STARESSO Classic Portable Espresso Maker, 2 IN 1 Travel Coffee Maker Compatible Ground Coffee & NS Original Pods, Espresso Machine with Stainless Steel Chamber for Travel Camping, Manually Operated

I was looking for a way to make cappuccinos and lattes at home and skip the line at the coffee shop and this does the trick. Overall I'm very satisfied with this espresso machine. It works exactly as expected and produces a rich espresso shot with a think crema. The chamber is big enough for a double shot, or you can use a nespresso type pod and make a single shot. It's extremely portable, especially if you leave the base and shot-glass behind. The clean up is not quite as easy I'd hoped because you have to pop the filter out of the coffee chamber with a small plastic pin and hot coffee will be leaking all over while you try to do this; although, if I'm doing back to back shots, I just rinse out the chamber and re-load it with coffee grounds. With some practice, it can be cleaned pretty quickly without too much mess.In a side-by-side comparison, the flavor of the espresso was better than the nespresso machine but not quite as good as my friend's Flair espresso press. For me, the price, portability, and the easy of use more than make up for the difference, and it's is much better than anything I would expect from a $60 machine.I didn't think I would use nespresso pods with it, but they turned out to be really handy while I was traveling. You can make great espresso in your hotel room and there is virtually no mess when using the pods, just pop it out. You'll never have to drink hotel coffee again! I'll definitely keep some pods on hand to take when I travel or go camping. (note: you'll need to puncture the bottom of the pod, so get the ones with foil on the bottom or make sure you have something sharp)Build quality is quite good, the only part I foresee having an issue with is the plastic pin that pops the plastic filter out. It's already a little bent, and it's only a matter of time before it breaks. After that, I'll just have to use a paperclip to push the filter out. Otherwise, the coffee chamber and pump seem to be stainless steel and the water chamber is heavy duty plastic similar to the AeroPress. I expect the key parts to last many years.Overall, great product. I would highly recommend for the casual espresso drinker looking for an affordable machine, or the espresso aficionado looking for a portable machine to take on the road or the trail.

As a coffee aficionado, I had given up on getting a great shot of espresso at home from a low cost machine. I had gotten rid of a commercial espresso machine due to space restrictions and have tried many smaller, cheaper espresso machines without any luck. I gave up and have been using an Aero Press for the last few years. It makes a decent cup of coffee but nowhere near espresso.When I found this little gizmo for under $50.00 I decide to give it a go.It works!It only took me a couple wasted shots to dial in the grind and, Voila! Perfect espresso. Rich creamy crema, robust heart and excellent flavor.Pre heating the gadget and your serving tasse is critical but easy. Clean up is simple and quick. The system looks to be very durable but only time will tell for sure, but at $40.00+/- if it needs replaced annually it's no great loss.I fill and tamp the filter cup twice so it is nearly completely full when tamped and fill the water reservoir completely with 190 deg, F water to produce an excellent double shot of espresso that is delicious straight or makes a very good Americano.The manufacturer claims it will froth milk as well. I have not attempted to do so as I do not drink cappuccino or Lattes. I doubt it can make decent cappuccino foam without steam, but it might make a decent Latte with heated milk.I travel extensively in my career. The Staresso pump and a Porlex Mini grinder travel with me now. Decent coffee beans can be found nearly everywhere now and most hotels have small single cup coffee makers that heat water quickly. Thanks to this little guy, I will never have to settle for lousy coffee in the morning while on the road.Pros:Extremely portable (takes up no space on the counter and travels in in your overnight bag)Excellent resultsEasy clean upEasy of operationVery low costCons:Single serving (first shot will be cold before a second shot can be produced)Requires a separate device to heat waterCannot steam milkOverall, I feel it is well worth the reasonable price tag and would recommend it to anyone who wants a low cost espresso maker