Review Date
August 10, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: rangerdog ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $15.00 at Sports Basement

Summary:
I just got back from a 5 day hike in the Sierra, where my dad and I used this little espresso maker every morning with great success! The one minor problem we encountered was that the base of the espresso maker (the little 1 cup model) was a bit too small to sit on our MSR Dragonfly stove. We had to improvise a cooktop surface by propping rocks up against the stove burner and balancing the espresso maker on top of them, just off the burner. This was just a small compatibility issue with the 1-cup model of the espresso maker and our particular stove, and not really a fault of either the espresso maker or the stove. Besides that everything worked well, and the coffee was outstanding! (Buy good quality espresso and pack it in some black film canisters; 1 canister is about 2 espresso's worth of coffee). Cleaning is a breeze: just let the espresso maker cool off for a couple minutes, then tap out the plug of espresso grounds, and plunge the pieces of the espresso maker in clean water. Be sure that the threads and gasket are clean of grounds, otherwise you might lose some precious espresso through the fitting due to a poor seal (the leak once put out our stove before we learned to clean everything thoroughly.) Finally, buy a couple of the beautiful double-walled, polished steel espresso cups! Enjoy!

Review Date
July 21, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Neil ,  Car Camper

Price Paid:  $20.00 at Canfields Omaha

Summary:
I love a good cup of coffee, and a piping hot espresso is a notch above on any camp out. I bought the 4-cup version of this aluminum masterpiece six years ago and still love it. It makes awesome coffee. It's easy to clean and reload when you have more people to serve. The fact that the design has not changed in all this time on the market is a testament to it's classic engineering.

You put in your water and grounds, put it on the heat, and the coffee comes out when it's ready. You just need a glove because the cup handle is usually hot from being so close to the flame. I always carry a metal cup, too, since plastic will melt (I haven't tried lexan).

I have used my unit on the electric stove at home when my coffee maker has failed, on a coleman stove, on a whisperlite stove, on a popcan stove and over an open fire. I have used it at sea level and in the Colorado mountains. Same results anywhere - great coffee.

You need to remember to clean and dry it right away after use. I have forgotten a few times and the aluminum body has gotten pitted on the inside. This is probably not a problem with the stainless steel.

I have not taken this on group backpacking trips because of the fuel requirements. It takes 5-10 minutes of fuel for a single cup of joe (but, man, it's good.) So I suffer a daily cup of instant using community water to save on the weight of this unit, extra fuel, and an extra stove.

This is the best single function machine with no moving parts I own. I haven't replaced it because I have not been able to break it or wear it out. If it's ever lost or stolen, I will definitely replace it. It's not cheap, but is worth every penny.

Buy quality - cry once.

Customer Service:
The only fragile part is the spout. Mine has broken off twice, but the aluminum is soft enough that I could back out the stub from the threads and re-thread a shortened spout. I have never tried contacting the manufacturer for a replacement spout.

Similar Products Used:
I am looking into a lexan french press. I have held off because of size and weight. GSI has solutions for that. I also do not know how easy they are to clean. Guess I'll just need to give it a try for those times I'm on the trail and instant won't do.