Wacaco Minipresso NS2 full hands-on review

High quality, fresh espresso… anywhere? When you’re camping, hiking or traveling—or reveling in a relaxing morning coffee after a night in New Orleans…, keeping your gear light and compact is key. But sometimes you just need the comforts of home. And wherever I am, I’m all about starting the day with a hot, fresh espresso. It’s been 7 years since I first reviewed the original Wacaco Nanopresso and after years of constant use, mine was on its last legs. So when I went looking for a replacement I was glad to see Wacaco has upgraded it’s device to one that’s even smaller, but still able to pull off high quality road coffee. Meet the Wacaco Minipresso NS 2.

Wacaco Minipresso NS2 full hands-on review

In this review I’m going to try one out for myself, I’ll take a look at what’s new, improve and different from the original. I’ll talk about how exactly you use this device and what it can and can’t do. I’ll wrap things up with the pros and the cons and let you know if I think this new machine is worth it for you.

What is Wacaco Minipresso NS2?

Wacaco Minipresso is a small hand-held espresso press. It uses boiling water, and hand-pumped pressure to squeeze out a shot of espresso from its compact body (it weighs less than 300g and is about 5” long). This model I chose uses coffee capsules, AKA Nespresso pods, which means making your morning espresso is going to be even easier because the coffee is already ground, measured, and tamped in a sealed package. If you prefer to use your own ground coffee, there’s a different model you can choose instead.

Possibly worth underlining is that you need to boil the water somehow and pour it into the machine; this device does not heat the water for you.

What’s different from Nanopresso?

I’ll touch on what’s different between this new NS2 machine and my original Nanopresso. For starters the Nanopresso was sold as a single shot machine with additional add-on accessories that could allow you to use an espresso capsule, or to make double shots.

Original version with adapters, left, and new version at right.

Having spent a good many years with my Nanopresso, there are a few significant differences I’ve noticed right away. For one, this machine is almost an inch shorter than the original. It also appears to be made of a slightly nicer plastic composite and it has a few higher end details that make it look a little more rugged and elegant.

NS2 is also built upside down from the original: in this new model the water goes in the top, while the coffee capsule is inserted into the bottom. I will get into how this works in just a sec…

Original Nanopresso is still available, but between the NS2, and the Minipresso line, there appear to be multiple options and many improvements.

Unboxing Minipresso NS2

The Minipresso consists of several parts, which you’ll see the first time you unpack it. Some of them may be a bit mystifying:

• The press body
• The plastic drinking cup
• The filter head/portafilter
  On top is a removeable lid and inside is:
• A cleaning brush
• Drip tray

How to use Minipresso

To use Minipresso, you’ll take everything apart and insert a basic Nespresso capsule into the bottom, narrow end in, and then screw the top on.

You’ll need boiling water, so whether you start some in the microwave, get it from your water cooler-hot water tap, or put a kettle on, you’ll want to get that going.

Fill the reservoir on top with boiling water and twist the lid back on. At this point, twist the pump dial or piston so that it pops up from the body; this pump will be how you create the pressure inside the device.

Press the pump; it will take about xx squeezes until the pressure builds enough to pop the capsule, and you’ll hear that and then see the espresso flowing.
Keep pumping until no more liquid comes out.

What’s the pressure like on Minipresso NS2? Crema quality?

I was suitably impressed with the espresso and crema quality on the Minipresso. It seems like the machine puts out enough pressure to make a good shot and a decent crema (the coffee foam formed during extraction). Wacaco says, the pumping system reaches 18 bars o during extraction, which is comparable to what you might expect from the commercial espresso machine at your local cafe. I’ll note that is the same pressure as the original Nanopresso.

Coffee quality

Overall I found I got a pretty good shot using the Minipresso. I’ve done plenty of reviews of Nespresso machines and I’ve become a convert to them thanks to their quick work and good quality fresh coffees.

While getting that ultimate thick and creamy espresso that comes from professional machines is hard, Nanopresso does a good job at giving you a very drinkable espresso. If you’re not a fan of coffee pods, you could certainly opt for the Minipresso version which allows you to use your own ground coffee.

