Review on ☕ Moocoo Portable Espresso Machine - Manual Espresso Maker, 20 Bar Pressure for Capsule & Ground Coffee, Ideal for Travel, Camping, Kitchen, Office by Jamal Gignilliat

So far I'm very impressed with this little espresso maker. It's easy to use and clean, feels solid, and makes really good espresso. The machine comes with a base for adding ground coffee and a base for use with pre-filled pods. I only used ground coffee base. I grind fresh coffee beans (Peet's) to a fine powder (note that the manual says to use a regular grind, but it seems to work fine with fine too 🤷‍♂️) and pour the coffee with the small spoon, which is enclosed, in capsule and stamped floor. Scoop. I boil water in a kettle and pour some into the receiver cup to heat it up and pour it into the tank up to the max mark. When you put the lid on the water tank, make sure the hand pump is in the locked position so it will fill with water when you release it. I'm pumping slowly but I don't seem to mind much. The result is an aromatic espresso with a (surprisingly) pleasantly thick crema. Some of the most common complaints are that the coffee doesn't come out as hot as some people like and yes I wish it was a little hotter but the preheating helps and you can drink it as soon as it comes out so that fits me. One downside I noticed is that there is a silicone valve between the base that holds the coffee pod and the water tank which (I think) doesn't disassemble and seems to stay wet/hold water. May be an area at risk for mold but so far I haven't had any problems. Is it as good as the best espresso I've ever had? no But it's excellent, and for the price, portability, and ease of use/cleaning, I'll be using this little thing many times!