How many coffee devices do you really need? Is there a definitive answer to that, because I don’t have one. Conservatively I probably have at least 10, and that’s not counting different sizes of Moka Pot. Because you need different sizes of those. Duh. My newest acquisition is the long-awaited update to the Nanopresso by Wacaco. The Picopresso.
I’ve had this device for about a week-ish and put it through its paces. And honestly? I…am not a fan. There are diverging opinions about this device making their way around the interwebs, and I guess, perhaps, maybe it’s just not for me. I don’t think the device itself is faulty, and I am no slouch when it comes to the finer secrets and combinations of the zen of espresso machines. But this little device has given me lots of bother.
Like, a lot.
The design of it is absolutely wonderful. Very industrial plastic for the most part with a nice feel, and metal where it counts. More metal equals more weight (and probably a higher price tag), and it has a nice build quality. Exceptionally portable and designed as such that all necessary parts fit within the Pico itself, before popping it into its own little carrying case. Bonus!
Take the Pico with you on a vacation, camping, or to a pal’s house? Sure! Who doesn’t bring over a coffee apparatus to friend’s houses? It is delightfully self-contained. Really well thought out. A serious upgrade from their previous mostly plastic and larger model, the Nanopresso. Buuuuut…
I want to love this thing! But the design execution and attention to detail notwithstanding, it just requires a lot. There are 23 steps from start to finish to get espresso out of this thing. That’s…a bit much. Especially bleary-eyed first thing in the morning when 23 is 20 steps too many.
There is a threaded top and bottom that both require your attention if you want to get your espresso on. The bottom section is where your ground coffee and filter screen go, then to be screwed up into the Pico. The top is where you pour in your hot water, then screw a lid onto the top. The lid is finicky. Very. The threading just isn’t…smooth. 100% of the time it requires multiple tries before getting it to set just right before twisting. Cross-threading is a tool of the Devil!
You then have a closed system and are ready to pump the thing up to pressure. Pump…aaaand wait. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Then pump again, and hopefully your grind, tamp, and pressure all align, and out comes your espresso. However, even when all that was dead on, I got inconsistent shots. Every time. And that is highly unusual when you dial everything in correctly.
You can set it up as a bottomless portafilter, or there is a rubber plate you can insert below the filter basket. But bottomless portafilters are where it’s at, and for that Wacaco gets kudos for incorporating that into this device.
Seriously, this thing is suuuuuper well thought out and designed, buuuut…it’s just so, finicky. Moreso than any other portable espresso maker I’ve ever used.
These opinions are mine and mine alone as I really haven’t found similar sentiment about this new little device anywhere else. There is just so much to do, so much to get just right, and come on, 23 steps (!!) when you wanna coffee is just wrong.
Perhaps taking it on vacation or camping is where it’s at. Regular home use? Nope. When you have access to an actual espresso machine, a Moka Pot, or even a Handpresso (no relation), THAT is what I would reach for. It’s…depressing.
There is so much potential here, and it just has too much to do before it provides you with sustenance of a caffeinated variety. Then you just have to clean it out, fill it up, and repeat.
Because one coffee is never enough…