For those of you that regularly get up before dawn in order to drive to your adventure of the day, whether it be climbing, skiing, or even dawn patrol at the beach, what could be better than drinking a freshly made espresso en route? Handpresso, makers of the Hand-Pump Portable Espresso Machine, have come up with a car powered version that almost instantly extracts an espresso to help caffeinate you and all your adventure buddies.
Oh how I wish I had one of these Handpresso Auto car espresso makers for my ice climbing trip to Canada earlier this month. Climbers in Canmore think nothing of rising before dawn and driving 2 hours or more in search of ice everyday. Drinking some fresh espresso shots on the way to climb the Weeping Wall would have been fantastic.
The Handpresso Auto fits nicely in the cup holder of your car, meaning you can leave it there for when the caffeine urge hits. Unlike the regular Handpresso, you do not have to use boiling water and you do not have to manually pump the device in order to extract your espresso shot. Using power from your car, the Handpresso Auto heats up the water to the right temperature and creates the right amount of pressure to force the water through the coffee grounds.
To make espresso, simply plug the machine into your 12V car lighter, fill with regular water, and add a coffee pod. Press the button and once you hear 3 beeps, your espresso is ready. With 16 bar pressure, your espresso will come out perfect every time with a nice crema. You can extract a fresh espresso every 2 minutes, ensuring everyone in the car can partake.
The Handpresso Auto uses standard E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) pods. These pods are sold in the coffee section in most supermarkets. More than a hundred coffee merchants make pods that meet the E.S.E standards, so finding your favourite coffee should not be a big deal.
The Handpresso Auto retails for €149 from the company website. Sadly the car espresso maker looks to be available only in Europe at this time, but no doubt Amazon will soon start selling them for us coffee addicted North Americans.