Best portable espresso machines of 2024, tested by editors

Strong on its own and often the essential ingredient in many morning drinks, espresso is a delicious staple you can enjoy in multiple ways. While many espresso machines and manual espresso machines make great espresso, they’re often expensive, eat up your counter space and aren’t the least bit portable. So, what if you’re a traveling coffee connoisseur and still want to enjoy great espresso? What if you’re working late and need an espresso machine to go from home to work and back?

Portable espresso machines are compact, deliver delicious espresso and often cost far less than other machines we’ve tested. While these smaller espresso makers might not have all the bells and whistles of a standard machine (and many are manually operated), they’ll give you a cup of espresso you can enjoy almost anywhere, granted you have access to hot water.

I tested five portable espresso machines, all under $150, to see which were the most portable while also pouring a great shot of espresso. If your ex-espresso machine doesn’t do it for you, read on to discover our best-tested portable espresso machines.

Best portable espresso machine: Wacaco Nanopresso

The Nanopresso impressed me with the quality of espresso it pours and how truly portable it is. At a price point of $70, it’s a great tool to take espresso with you without sacrificing crema and quality.

At first impression, the Nanopresso feels like a Russian nesting doll. To assemble and disassemble the machine requires lots of twisting to open and close, as the built-in espresso cup encompasses the water tank, where tools used to pull (or, in this case, press) a shot of espresso are stored inside. On the opposite side, a filter basket is enclosed in the pressurized head, where the espresso pours out once you begin pressing the pump on the side of the machine.

The intentionality in design behind the Nanopresso is evident once you start configuring and using it. It comes with a scoop that doubles as a tamper and a small brush. All components work in conjunction with one another and are stored compactly while not in use. The scoop easily clicks into place of the filter basket, minimizing spillage of coffee grinds when transferring. While testing the Nanopresso in the CNN LA office, I was especially relieved that I could click the filter basket on top of the scoop and flip it over, minimizing the coffee grounds for me to clean up afterward.

Since the pump is located on the side of the machine, the Nanopresso doesn’t need to be placed on a flat surface to extract and can hover over a cup of your choosing. Pumping the espresso was definitely a bit of a workout, as the pressure created with each pump produces resistance. Nevertheless, it was easy to pull my espresso and pour it over either the built-in cup or my own espresso glass.

The Nanopresso stands out because it is extremely portable. From the kitchen counter to throwing it in my purse and bringing it to work, it was so easy to travel with — to the point that I forgot it was in my bag at all. It weighs 11.9 ounces and is a little over six inches tall, making it one of the smallest portable espresso machines I tested. It also produces better crema than some of the other larger (and more expensive) options.

The Nanopresso packs a powerful pump, excellent extraction and accessories mindful of travel, all under $100. Based on crema quality alone, you’ll be pulling café-level shots of espresso wherever you bring your grounds and hot water.

Best portable espresso machine for crema: Staresso Classic

The Staresso Classic produces top-notch crema. Similar to the Nanopresso, this manual tool pulls espresso shots with a pressurized pump placed on the top of the machine. The Classic includes a scoop that doubles as a tamper, a small brush, two tiny O-rings and a glass cup where you can see the espresso pouring into place. There is a traditional filter basket for grounds and another that can adapt coffee capsules to this machine. Since I only used coffee grounds for my testing, I didn’t test this component. When finished pumping the espresso, the Staresso Classic is easy to disassemble: You unscrew the top part of the machine, hold the piston in place and then have access to the glass cup to enjoy.

But the best feature of this machine is the crema it produces, which was always thick and consistently rich wherever I used it. In fact, the Staresso Classic produced the best crema of all the machines I tested. While the espresso itself was solid, the crema was truly the star of the show.

Where this machine lost points was in portability. While this manual machine is portable, it was on the heavier side, and while traveling with the glass cup tucked inside the machine, I was more worried about taking it on the go (so much so that I left it in the box it came in when I took it with me to work). There are cases you can buy, albeit from third parties, that might make you feel differently about packing it in your bag.

Another nitpick is that it often requires a flat surface to use. Although the piston is easy to remove from the machine and, in theory, can then be pumped over an alternative cup, a flat surface was needed so I could press down with both hands on the pump. While the pressure produced excellent crema, it was more difficult to press out than others I tested (though I acknowledge this might be a sign I need to strengthen my hands).

The Staresso Classic is a compact tool that’s easy to use and break down to clean. It also makes a mean espresso shot with rich crema that deserves applause. While I might not opt to throw it in my purse, I’d consider taking it with me if I had a reliable flat surface to use it on.

