Home CasaVerdeSmart ,,,,, One coffee is as good as another for anyone, except for an Italian. Abroad they look at us wrong when we ask for it expressly short, but even so we regret that of our faithful Moka with thirty years of daily experience in the sector. It is useless, only Italians know how to make the coffee that Italians like: yet, we just can't give up coffee.
So what to do if you leave for an intense week of hiking in the woods? Or a trip abroad in hotels or apartments equipped with all comforts but not with a Moka? You put the gas stove and the coffee pot on your shoulder, or, you give a chance to Homgeek's portable coffee maker. We have tried it in the past few weeks and before starting to explain how it works and when it can be convenient it is good to specify it: incredible but true, the taste is really very close to that of the home Moka.
How it's made
Although the coffee maker is presented in a single piece, it actually consists of 6 distinct parts, which we list following the order of the image attached below (from left to right):
All parts are made of very sturdy plastic and, according to our tests, capable of perfectly retaining the heat of the boiling water just loaded into the tank (as we will explain later) without ever burning when held in hand. The entire filter system is made with perforated metal plates while on the outside two large rubber rings improve the grip of the tank and glass. In the package there are two interchangeable red ones: in the first tests we did not use them while on the road it was more convenient for us to replace one of the two with the red ring to be able to distinguish them at a glance (we put the red on the glass).
Measurements: 18 x 6 centimeters Weight (empty): 380 grams
Why Homgeek's portable machine and not the Moka?
This anytime – and anywhere – espresso machine needs two things to work: ground coffee and hot water. If for the first one you just need to load it in advance or take it with you in a jar, as far as water is concerned this means that in case of an excursion you will still have to have a gas stove or any other system to heat the water.
At that point you might as well bring your own Moka pot, yet this portable machine can make the difference, for example in a hotel where there are kettles to be used for tea or herbal teas and not systems for Italian coffee or when camping is already someone who has lit a fire to heat their own water or in case there are many people to satisfy at the same time: each, with his portable coffee maker, can load the hot water contained in a common jug and prepare himself for I fly a coffee.
How does it work
In the following video we show you one by one all the steps to prepare coffee with the Homgeek coffee maker. In short, prepare the measuring cup with ground coffee (do not overdo the quantities and do not press it) and put it in the special filter.
The latter rests on the relative side of the pump, recognizable by a small protruding ring built to measure to accommodate the filter. The extractor is then screwed above it and the pump is turned upside down (in the video we quickly perform the reverse procedure to show you how the coffee is slightly compressed by the system).
When the hot water is ready, pour it into the tank taking care not to exceed the “Max” mark. The pump is attached to the tank, being careful not to get burned, then turn everything upside down and release the small pump by turning the knob slightly to the left. We then proceed with the extraction of the coffee by pressing the lever several times: the first three will be used to channel the air, from the fourth the coffee will begin to come out. It is good to be careful by pressing slowly to avoid firing the jet too hard with the risk of splashing the coffee all over the place.
Excellent flavor, but under certain conditions
The resulting coffee flavor is subjective, even if we have to admit that we let several people try it, who were incredulous when they discovered which coffee pot had prepared it. In our opinion it is not so different from what we usually prepare with the home Moka which, as we know, improves over the years, coffee after coffee. Our presentiment is that the same speech can also be made with Homgeek's portable one.
However, you must also take into account how you are used to having coffee. The writer takes it strictly short, sugar-free and very strong. This means that with this machine it will be necessary to stop approximately between the fifth and ninth “pumped”, throwing away the rest of the loaded water in the tank. In fact, as the coffee is squeezed, it will be more and more diluted, until the “short and intense” coffee becomes a “long and light” one.
It is also possible to obtain two coffees with a single preparation, as long as the pumpings are alternated between one cup and the other and you are satisfied with a short coffee of medium consistency.
Conclusions
We would never have expected such quality from a coffee maker like this. We do not consider ourselves coffee purists but we are still quite demanding and the Homgeek machine we tested seemed really excellent, especially in terms of the quality of the coffee dispensed.
Once you understand how it works, it is also easy to use, moreover it is not even necessary to clean it immediately after use: just close the glass in its place and postpone the operation in due time, thus also avoiding burns with any boiling water residues left inside. inside the coffee maker.
Retail price
Homgeek's portable coffee maker is on sale on Amazon for € 35.99.
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