Tom's Guide Verdict
Ever get a major espresso craving while halfway up a mountain? Hiking backpack full of instant coffee granules that make you grimace? Me too. But the Wacaco Minipresso GR2 says goodbye to all that instant coffee nonsense. I brewed delicious espresso with nothing but my muscles (however small they may be), and had fun while doing it.
Pros
- +
Sustainable materials
- +
Hand-powered
- +
Quick to use
- +
Doesn’t get hot
Cons
- -
It’s a bit of a forearm workout
- -
Tricky to get a strong coffee
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The Wacaco Minipresso GR2 is a handheld, hand-powered espresso maker. Users must manually press water through the ground coffee using a piston. I’ve never seen anything else quite like this. Is the Minipresso GR2’s uniqueness enough to make it one of the best coffee makers?
It depends on who you ask. For outdoor enthusiasts who want freshly brewed espresso atop a mountain summit or while relaxing on a remote beach, then this is a must-have. But if you predominantly enjoy pour-over coffee like a V60 or an AeroPress, then this could be a skip.
Personally? I enjoyed using the Minipresso GR2. There’s something about the manual, involved process that makes me feel a little more connected to the brew. No, it’s not as delicious as using one of the best espresso machines, and yes, it is a workout if you brew more than one coffee. But it’s also just really fun. I felt like a little kid again using toy kitchen equipment.
If you’re still on the fence, I’ll evaluate every aspect of the manual espresso machine in this Minipresso GR2 review.
Wacaco Minipresso GR2: Cheat sheet
- Who is it for? Coffee lovers + outdoor enthusiast = Wacaco Minipresso GR2 target audience
- What does it do well? It’s completely off-the-grid, and constructed with wheat polymer
- What are its weaknesses? Making more than one coffee is a forearm workout
- Anything else to know? It’s really fun
Wacaco Minipresso GR2: Specs
Wacaco Minipresso GR2 review: Price & availability
Wacaco Minipresso GR2 is one of Wacaco’s expanding line of coffee gadgets. The Minipresso GR2 is $59 from Amazon U.S. and £59 from Amazon U.K.. The Minipresso GR2 is a similar price as the Chemex 6-cup ($47) and the original AeroPress ($39), but considerably pricier than the $11 Hario V60.
The Wacaco Picopresso is $129 from Wacaco direct or £139 at Amazon U.K. (not currently available at Amazon U.S.), while the Wacaco Nanopresso is $69 at Amazon or £69 at Amazon U.K. — I would recommend the both for more serious coffee aficionados due to their pressure pumping system rated to 18-bar, but especially the Picopresso thanks to its espresso-machine portafilter and dosing funnel. The Minipresso GR2’s flavor profile is more akin to AeroPress, whereas the Picopresso and Nanopresso can produce a stronger traditional espresso.
Wacaco sells extra Minipresso portafilter baskets for $16, intended to be filled with ground coffee and taken on outdoor adventures for multiple drinks with minimal cleanup.
Wacaco Minipresso GR2 review: Design
The Wacaco Minipresso GR2 is an engineering marvel. Actually, scratch that — most of Wacaco’s range are engineering marvels. Every accessory and part slots into the water tank body for easy storage. Much like a Russian doll! I would keep a hold of the user manual as it has a handy diagram that shows correct stacking order.
The Minipresso GR2 is 2 inches shorter than the original Minipresso and is constructed from sustainable materials. The actual functionality of the Minipresso MR2 hasn’t changed from its predecessor; improvements instead focused on sustainability and space-saving.
Despite not much change from its predecessor, the GR2 is still just as well-designed. The wheat polymer exterior is constructed exceptionally well. Every part slots in exactly where it is supposed to and works like a well-oiled machine.
I’ll run through the core parts and functionality of the Minipresso GR2, but heed my warning: it is a little overwhelming at first. I had to read the instructions and go through a few practice runs before I felt confident assembling and disassembling the Minipresso GR2.
On the top of the Minipresso, you’ll find the small lid. This opens up to reveal the 80ml-capacity water tank. On the underside, there’s a plastic showerhead, a detachable portafilter and a secondary ring (to increase the coffee capacity from 8g to 12g), plus the outlet head that dispenses the brewed coffee.
The Minipresso GR2 also has a brush, dosing ring, and drip tray, but didn’t find myself reaching for these in practice.
Wacaco Minipresso GR2 review: Performance
While it appears a little daunting, mastering the Wacaco Minipresso GR2 doesn’t take long at all. I was brewing delicious coffee with just one practice run.
The Minipresso GR2 requires espresso-fine coffee, so you’ll need one of the best coffee grinders to make the most of this handheld espresso machine. Store-bought ground coffee likely won’t be fine enough, as it’s usually ground for french press. I ground my dark roast coffee using the grinder on my De’Longhi La Specialista Opera as my kitchen is too small to host a dedicated grinder.
I filled the provided scoop with my finely ground coffee, which I then weighed on my Maestri House coffee scale to ensure I was scooping 12g exactly. The scoop’s capacity is around 8g, so you’ll need to spoon in a little extra if you calibrate the portafilter to hold 12g rather than the default 8g.
