Handpresso Auto Review – 12V Portable In-Car Espresso Machine

The perfect in-car espresso coffee in under two minutes.

Handpresso Auto Espresso Maker

The Handpresso Auto is portable espresso maker designed for use in a car and is compatible with E.S.E pods or with ground coffee.

Powered by the 12V socket, the Handpresso Auto builds 16-bar of pressure and heats the water in under two minutes.

Highlights

  • Powered from 12V cigarette lighter
  • Compatible with E.S.E coffee pods
  • Basket for fresh grounds (7-10g)
  • Takes less than two minutes
  • Fits inside car cup holder
  • Set includes 2 cups, cloth, and case
  • Comes with 12-month warranty

Pros and Cons

Where to Buy?

Handpresso Auto Set Latest Price Shipping Product Page
Amazon Marketplace
$199.00* Free delivery view

Price updated -20th of April 2017 at 16:30 GMT
*Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change.
more »

Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

The Handpresso Auto in-car espresso machine is also available on its own without the case or cups – link.

Intro

Am I a coffee lover or a coffee addict? – who knows. What I do know is that over the years I’ve toyed with numerous coffee machines and portable coffee makers in all shapes and sizes. For the last two months, I’ve been using the manual Handpresso machine on a daily basis and I’ve dialed it in perfectly to my taste.

Up until now, all my portable coffee machines have required me to heat the water independently. The Handpresso Auto is the first I’ve used that fully automates the process of heating the water and pressurising the chamber. I’m not going to lie, it’s got me excited, so let’s take a look.

Handpresso Auto Set – Full Review

The Handpresso Auto can either be bought on its own or as part of a set. The set includes a semi-hard carry case that should fit in most glove boxes. Inside there’s two good quality espresso cups, a ground coffee basket, a napkin, a well-illustrated user manual and an additional portafilter. All the components fit neatly inside molded sections and are retained securely when the case is zipped shut.

The Handpresso Auto Set review by GadgetViper

The Handpresso Auto is similar in size to a Nalgene bottle or large travel mug which should make it ideal for most car cup holders. Its body has a pleasant matte finish which is comfortable to hold and easy to wipe clean. It features an external temperature gauge, a power button the illuminates during operation and espresso release toggle.

Handpresso Auto pressure guage

The braided power cable measures 28 inches in length, it wraps tightly around the unit and is contained within a channel. Likewise, the 12V adapter plug clips in a recess within the body. The design is well thought out and the build quality is precise.

The Handpresso Auto designed to neatly retain the 12V cable and plug adapter

How to use the Handpresso Auto

With the engine running and the car stationary, connect the Handpresso Auto’s power plug in the cigarette lighter socket of your car.

You should see the Handpresso logo light up on the plug to indicate that there is power to the unit.

Plugging in the handpresso into the 12V cigerette lighter socket

Adding water using the indicator on the Handpresso Auto

Remove the Portafilter by turning it anti-clockwise then add the 50ml of water either by using the measuring line on the espresso cup or by watching indicators inside the unit.

The seven clear holes turn black in a clockwise direction as you pour the water in.

At this stage, you’ve either got the option of using the shallow portafilter (lid) with an E.S.E pod (easy serve espresso) or the longer portafilter with the grounds basket and coffee ring. Just make sure that the two white lines on the rim are aligned when you screw the lid back on.

Using either the E.S.E espresso pods or ground coffee with the Handpresso Auto

Now you just have to press the power button. There will be some noise during the first minute as it builds the 16 bar of pressure.

It will fall silent for another minute as the temperature rises. When you hear three beeps the espresso is ready to be poured.

The hadnpresso Auto heating up the water

Unplug the Handpresso Auto from the cigarette lighter socket and hold it directly over the espresso cup. Press the button on the side and it will begin the extraction. Once complete, push the stop button on the opposite side.

extracting the espresso using the Handpresso Auto in the car

Espresso Quality

The Handpresso Auto achieves the 16 bar of pressure and a high enough temperature to produce a good quality espresso. As with the manual version, the pressure does fall during the extraction, but not enough to have a drastic effect on the creme.

Enjoying a Handpresso Auto coffee from the car

Using the E.S.E pods will give you a consistently good espresso and leave you with little mess to clean up. It’s certainly the easier option especially if you’re on the road and don’t want the hassle of preparing the basket or cleaning it.

Using the ground coffee adapter will allow you to dial in your settings. I’ve found it to be very similar to the manual Handpresso in terms of prepping the coffee. The basket is identical, you can get between 7-10 grams in depending on the tamp. If you’re preparing your own beans, you’ll need a fairly fine grind, quiet similar to preground coffee. I believe my Hario ceramic mill is two or three clicks from the finest setting.

Verdict

The days of pulling into dodgy service stations for a sub-standard overpriced coffee are well and truly behind me. The Handpresso Auto is an amazing car gadget, it’s well-designed, easy to use and makes a very consistent and flavoursome espresso.

Where to buy?

Handpresso Auto Set Latest Price Shipping Product Page
Amazon Marketplace
$199.00* Free delivery view

Price updated -20th of April 2017 at 16:30 GMT
*Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change.
more »

Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

I hope you found this review useful, if you did please leave a comment below or share it socially – Thanks!

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