Cleaning

The Minipresso is very easy to clean. Take it apart when it’s done and use the brush to remove any stray grounds from in and around the portafilter. Depending on how your feel about soap and coffee oil build up, either rinse it out and let it dry or use a bit of soap to scrub it clean. Wacaco does not say that any of the components are dishwasher safe.

Adaptations and modifications

Unlike original Nanopresso it doesn’t appear you can customize this machine so much. If you want to use ground coffee, or Keurig pods, you would need to purchase different variations of the Minipresso that are specific to those use cases. I also did not see that there is a double shot adapter for the NS2, which is a small disappointment.

Since I do like a double shot, I experimented with simply refilling the water tank after the first shot was extracted… and that’s an okay option in a pinch.

Using Minipresso

I brought the Minipresso NS2 with me on a few trips; both camping and business travel, as well as a family birthday trip. This machine is so small it can literally fit into the tiniest backpack pockets and I only need to toss in a handful of Nespresso capsules to ensure I am ready to make my coffee. And let’s just say that my family found a quick espresso was just the thing after a night on the town in New Orleans…
I found for the most part getting boiling water is easy enough; either from a hotel coffee machine or kettle, or boiling some on the camp stove. So despite the fact there is no heating in this machine it’s not really a barrier to it use.

Overall review of Wacaco Minipresso

Overall I feel like this new version is a significant improvement over the original. Not only is it more compact, but the piston action is a lot smoother and easier to operate, and it seems like the water tank lid seals tighter and better. Let’s go over the pros and the cons.

On the pro side, I like the smaller size, lighter weight and increased portability of Minipresso NS2. Despite its multiple parts and accessories, it fits together easily the design is so clever. I love that this machine is specifically built to use Nespresso pods so that I don’t need to order extra adapters. I find the pressure it’s able to build up makes a thick and strong shot of espresso, and using these pods while travelling is extremely convenient and mess free.

So what are the downsides? So far I have to say this may be the perfect travel espresso machine. The only major complaint I could make is that I have to refill the water tank and re-run the water through a pod if I want a double shot. It would be great if there was a tank adapter.

In short, if you love your morning espresso as much as I do and you want a quick and tidy way to enjoy high-quality coffee on the go, the new Wacaco Minipresso NS2 is your new travel bestie. I can absolutely recommend it for you.

Minipresso NS2 sells for about $85CAD/ $60USD and you can get it from Wacaco’s website or get one fast from Amazon. The ground coffee version cost the same.

I get to review plenty of coffee gadgets and tech. You can check out… my review of the original Nanopresso device, the Handpresso plug-in portable espresso machine, or my favourite Nespresso machine, here.

***Contest now CLOSEDWin an Wacaco Minipresso NS2!

Congratulations to G. Corbett of Victoria BC who won this prize.

To enter this contest, write a (preferably nice) comment on this blog in the comments section below.

The Fine Print

There is one (1) Wacaco Minipresso NS2 device available to be won. We’ll pick one winner at random from among all website entries/comments. The contest is open to residents of Canada and USA only until 11:59pm MT November 11, 2024.

Only 1 entry per person, please; excess entries will be discarded. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Not valid in Quebec.

The winner will receive 1 prize. Prize will be shipped direct to the winner by Wacaco, so winner is required to provide a Canadian or USA mailing address (PO Boxes not accepted). TechGadgetsCanada.com bears no responsibility for prizes not delivered, delayed or misdirected, or not claimed after 30 days, or misdirected due to incorrect address being provided. This prize has no cash value.

We’ll get in touch with the winner via the email address supplied on entry or via website comment registration. Winner must respond to an email naming them as the winner within 48 hours. Non-response within 48 hours means we’ll redraw under same  48 hour timeframe until we get a winner’s response.

Winner’s name(s) will be posted to this web page after the draw.

If for any reason the internet portion of the Wacaco Minipresso NS2 Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of this website which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest, TechGadgetsCanada.com reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. Prize may not be exactly as show in accompanying photographs.

By entering this contest you agree you have read and accept the rules and are to abide by them.

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