After I had my 12g of finely ground coffee, I put the scoop on top of the portafilter and then turned it upside down so the coffee descended into the portafilter. Using the flat side of the scoop, I tamped the coffee (I’m not sure I reached the optimum 20kg pressure) and secured the portafilter onto the water tank. Then I boiled water to precisely 203°F (95°C) using my Ninja Precision Temperature kettle, and poured in 80ml of water. It’s worth noting that the Minipresso GR2 does not heat water. You will need one of the best travel mugs to keep your water warm, or you’ll need a camping stove.
After securing the water tank lid, I opened the piston and angled the Minipresso GR2’s body over the provided cup. I squeezed the piston repeatedly, which soon dispensed delicious coffee with a thick crema. I followed Wacaco’s max capacity initially, so I put in the full volume of the portafilter with the full volume of the water tank instead of the traditional espresso 1:2 ratio.
After following Wacaco’s instructions, I went a little off-piste and followed my intuition. I stuck to the traditional espresso ratio and used my Fellow Tally Pro scale to pull precise espresso shots. I filled the portafilter with 8g of finely-ground coffee and poured the full 80ml into the water tank — but stopped the brewing process when I got 16g of espresso. This espresso tasted much nicer, with a hit of sourness and sweetness that had no bitterness whatsoever. I fully recommend binning Wacaco’s recipes and following your heart. Your heart being traditional espresso ratios. Just be warned that if you grind your beans too fine, and tamp too hard, the pressure will be too high to use.
Cleanup is easy; I simply popped out the sopping wet coffee puck and used a paper towel to remove any excess coffee grounds and water. I washed the Minipresso GR2 in the sink, and it was good to go again.
The Minipresso GR2 brews a delicate, balanced coffee, with thick crema and no bitterness. I tested with both dark roast espresso beans and medium roast fruity artisan beans. Given that the flavor profile is inherently more delicate than a traditional espresso machine, if you like strong coffee, I’d recommend using the darkest beans you can find. I love a light, fruity aroma, so the medium roast beans brewed coffee perfect for my taste.
However, I wouldn’t recommend brewing another coffee immediately after. After pumping the piston for at least 90 seconds for the first coffee, my forearms couldn’t hack brewing again and I had to get my boyfriend to make his own drink. Tom’s Guide reviews editor Pete Wolinski had the same issue when testing the Wacaco Nanopresso, which also gets tiring quickly.
If you’re a coffee lover who finds yourself on outdoor jaunts hankering for a fresh espresso, there’s nothing else like the Minipresso GR2. The Wacaco Nanopresso, which comes with a portafilter that doesn’t look much different from a traditional espresso machine’s portafilter, performs most similarly to the Minipresso GR2. Other Wacaco products — like the Cuppamoka and Pipamoka — are better for mimicking pour-over flavor.
Wacaco Minipresso GR2 review: Storage & maintenance
As this is designed to be an on-the-go gadget, storage and maintenance is very easy. There’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to clean the Minipresso GR2 at a camping spot. Coffee is obviously a biodegradable substance, and there are many ways to use coffee grounds in your garden.
After use, a quick rinse the portafilter and showerhead with clean water will suffice. Regular cleaning with warm water and dish soap upon your return home will keep the Minpresso GR2 odor-free and hygienic. The Minipresso GR2 is not dishwasher safe.
As it’s under 5 inches tall, the Minipresso GR2 will fit into your camping bag no problem and will slot away in your kitchen in-between uses.
Wacaco Minipresso GR2 review: How does it compare?
Surprisingly, there aren’t many manual espresso machines available. Of course there’s the AeroPress, V60, Chemex, and Kalita Wave, but the Wacaco Minipresso GR2 and Wacaco Nanopresso are in leagues of their own.
I love the AeroPress for its ease of use and delicious coffee, but it wouldn’t be the most practical to take camping unless you had a reusable filter. Disposing of paper filters on the trail would be a hassle, and taking glass on a hike is a recipe for disaster.
The difference between these pour-over options and Wacaco gadgets is stackability. Wacaco cleverly designs each piece so it can fit inside the machine’s body. It’s uber-portable, and uber-outdoor-friendly.
If you’re always on the trail and desperate for a freshly brewed espresso, there really isn’t much thinking required here: the Wacaco Minipresso GR2 (or Wacaco Nanopresso for the traditional ‘strong’ espresso flavor) is your new best friend.
Wacaco Minipresso GR2 review: Verdict
The Wacaco Minipresso GR2 has a very specific use-case. The Minipresso GR2 is for espresso lovers who find themselves in the great outdoors, separated from their beloved espresso machines or glass coffeemakers. I can’t think of anything worse than lugging a french press up a mountainside, worrying it’s going to smash inside my bag. That’s where the Minipresso GR2 comes in: a fantastic portable espresso machine for on-the-go caffeinating. There’s nothing else quite like it, and that’s a good thing. The closest you’ll get is Wacaco’s Nanopresso, but with all the accessories, it’s almost double the price of the Minipresso GR2.
The Minipresso GR2 is a great entry-level gadget; it just requires a little studying the user manual to get right.
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