Handpresso: Get Your Java And Better Biceps, Too
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 02.15.08
This French-designed portable espresso maker, which requires hand-pumping to operate, may be just the kind of gimmicky gadget that looks a lot better than it works. At a cost of 100 Euros (about $145) and also needing special (and with their excessive packaging, eco-unfriendly) coffee "pods", the Handpresso has a single shining environmental attribute- that it is human powered. That's not only a plus for camping trips or any other kind of off-grid living, it is also just plain sustainably-minded.
But in spite of the smiling and sexy-looking hikers in the Handpresso infomercial enjoying what the web site says is "vintage coffee with a delicious aroma and a perfect crema" there's no exact explanation of just how long you'll need to pump to get enough pressure (the infomercial does note "just 16 bars") to produce espresso for two. Plus a source of pretty hot - 80 to 100C degree - water is needed for the Handpresso. Still, the idea of a shot of java anywhere is intriguing...what about the steamed milk? Via ::Handpresso.fr (French and English)
P.S. One organic brand of pods does seem to be available at podhead.com...but still!
This reminds me of the Aeropress for $26 but slightly bulkier than this one. With the Aeropress is still the issue of getting hot water and there is a small paper filter that ends up as waste.
http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress_story.htm
Would a classic Moka device not be more 'green', since in one small vessel the water can be heated and the espresso like drink produced, and it doesn't require specially manufactured coffee pods.
The biggest problem with the Moka pots and aeropress is the pressure. Espresso machines generate a lot of pressure to do what they do. I WISH I could find a good hand or simple espresso maker that could make the pressure. This looks like the closest thing, but I don't want anything that takes coffee pods.
The alleged convenience of E.S.E. pods has been strongly suggested with home espresso machines as well. I've tried them with espresso at home, and nothing made them any better than the organic fair trade coffee I get from Whole Foods.
The solution is to get a coffee tamper. You can pick one up for a few bucks at home goods stores, they're small and unobtrusive, and when used, the espresso you get is WAY better. The obvious benefit to the environment is significantly less waste product created by E.S.E. pods. It's not just the material of the pods themselves (more than likely NOT organic and possibly chlorine bleached), but the "flash" material they're cut from on the production line.
I'd rather carry around the extra baggage of organic fair trade espresso grounds and a tamper than carry pods. The Handpresso lookslike a great little gadget. There is a pressure gauge so you can determine how much you have to pump, and the only problem in the office or in the wild is a good source of hot water.
I second the Moka. Brilliant piece of industrial design that has stood the test of time, is durable, lightweight, and perfect for camping.
Espresso making is best left to the pros.