By Amy McNabb
Test Data Analyst | Kaitātari Raraunga Whakamātautau
Want a decent coffee at work, on your travels or at the summit of your hike or bike ride? Need to keep your coffee hot so you can drink it on the go?
We trialled six portable coffee makers from five brands. We assessed how easy and satisfying they are to use, the quality of brew produced, and how easy they are to clean.
The team loved the simplicity of some and considered others too complicated. Here’s what we found.
Key results
Best tasting coffee: Wacaco Minipresso GR – but it also made the smallest brew.
Easiest to use and clean: Hario V60.
Cheapest: Hario V60 (plastic).
Lightest: Hario V60 (plastic).
Keeps your coffee hot for longest: Wacaco Pipamoka – the only model that doubles as an insulated mug.
Hario V60 (size 01) dripper
Score: 7.9/10
Price: $16–$20 (plastic) / $37–$40 (ceramic)
We trialled the plastic model. Larger sizes are available in both types.
Pros
Makes a clean, full flavour brew.
Very easy to use.
Very easy to clean.
Small and light weight (78g, plastic model) – the lightest in our trial.
Inexpensive – the cheapest in our trial.
Cons
Requires filters.
Best for hiking (tramping) and bike trips where low weight is important, and for anyone who wants the simplest process and clean-up without sacrificing flavour.
AeroPress Go
Score: 7.1/10
Price: $75
The original AeroPress ($60) is very similar to use.
Pros
Makes a tasty brew with a little crema.
Easy to use.
Very easy to clean – eject the grinds and rinse the end.
Cons
Hard to plunge – requires a lot of force.
Requires filters.
Best for people who want a good brew with super easy clean-up.
Delter Coffee Press
Score: 7/10
Price: $65
Pros
Easy to use.
Easy to clean.
Cons
You can get squirted with hot water if the seal twists out of place.
Requires filters.
Best for people who want a good brew with easy clean-up, but who might find the AeroPress too hard to plunge.
Wacaco Pipamoka
Score: 6.6/10
Price: $77–$100
Pros
Brews directly in an insulated mug, keeping your drink hot.
Cons
You can get splashed with hot water when dropping in the filter basket.
Brewing requires a lot of slow twisting action – it takes time.
Heavy due to the insulated construction (444g).
Best for keeping your coffee hot on the go.
Pezzetti Bellexpress stovetop
Score: 6.4/10
Price: $57 (3-cup) / $80 (6-cup)
We trialled the 6-cup version. There are many other brands of stovetop devices that work in the same way (such as Bialetti).
Pros
Makes a full flavour brew of good strength – similar to espresso.
Straightforward to use.
Easy to clean.
Cons
You need a stove (constant heat) to brew it – not just a jug of hot water.
Takes longer to make your drink than other units.
Can burn your coffee if you don’t watch constantly.
Best for making coffee on a stovetop if you want an espresso style brew and you’re not in a rush.
Wacaco Minipresso GR
Score: 4.6/10
Price: $85–$100
Wacaco also makes the Minipresso NS ($90), which requires capsules.
Pros
Makes a full flavour brew of good strength with good crema – outstanding.
Compact.
Cons
Messy to load.
Complicated to use – many similar-looking parts.
Very hard to pump the coffee through – requires great force.
Makes only a small shot of coffee.
Hard to clean properly.
More expensive than the other units we trialled.
Best for those who just want a single shot of the best tasting coffee and don’t mind it requiring a bit more effort to make and clean up.
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