Yesterday at Shimokitazawa Open Source Cafe, there was a new gadget in house… Handpresso Outdoor Espresso Kit! As the name indicates, it’s a handy espresso machine that operates without any electricity or heating device. You’ll need some hot water but the kit includes a thermos bottle so you can take the whole thing out for a picnic and other non-traditional locations to brew your own shot.

I made a 3-minute video of @cognitom‘s 2nd try. The process should take less time (~2 minutes) if you get used to it after some practice. The narration is all in Japanese but I hope you enjoy the video demo to get a feel for how it works.

My overall impression:

• It’s simple. You just need to do some hand-pumping then press a button.
• Super convenient for making espresso outdoor.
• Makes decent coffee for the minimal setup and portability.

If you are into going outdoor and brewing coffee, this is a good alternative to instant coffee or single-serving coffee packets. The machine is a bit heavy compared to other methods, but the nice thing about Handpresso is that it’s very easy to use and clean up.

You can find out more about this at Handpresso.com or buy it on Amazon.com (or, try it at Shimokitazawa Open Source Cafe!).