wacaco’s portable pod espresso maker, the Minipresso NS, and try it out. Let’s see if it will give me a similar experience to my Minipresso GR.
What Is Wacaco Minipresso NS?
The Minipresso is a manual, portable, hand-held espresso maker line by Wacaco. Wacaco is a Hong Kong-based company specializing in making portable coffee makers.
Aside from the Minipresso, there are also other product lines, such as:
- Pipamoka: A portable, self-contained coffee maker
- Cuppamoka: A smaller version of the Pipa Moka.
- Nanopresso: A smaller version of the Minipresso.
- Picopresso: An even smaller, pro version of the Minipresso.
- Octatoma: a heat water tumbler.
For the review here, I have the Minipresso NS. My Minipresso comes complete with a drawstring bag, user guide, warranty note, and two stickers.
You can also purchase additional accessories to go with your Minipresso. You can get additional cups, water tanks, and protective bags.
The whole Minipresso feels sturdy and tough to the touch. It is made with high-quality, heat-resistant plastic, while some parts are made with stainless steel.
This helps the Minipresso to be able to generate up to 8 bars of pressure inside, just right to help brew a great cup of espresso.
The whole machine feels sturdy in hand and is confidence-inspiring. You will definitely feel comfortable applying rigorous pressure on the Minipresso. You will need this, as pumping the piston can require some force.
Within the Minipresso, there are several variations:
- Minipresso GR: Meaning ground, this minipresso is designed to brew espresso from ground coffee.
- Minipresso CA: Meaning Caffitaly, this minipresso works with Caffitaly pods.
- Minipresso NS: Meaning Nespresso, it works with Nespresso pods.
So far, Wacaco does not offer Minipresso machines that work with K-cups.
What Are The Parts Inside Wacaco Minipresso NS?
From my previous review of the Minipresso GR, the parts inside can be complex and difficult to figure out. I was prepared to have the same experience with the Minipresso NS.
I was relieved that the Minipresso NS is much simpler in construction and looks less intimidating.
Instead of 7 pieces, as in the Minipresso GR, I only have 5 with the GR. Gone are the portafilter basket and the coffee ground scoop. In turn, I see these instead:
Main Body: The main body connects the bottom and top parts of the Minipresso. It also hosts the holder, where you place your coffee pod. The insides of the holder area have sharp blades, which means you want to be careful here.
Pump/Piston: You will press here repeatedly to build up the pressure inside the Minipresso to brew espresso. You can lock the piston by pushing the piston in and then twisting the cap clockwise. Unlock by twisting counter-clockwise.
Water Tank: You fill the tank with hot water to brew your espresso. A line on the inner surface indicates the maximum amount of water. Avoid filling over to avoid leakages or difficulty closing up the tank cap.
Outlet Cap: The outlet cap hosts the portafilter. It also has a small outlet that allows the espresso to flow out from the Minipresso. The outlet cap also has a steel surface inside, with three holes.
Bottom Cap: The bottom cap has a rubberized outer band for your fingers to grip while operating the Minipresso. It protects the outlet cap when unused and serves as a cup for your espresso.
Mini Brush: You can use the mini brush to clean parts of the Minipresso, especially the holes on the bottom side of the outlet cap. The brush is small yet hard enough to reach into the small holes and the nooks and crannies of my Minipresso.
How Does Wacaco Minipresso NS Work?
One great thing about the Minipresso NS is that it is easier to operate than the Minipresso GR. Use the coffee pod instead of dealing with ground coffee and spills.
To make a cup of espresso with Minipresso NS:
- Add hot, off-boil water into the water tank. Ensure to not overfill, to ensure the cap closes well, and to prevent diluting your coffee.
- Put on the main body. Place it on top of the water tank and twist it slightly. You should see the gap between the main body and the water tank close in and become tight.
- Now drop in the coffee pod on the top end of the main body. This should be very obvious once you see the holder shape.
- Screw in the outlet cap. You may need to push down slightly before twisting the top cap in. You can relax the pushing down once the screw grooves have bitten in.
The assembly is now complete. Time to move into the brewing:
- Push down at the piston, then twist anti-clockwise to release the piston.
- Now, hold the Minipresso NS, and then turn it upside down. This means the water tank faces up, and the outlet cap is at the bottom.
- When you do this, keep a finger pressing down on the water tank. This helps to further secure the water tank, preventing hot water spills.
- Start pumping. It may take about 8-10 pumps to build enough pressure inside the Minipresso NS. Once there’s enough pressure, you should see the first few drops of espresso.
- As you pump, you may notice a pushback from the piston. Continue to pump until the pushback force gradually disappears and the espresso has slowed to very slow drips. This should indicate extraction is complete.
- You now have a fresh cup of espresso! Add the other ingredients as needed to turn the coffee into Americano, Long Black, Cappuccino, or Latte.
What Do I Like About Minipresso NS?
Small And Portable
The Minipresso NS is one seriously powerful espresso brewer when you look at its size. It’s smaller than your regular bottled mineral water and is not heavy.
Yet it can generate up to 8 bars of pressure and extract a great cup of espresso from a Nespresso pod.
This means the Minipresso NS is a very portable and powerful espresso maker. You can take it anywhere you like and make your espresso coffee. You can even take it along on hikes and sip your espresso once you reach the peak.
As for myself, I enjoy brewing a cup of espresso with my Minipresso NS when I take a rest from my bike rides.
