STARESSOPLUS SP300 Espresso Machine, Manual Portable Coffee Maker Compatible Ground Coffee with Pressurized Filter, Espresso Maker for Home Travel Camping Office, Non-Electric

Although I've only used it twice so far, I've been very pleased with the Starpresso Mirage. It really does make proper espresso with a nice crema. The device is very solidly build and quite satisfying to use. Kudos to the engineers who designed it and built it.It attains high pressures by using a manual pump to pressurize the hot water chamber before the water is released to the coffee grounds in the filter basket. It can attain the high pressures promised because the pump has a small diameter piston in a small diameter cylinder. That means that the force needed to move the piston remains manageable even when the hot water chamber has risen to a quite high pressures. Because of small diameter, you have to apply many strokes to the pump to arrive at the high pressure. I need 30 to 40 for the full cycle. At 1-2 seconds a stroke, that does not take long.I have no means to measure the pressure, so I cannot say if the extraordinarily high pressure claimed of 15-20 bar is achieved. Electric machines operate at lower pressures, such as 9 bar. These are high pressures 1 bar is of the order of one atmosphere of pressure.The pressurized water is not released to the coffee grounds until a valve downstream of the water/coffee senses a high enough pressure. That means that the pressure is sustained not by resistance to the flow of hot water through the coffee bed but by the operation of the valve. The advantage is that the successful extraction of an espresso shot is relatively insensitive to the fineness of the grind. However an appropriately fine grind should still be used since a coarsely ground coffee may not be extracted well.Clean up is a little messy. The device overall is hot and the filter basket full of wet coffee grounds. The clean up involves more mess than merely knocking out the puck into a knockout box from a filter basket using its handle, as is the way with countertop espresso machines. There is no handle and my pucks have been a little soupy. It's nothing that bothers me too much. Be ready for errant grounds on the work surface.Overall, it is a great machine that does what it promises to do.

Wow, this is... Something else. Actually portable. You will need to acquire some fine grounds, near-boiling water and a tamper, but otherwise the whole kit's here. The quality of the espresso is comparable to that of a good quality espresso machine, offering significant value far surpassing its weight and size. One, two or three shots of 60 mL of actual espresso with crema are available without hard work in under two minutes (not including water boiling time). Additionally, I believe the time until these shots die off (go bitter and bland) is around 20-30 seconds, which is a few seconds better than some $x,xxx machines can manage. Mix it with something iced quickly to stop it cooking itself for a softer flavor, or if you like strong espresso flavor, enjoy at your leisure. I'm more of a coffee drinker so I throw mine over ice with vanilla almond milk and no sugar. Anyway...How to use:Set up device by folding out the legs, pulling the cup off the bottom, unscrewing the pump, unscrewing the filter and filling the grounds reservoir.I use about 19-20 grams of grounds, ground until a dust (more than for coffee or aeropress), but not a powder (espresso machine). Pile those grounds into reservoir. Tamp the grounds pushing down and flattening to get an even fill.Put the filled grounds reservoir back on the device, screwing it firmly but not so tight you think you won't be able to take it off. Pour near-boiling water (205-210 preferably) in the water reservoir, then replace the pump/lid. You know how most manual devices require you to preheat the water reservoir so it doesn't suck heat out the water? You don't have to do that with this device due to the double walled insulated water reservoir. If your water is 212 F (100C)going in, it'll be 205-210 (96-98C) once shut.Ensure your cup is under the device and start pumping. Should take a good 10-20 pumps to start coming out. I don't pump too quickly in fear the hot espresso may spray out. If your grounds are not packed well, it may also cause spraying as water and air break through the grounds and out the drip nozzle. Once you hear air come out the dripper, that's your cue to enjoy your espresso. Forcing the last few drops may give your espresso an oiliness and sourness.The device itself has built in measurements to make 60, 120 and 180 mL of espresso at a time. Most manual presses allow only one shot, maybe two. This does better. For $100 you get a premium feeling device, that folds up and fits in a backpack easily. I repurposed a camera bag and easily fit a small can of beans, a grinder and the staresso to take with me to work. This is an excellent purchase regardless of your budget if you are looking into getting an espresso machine. You will treasure this.

Opened up the box, took it apart, Washed everything. Put it back together, then noticed the strange porta-filter puck thing, thought nothing of it. Something new, cool. Continued and made an espresso, "Success" "Awesome Crema". Went to take it apart (mind you, Im in a Wheelchair, so everything is done with a slideboard (kinda like a tray) across my lap) Noticed the button on the filter/puck thingy, turned the machine upside down onto my slideboard, pressed the filter/puck maker button and Hot water from the puck ran back through the machine onto my slideboard and all over my legs into my crotch area. Then after i made the puck, i knocked it on the edge of the trash can, and lost the filter/puck maker in the bottom of the trash can. It was my Fault for not paying attention.If i woulda seen the regular open bottom regular porta filter/basket option and relized that the filter/puck maker was made the way it was, I would have opted for the regular open bottom porta filter/basket style on amazon prime day.I cant use the filter/puck maker porta filter, its to much to clean up after and i dont want to have to use the sink just to get rid of the puck (Reason for 4stars).I ended up grabbing a portafilter basket out of my 4 cup stove top espresso maker and it fits and works perfect. Eventually i will get the two Staresso Portafilter baskets. Until then, my trusty ol' stainless steel, vev vigano stove top 4 cup basket will be working over time in this "Awesome Machine".