Review on STARESSO Portable Espresso Machine: Rich & Thick Crema, Ground Coffee & Nespresso Pods, Mini Coffee Maker for Travel, Camping, Office & Home Use by Durioki Cordaro

Coffee: As the name suggests, this is good, but it cannot be used to make espresso. For coffee snobs, this might be enough to curb coffee cravings, but the flavor it gives is no espresso. I would say that the taste is closer to really strong filter coffee. Drain the coffee as in the first 1/4 of the container before the remaining water dilutes the concentration. But that's not the product's fault. To really get a good espresso, you need a high-pressure, boiling-water machine, and there's nothing portable about that. So it ultimately depends on what you want. A decent cup of coffee or real espresso? I purchased this item knowing this, but what is very disappointing is the amount of coffee it produces. To get anything close to a double shot, you'll need to repeat the process twice. In retrospect, I should have guessed given the size of the coffee grounds container. It is very difficult to empty the crumb cup to refill and make a second batch because the crumbs still have water in them and you need to rinse and dry everything before making the second batch. Overall, it can become a watery, gritty mess, and taking two shots is a PROCESS. Clean up: This thing has THAT. A LOT OF. SHARE. And every time you brew a cup of coffee, it's a hassle to clean and assemble. As we all know, ground coffee, especially ground espresso, is a pain when it comes to nooks and crannies. There are many of them in this device. If you have a lot of time or want to spend 5-10 minutes every morning just CLEANING an item (yes, you heard that right. Just cleaning. No making coffee.) then this might be for you. I'm not someone who has a lot of time, so I won't use that much unless I'm desperate and it's 2am. Yes, this unhealthy sleep cycle is my life. Conclusion: As someone who has used a commercial espresso machine for most of their life, the entire process of this device takes way too long. In the time it takes to make 1 cup of decent coffee and clean up (about 20-25 minutes) I could make 30 lattes. Also, with that much time, it would be quicker and cheaper (or the same price if I was paid minimum wage) to go to a coffee shop, and I would actually get an espresso. So can I recommend this product? If you're a coffee connoisseur or looking for something quick, no, I don't recommend that. If you have a lot of time and patience and want to save a few bucks by drinking 5 cups of espresso a day, sure. If you're out, just drop by your local coffee shop. If you are hiking and want a coffee this is perfect. Delivery: The product was packaged decently but the coffee grounds measuring cup was cracked. I assume it broke during packaging. The measuring cup is stored in the shot glass container and the lid of the Staresso is screwed onto it. If it is not properly inserted into the beaker, the attachment will put pressure on the measuring cup handle and since it is screwed on, the constant pressure will cause the measuring cup to break. The company should be more careful about this or find another way to package the product. So, after my review essay, if you are still interested in the product, here is another tip essay: 1a. Fill a metal grind container with loose grist, wrap it around the rim, and then press the grist down firmly. As long as your measuring cup isn't too badly broken, it's perfect for pounding. Otherwise, a metal teaspoon will do. After tamping, refill the rest of the grounds container with loose grounds, align it with the rim, and tamp again. I've found that with so much coffee, the wet grounds are compacted more tightly so the cleanup isn't as messy and the coffee tastes better because, uh, more coffee is ground.1b. Remember that the crumbs should be pressed tightly together as you pound them, but the crumbs shouldn't be rock hard. A good test is to use a chopstick to loosen the grind. If the cut loosens with a little pressure, everything is done correctly. If you really have to intervene to loosen the grind, you've pounded too hard. If you shake it, the water can't seep through and you will break the product. Remember this is a manual device and not a high pressure machine. But you have to cram to get a decent coffee.2. Be sure to use boiled hot water. The hotter the water, the better the coffee.3. Make sure the glass cup into which the coffee is poured is hot. Preheat the cup by pouring hot water into it. When the glass is cold, the coffee is warm.4. Preheat the metal part of the pump. Take a cup of hot water and submerge the entire piece of metal. Follow the instructions for frothing milk. This heats the metal parts so the water doesn't cool down as the coffee is brewed. When all of the above steps have been completed and you are ready to brew coffee, pump 3-5 times or until you see the first drop of coffee. Then stop. Allow the water to really soak into the ground coffee before proceeding. After 15-20 seconds, stop pumping until all the water is out of the chamber and you have one shot.6. Be careful when opening the lid/pump. There is still pressure in the chamber and the lid may pop out and residual water may splash. Be sure to pump out excess water from the pump.7. You might be tempted to just give it a quick rinse instead of taking it apart each time, but I don't recommend that. If you're taking multiple sips at once, you can just rinse it out and use it right away. But if there are long periods of time between uses, I recommend taking it apart and doing a thorough cleaning. Nozzles and screen openings can clog very easily and are more difficult to clean later than if you did it right away.