benm5678 wrote:The work, some people will be willing to do for a portable device (with a plus side of not having any CO2 cartridges to buy, etc)

For $400, I'd easily buy three Mypressi. The 'savings' from not buying N2O (like, what, $.08 per doppio? $.04 per shot?
I can save gas by riding the bike, but my scales say that I'd rather spend the money. ; >

If this were half the price of the MyPressi, it's still have to be twice as convenient as its present form to get me to trade.

Kinda reminds me of this:

http://www.engadget.com/2005/02/15/how-...o-machine/

I'd buy a Nespresso & some pods before I'd pay $400 for that crank deal.

Ray

Psyd wrote:For $400, I'd easily buy three Mypressi. The 'savings' from not buying N2O (like, what, $.08 per doppio? $.04 per shot?
I can save gas by riding the bike, but my scales say that I'd rather spend the money. ; >

Closer to $.10 per double for the cheapest supplier (if you can also order $100 worth of cartridges at a time). I drink 20 doubles a week. That amounts to $100 per year ($200 if you don't work to get cartridges cheap).

Psyd wrote:If this were half the price of the MyPressi, it's still have to be twice as convenient as its present form to get me to trade.

I disagree. Cranking that shaft doesn't seem to be much of an inconvenience. If it can make espresso that is as good as the mypressi, the portaspresso wins for me. I'd make back the cost over a mypressi in just a couple years and it has lower mechanical complexity so will likely last longer.

So the big question is, how good is the espresso?

Marc

kb1ooo wrote:Closer to $.10 per double for the cheapest supplier

I get it at about $.33 a cartridge, four double shots per cartridge, so just over eight, but still. The espresso for those shouts is at something like $.35 - $.55, depending on what I'm drinking. I figure that it's the cost of convenience. I used to carry 'round a Silvia and Rocky when I toured, trimmed down to the Rocky and the Tin Man (Gaggia Factory) for a while, this is still a bargian for me.

kb1ooo wrote:Cranking that shaft doesn't seem to be much of an inconvenience.

So the big question is, how good is the espresso?

It's why it's a good thing that everyone has a different opinion. If everyone liked the same thing, there'd always be a line.
Of course, if the espresso isn't very good, it's a moot point. I'm definitely on-board with getting good espresso for $.10 more per doppio.

I would like to see a table top hybrid of aeropress + lever-machine that takes a 58 mm portafilter. Kind lot looking like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Restau...pd_sbs_k_2

I would not be completely portable but a hybrid. It would fill up with a hario.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSV-...081&sr=1-2

After reading this post I took my Mypressi Twist out from hibernation today and pulled a 16 gram shot of Gimme Leftist blend (I know this is not the right blend for the twist since it likes to be brewed very hot) ground with the OE Pharos. It was a nice ristretto (1 1/2 onces at 30 sec.)

The color was great, dark reddish brown, with tiger specks but the initial flavour was a little sour. This was a bit of a surprise as with a color like that and the long pull I wouldn't expect any sourness at all.

This is proof that appearances don't tell the whole story, however the shot overall was very smooth and generally had a taste that matched the smell of the ground coffee. Gimme Leftist blend after all is a coffee that likes to be brewed at hotter temperatures that would, should I say, be a challenge to the Mypressi Twist.

I have to admit the pressure profile of the Mypressi Twist is excellent and very very tough to compete against.

The Twist is still a pain to me with all the little seals that can fall out during a somewhat detailed preheating ritual, in fact if not done right, everything will fall apart (shower screen can pop off) spilling hot water everywhere. There is always the shot buster question as well; Will my N2o cartridge maintain it's seal ? It just might since my old crusty rubber band is still stuck on the end of the tightening screw and it did hold the seal for this session at least.

That being said the Mypressi Twist is a complex product with quite lot of precision in it's contruction perhaps it is that precision and complexity which makes this mass produced product prone to it's quality control glitches.

I do not own the Portapresso but I can tell you from looking at it I would take it over the Mypress Twist in a heart beat. It looks much much much more simple and straight forward to use (no seals popping loose or complex balancing acts.) I can clearly see the Portapresso is made of brass and not the cheaper metal (cast aluminum ?) and plastic of the Mypress Twist.

Mass produced N2o cartridges are not needed for the Portapresso nor does there appear to be any concern about it falling apart or loosing seals during it's simple preheating, which greatly increases it's practicality as a self sustaining travel/backpacker coffee maker. I would be very reluctant to take the Mypressi Twist out camping or to an excursion in the wild and would not look forward to looking for fallen O rings and parts in the dirt.

If I had to choose again it would definitely be the Portapresso even though I never handled one.

The Portapresso price is high, but it is not a mass produced product like the Mypressi Twist and properly paid labor wages combined with quality materials as well as precision are not cheap these days, so it cost what it costs. If I wasn't in a financial bind (a lot of which coffee and coffee equipment had placed me in) I would buy one.

