Mypressi and Porlex - Espresso on the Cheap

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
rooster81
Posts: 69
Joined: 12 years ago

#1: Post by rooster81 »

For any new comers who are wondering what the least expensive route to good espresso is, the Mypressi coupled with the porlex will produce good espresso. Total cost will for both items is about $220 plus any taxes and shipping. Both have their drawbacks, but at the end of the day they will make a decent cup of espresso.

Also, I'm not affiliated with either company.

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RedMan
Posts: 113
Joined: 10 years ago

#2: Post by RedMan »

rooster81 wrote:For any new comers who are wondering what the least expensive route to good espresso is, the Mypressi coupled with the porlex will produce good espresso
It might be the least expensive route, but I strongly disagree with you that using a porlex grinder will give good espresso. Taste is subjective of course and it depends what you mean by 'good'.

I would never recommend anyone to use it for that unless they have a lot of time and patience and are into poor tasting shots. Will also be handy to have quick access to a masseuse after each session.
It is clearly not designed to be used for espresso grinding.

The inner burr is just floating on a spring, there is no lower bearing and this means it wobbles all over the place, and you don't get a consistent enough grind. Another thing is that you have no numbers or indicators for your grind setting (other than counting the number of clicks from zero), and each step is too big for fine adjusting for espresso. These two factors combine for high inconsistency.

Used one for 2-3 months for french press mostly, which is in the easy range of settings, and still thought it was a real pain to use. The handle slides way too easily off the screw on top, it's a poor design. Edges on the handle are also quite sharp, more than once got a piece of a nail cut off by it.

Tried to make espresso once just for testing but gave up after a while because it was a struggle grinding in that tight range and I wasted too much coffee trying to dial in. When flow rate was reasonable it didn't taste any good.

It is cheap, small and easily portable, those are the only positives I can think of.
It is ok at best for drip and fp coffee in my view.

For anyone with that low of a budget I would recommend instead to save longer and go for a better grinder that is suited for espresso. Just 100$ more gives you a lot better grinder options than a porlex, and which will be fun instead of frustrating to use.


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juanitowu
Posts: 15
Joined: 10 years ago

#3: Post by juanitowu »

I think that Mypressi is a great idea, and I was really hoping there would be a higher adoption rate so that more R&D can but put into it as there are currently some issues.

From what I've read, part of the plastic will crack over time and there had been reports of stuck triggers. Furthermore, based on my calculations, it would cost in my part of the world, 10c per espresso shot from the cartridge itself. That's a bit high for me.

They were going to solve this by producing a device that allows you to refill cartridges, but this hasn't materialized yet. Probably because of cash flow reasons. Too bad since this product is very innovative, I'm saddened that not more people flock to it.

pacificmanitou
Posts: 1302
Joined: 12 years ago

#4: Post by pacificmanitou »

The twist was a great concept, but due to the strange workflow of making a shot, and the stranger not-quite-ever-in-business-completely company that makes it, has kept it a niche product for years. I typically recommend a used lever before the twist because there is little support for the product and its ergonomics are such that many users will find espresso more trouble than its worth.
LMWDP #366

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yakster
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#5: Post by yakster »

I guess the fact that I dragged one of my levers in to work to fire up in my cube instead of just making espresso shots in the break room on the Twist is a good indicator that I agree with that last post.

I think the thing that was most frustrating with a Twist and a Kyocera CM-45 CF (very similar to the Porlex) was that I'd go through all the grinding and prep work and have a 50-50 shot of having the grind just right not to choke the Twist or come out a gusher. It's so much easier with a lever as you can ease up on the lever or apply more pressure if the grind is not quite right, but the Twist was pretty picky in that regard, and the steps on the Kyocera were too big (if it even kept the setting).
-Chris

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pacificmanitou
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Joined: 12 years ago

#6: Post by pacificmanitou replying to yakster »

+1

I bought one to take to work and camp with. It takes too long for the first application and is too large and heavy for the second. I ended up taking cold brew concentrate for both applications. On the off chance I travel for long enough to want espresso I took a peppina with me until I sold it. Once I track down a caravel lever it will become my travel rig.
LMWDP #366

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cannonfodder
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#7: Post by cannonfodder »

I used that setup in my 'cafe in a desk drawer' portion of the Hand Grinder Roadshow I found the Porlex the next to least capable of the hand mills I was using. You will get much better results with a grinder upgrade. The cost goes up, but the shot quality takes a quantum leap.
Dave Stephens

caffeinatedjen
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#8: Post by caffeinatedjen »

I got my husband a porlex to take to work, but he said it took a really long time just to grind enough for a cup with the clever coffee dripper. It's now in a drawer being saved for power outages.

rooster81 (original poster)
Posts: 69
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#9: Post by rooster81 (original poster) »

Sorry, forgot to mention one thing. I added a locknut to my porlex for stepless adjustments, which makes a big difference in consistency.

I don't have an issue at all with the ergonomics or the end results.