How we tested

To evaluate these portable espresso machines, I placed myself in the shoes of a user who would enjoy them at home and on the go. I also opted out of measuring the coffee grounds I used, despite some machines recommending it because it’s not always realistic that one will have access to a food scale, especially out and about. Instead, I followed instructions and utilized the tools provided with the machine. While some machines I tested work with coffee grounds and coffee capsules, I solely used coffee grounds for my testing.

I used each of these machines multiple times in at least two locations to narrow down the winners. The locations included my home kitchen, the CNN LA office, the Hollywood Bowl and my backyard. Wherever I tested, I had access to hot water and coffee grounds. While testing outside a kitchen, I brought coffee grounds in a zip-close bag and utilized hot water from either a tea kettle or hot water produced by the CNN LA office’s drip coffee machine.

While most of the portable espresso machines I tested were manual (non-battery powered), I adjusted my testing to reflect the ideal use case for those that were not. To test a rechargeable machine with heating capability, I took it to a concert and utilized water from a water fountain. I utilized a portable stove and a kitchen stovetop to test a portable espresso machine ideal for camping. I took comprehensive notes evaluating these machines on ease of use, quality of espresso and additional factors that did (or did not) enhance the user experience.

Here is a breakdown of the specific factors considered during testing.

Size and portability

Espresso quality

Ease of use

Quality and design

Other portable espresso machines we tested

The Outin Nano is incredibly easy to use. Just fill the water tank and press the button to pull a shot of espresso. What makes the Nano Portable Espresso especially convenient is its compatibility with hot and cold water. It can heat cold water to pour hot espresso, meaning you don’t need to provide hot water yourself. I took the Outin Nano to a concert, filled it with cold water from a water fountain, pressed the button for two seconds (per instructions) and could feel the water tank heat, eventually extracting hot espresso. Though easy to use, it does produce light espresso (some pours even tasted watery), and while the crema was there, it wasn’t as rich it was with others I tested.

Te Outin Nano is also one of the heavier machines in the testing pool. It includes a scoop/tamper, a filter basket for grounds and a coffee capsule adapter. Unfortunately, all included components couldn’t be stored compactly in the machine like other models I tested. Since I tested it with ground coffee only, I left the adapter out of the machine and still had trouble fitting the scoop in the detachable cup for storage.

Another item I had trouble storing is its double-sided USB-C cable. I also noticed that the charge time varied depending on what adapter I used for the cable. It did not seem to like the iPhone adapter I have (barely charging after 50 minutes); however, another I had worked just fine. While using cold water in the machine is convenient (and cool), it does eat battery life. Mine went from 100% charged to 50% after heating water for espresso one time. If you take the Nano on the go, you might not need hot water, but you’ll want reliable access to power to recharge it.

The GSI Outdoors Mini Espresso Set was the cheapest machine I tested, and it comes in a sturdy foam case, making it easy to travel with. It was simple to assemble and, though it didn’t include a scoop or tamper, the coffee grounds were always pressed tightly once the filter basket was twisted into place and put inside the water tank and underneath the spout. A small, espresso-sized steel cup is included with the kit and is meant to sit right under the spout to collect the espresso.

This set works like a Moka pot: You place it on a stove top to boil the water through the beans, up the spout and into the cup. Depending on the stovetop I used (all placed on a medium to low flame), it took roughly two and a half to three and a half minutes to pour espresso. While I tested the Mini Espresso Set on both a kitchen stove and a portable stove, it was much easier to use on a stove made for camping (which makes sense for a GSI Outdoors tool).

It also produced espresso with little to no crema, making me wonder if I was drinking strong coffee or espresso. The Mini Espresso Set was also slightly messy if overheated. Toward the end of the pour, hot espresso would shoot out and miss the cup if the flame was not lowered and water would leak a little from the side. That said, this machine was designed for camping and would fit easily in a backpack. It also makes strong coffee and has the vibe of an espresso machine meant to be used as the sun rises over a campsite. I recommend waiting for the cup to cool down before picking it up, as the stainless steel heats up over the flame.

The Leverpresso V4 by Hugh, true to name, pulls espresso once the two levers are slowly pressed down. This machine is pricey compared to the others I tested but includes a tamper (that I also used as a scoop) and a detachable spout. This detachable spout helps minimize spilling if pressing espresso over a cup other than the detachable cup that clicks into place at the base of the Leverpresso V4.

While there was pressurized resistance, the levers on each side of the machine provided a comfortable vantage point to press. Though the Leverpresso V4 can be compactly stored its included accessories, I still had to keep track of some loose components, like its plastic cap that pops onto the levels, whenever I traveled with it. The body of the Leverpresso feels sturdy, though the other plastic components do not feel as high-quality (disappointing since this tool is so expensive).

And while it does pull delicious shots of espresso, it produces minimal crema compared to most others in the testing pool. I did find its detachable cup useful for traveling with the Leverpresso, though it requires a flat surface to press the levers down.

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