If they fixed the Mypressi Twist's quality control issues and made it more simple to use, it might not be such a clear cut decision to me. A few suggestions would be to find a way to make the shower screen and those seals stay put. Design it so you can just dunk the whole head into a pot of boiling hot water to preheat, and really, nothing pisses me off more than having to deal with leaky N2o cartridge seals (espresso pulls that stall mid extraction) and the same factory quality control of a cheap BB gun.

Even if the Twist addressed those issues, I would still prefer the Portapresso but the price and practicality would make the choice more difficult. The Twist hasn't, so if I had to do it over again I would probably choose to have either the Portapresso as a travel machine or save my money and get neither.

I suppose it is clear Portapresso has got me reeled in hook, line, and sinker with little proof except for the you tube videos, but in all honesty, if there are issues with it, time in the field will tell. I think the Portapresso deserves a good honest chance to prove itself.

Of course I would be very interested in hearing actual user reviews of the Portapresso's strong points and weak points.

opother wrote:If they fixed the Mypressi Twist's quality control issues and made it more simple to use, it might not be such a clear cut decision to me. A few suggestions would be to find a way to make the shower screen and those seals stay put. Design it so you can just dunk the whole head into a pot of boiling hot water to preheat, and really, nothing pisses me off more than having to deal with leaky N2o cartridge seals (espresso pulls that stall mid extraction) and the same factory quality control of a cheap BB gun.

Curious, do you have a V1 or V2 Mypressi? I think some of these issues were supposed to have been corrected in V2 (temperature retention as well).

opother wrote:I suppose it is clear Portapresso has got me reeled in hook, line, and sinker with little proof except for the you tube videos, but in all honesty, if there are issues with it, time in the field will tell. I think the Portapresso deserves a good honest chance to prove itself.

Agreed.

Marc

I should have answered much sooner mine is what I believe to be an earlier run of Version 2. This one has the better plastic encasement and hard to see markings on the the small pressure chamber cap that bayonets into place in a strange way.

These issues do not bother me too much and I can always paint the markings.

My understanding is some of the earlier runs of Version 2 still had pressure retainment issues such as mine which recently after pulling only one shot leaked out the next day as evidenced when I tried to pull another shot that only partially fizzled out. After cleaning up, reheating etc.., replacing the N2O cartridge immediately after, using the same coffee, grind, dose, and tamp I pulled a good shot (still a little sour though.)

I am still using a rubber band as a buffer on mine because if I don't the N20 cartridge has a good chance of just fizzling out as soon as I screw it in.

I suppose the new tiny O ring is more stable these days since mine never dropped out, but the shower screen has popped out on occasion. Event though all preheating should be done with the handle assembly latched, it would be nice if that screen is made to stay put.

Whatever the case my main beefs are the lousy N2O seal and the fact that this thing is not designed to be taken apart and fixed by the average layman.

There is no doubt the Mypressi can pull some great shots and mine would otherwise be a decent piece of equipment but there is an extra mysterious non solvable variable to the espresso making equation for me, that being has my N2O cartridge leaked out prematurely ? I have no real way of knowing.

Being the non picky person that I am I figured if my rubber band works it's good enough for me, but it doesn't, it only prevents instant discharge as I recently found out.

What sent this into hibernation was I got sick one day from tasting too many espresso shots while trying to dial it in. My pressure profile would varied driving me up the wall trying to figure out if it was my grind or tamp. I also used up a lot of N20 cartridges, some of which fizzled out as soon as I screwed it in. When all was done I told myself I have had enough.

As far as my Twist is concerned I have to pull back to back shots fast if I want to get the most out of the N2O cartridge, otherwise a new one has to be inserted if I don't want to be unsure if the brew pressure is as it should be.

Now that it is out of hibernation again I find using it with a faulty N2O seal is too much of a costly hassle. I am not sure if I am still within warranty but it would be nice if this problem were solved.

I have used Best Whip cartridges as well as Mypressi cartridges it leaks regardless if it is Mypressi cartridges or not.

I am not satisfied at this time.


This post has been edited to remove my previous nonconstructive ranting and ravings. To be fair I have not contacted Mypressi on this issue and may choose to do so.

I just ordered a full Portaspresso system, with the "HC" model Rossa espresso maker that has the pressure profiling gauge attached and different screw threads for easier control of the pressure. I am counting the days until it gets here. I hope for it to be my travel and at work espresso solution.

I also ordered an OE Lido and Pharos, I will have a full suite of hand grinders to compare. The Pharos will be used with my yet to be picked out home espresso machine. Will use the Lido as a portable cupping grinder.

Just still trying to pick an espresso machine, Lusso, Strega, back and forth. Leaning towards Strega after watching Jim's video review again.

Bak Ta Lo: consider a Cremina. It can easily outshine the Lusso at what it does well and is also much more versatile. I haven't tried the Strega, but can't personally be bothered with all the additional complexity of the pump, valves, heating elements and whatnot. Much of the pressure profile antics that Jim so appreciates with the Strega during preinfusion and after can also be done with a manual lever one you get the hang of things. But you also have a simple, solid, durable machine that's really easy to maintain. Well worth considering. Oh, and it delivers superb shots....