Best Portable Espresso Makers (2021)

Flair is the least portable of the devices reviewed here. It takes up a suitcase the size of a laptop about 2 inches thick, but it’s heavy. It looks great on the kitchen counter between trips. What you lose in portability is more than in the quality of the express.

Flair Signature is easy to use. You can see that the business process is very helpful brewing video guide. It’s also built like a tank and just throws in the express wash and cleans the filter holder.

Various grinding experiments are necessary to achieve the perfect extraction. Of course, the fresher the coffee, the better the results. That said, you can get great results with pre-milled espressos Gold medal.

Flair offers two other models: Classic and Signature Pro. The main differences are the size and materials of the brew heads. If you are willing to give up stainless steel, the classic works the same way and should give the same results. The The classic is $ 165 on Amazon. The Signature Pro is priced at $ 325 and is one more step in the quality of construction.

Best for kitchens

9Barista ($ 385)

I’ve reviewed a lot of gadgets over the years, but a few, if any, have been as amazing as 9Barista. The only thing I know about this kitchen espresso machine is that it actually reaches 9 bar, the pressure you need for a real espresso.

The designer is a jet engineer and shows his background in the interior. The double chamber design captures boiling water pressure up to 9 bar. At that point, a release valve opens and the water rises from a coil, which cools it a bit, pushing it to the ground espresso, and finally to the glass. The results, once well molded, are delicious. It creates a clean and smooth extraction with a little cream.

The 9Barista laptop is very well made here, but it weighs over three pounds. For a small apartment with a limited space at the kitchen counter or for those RV trips you’ve been drawing, it’s perfect.

The main disadvantage, regardless of the price, you will have to wait before opening for a second shot. At least you can grind and brew the coffee while you wait, saving you some time. I found that to speed things up with a little fresh water, I only had a couple of minutes in between. Yes, it is expensive, but considering the quality of the construction and the materials, it doesn’t feel like an exaggeration.

The most unusual

Uniterra Nomad ($ 300)