Cheaper Than Many Nespresso Machine
Coffee pods have revolutionized coffee-making at home, making it so much easier. However, the downside is that you must use a Nespresso-compatible coffee maker.
These coffee makers are not cheap, with some costing into the hundreds. Some may come with accessories such as milk steamers. Still, many of these machines are also one-trick ponies, only capable of brewing coffee from Nespresso pods.
This is where Minipresso NS can come in. It is priced well before the three-figure mark, so you get to brew espresso from Nespresso pods easily without spending too much money.
No Electricity or Battery Power is Needed
Many Nespresso machines in the market are large, expensive, and require electricity to work. You usually have to operate these machines plugged into the wall outlet. Portable ones will need you to charge the battery.
For those battery-powered brewers, many do not hold a lot of charge. Usually, each full charge brews you only a small amount of coffee, no more than 3-5 cups.
Not with the Minipresso NS. It is manually operated, requiring no batteries. You definitely do not need to plug it into the wall.
You can brew your coffee anytime, anywhere, even if you go off the electricity grid for days or weeks. With the Minipresso NS, you spare yourself from having charge anxiety.
Not Messy
One thing I like about Minipresso NS is that it is not messy. This is the benefit of brewing coffee from pods, and the Minipresso NS gives me the full benefit.
Compared to brewing with Minipresso GR, I have to manually load my coffee grind into the filter basket and then tamp the grounds down. This process may sound easy, but try it yourself, and you will definitely drop some coffee grinds.
I usually have to prepare a piece of cloth to wipe the excess coffee ground off my Minipresso GR. Using the Minipresso GR is definitely a messier process than the NS.
Sturdy
One concern about many portable coffee brewers is their usability. Some lower-quality portable brewers end up feeling flimsy to operate and do not inspire much confidence.
Not with the Minipresso. The parts are made of high-quality, heat-resistant plastic that does not smell. The silicone parts used also look sturdy and should last very long.
The parts that will undergo stress, such as the piston pumps, are also made of very sturdy plastic and metal parts. This gives you the confidence to pump away hard without worrying about breaking the Minipresso.
Parts And Accessories Are Available
One of the major issues with any gadget or tool is parts and upgrades. If possible, we want to be able to only spare parts, in case we break or lose only a small part of it.
Now, not all makers are generous with this. Some will deliberately design parts that are hard to replace, requiring you to purchase more than you need. Some are worse, offering no parts and requiring you to purchase the whole gadget.
Not with the Minipresso NS. Wacaco sells parts you can purchase separately in case you need them. These include water tanks, cups, and more.
Wacaco also sells accessories for your Minipresso. If you want to, you can also get protective cases for your Minipresso if the drawstring bag is not good enough for you.
Good Warranty
The Minipresso comes with a good 12-month worldwide warranty, provided that you register your Minipresso.
The warranty should cover you against any damages, especially from Wacaco’s side. You are well covered here if there are manufacturing defects or damages during shipping.
However, the warranty does not cover damages from improper use, such as drops or knocks. It also does not cover the replacement of consumables such as O-rings, filter baskets, or scoops. You also need to register your warranty.
What Do I Not Like About Minipresso NS?
Minipresso NS may be an excellent pod espresso maker, but is imperfect. Here are some issues I found with it after using it for some time:
Not Easy To Clean
If there is one thing to complain about the Minipresso NS, it is the difficulty cleaning it thoroughly. This is because there are quite a number of parts to clean to start with. There’s the main body, caps, and the water tank.
On top of that, some intricate parts will need a toothbrush to properly clean. These include the holder for the coffee pod and the piston mechanism. The holes underneath the bottom cap are also quite hard to clean.
If you use the Minipresso NS daily, perhaps you can simply rinse them for most usages. Spare the major cleaning maybe once a week, which I normally do.
Sharp Blades
As much as the Minipresso GR has more parts and is more difficult to operate than the Minipresso NS, there is one thing good about it – no sharp parts.
I can’t say this for the Minipresso NS. Underneath the pod holder are some sharp blades arranged in a circle inside. These blades are cut into the coffee pod to start the brewing process.
These sharp blades are necessary, but they can also be a bit of a hazard, especially during cleaning. Just be a bit careful when cleaning the area to avoid injuring yourself.
Slightly Challenging Brewing Process
Minipresso NS may be small and portable, but it has shortcomings. One, you have to manually operate them. Pumping the pistons may look like a breeze, but try repeating that action 20-30 times. Your thumb will get tired quickly.
Another is the complicated brewing process. Nespresso machines are much simpler – drop the coffee pod, push down the level, and press the brew button.
With the Minipresso NS, you must first fill the water tank, then screw in the main body. After that, put it in the coffee pod before screwing the top cap in again. Only then can you turn the whole thing upside down and begin brewing.
Is Wacaco Minipresso NS For You?
The Wacaco Minipresso NS’s biggest selling points are portability, manual operation, and price. You can carry it everywhere you go and operate it wherever you are, even when there’s no electricity. All you need is hot water.
On top of that, it is quite affordable compared to other Nespresso-compatible coffee machines. If these factors matter to you, the Minipresso NS will be a good buy.
However, suppose you do not see the need for portability and prefer the convenience of one-touch brewing. In this case, you are better off with a Nespresso machine instead.Do you think you are ready to give the Wacaco Minipresso NS a try? Get it right here at Amazon.