LEVERPRESSOV4 Portable Lever Espresso Maker – Manual Espresso Machine with 51mm Ridgeless Filter Basket, Double Shot, Non-Pressurized, Perfect for Camping & Travel – by HUGH (Non- pressurized Filter)

I'm impressed by the design and how they got it so compact.I have been using a Flair for espresso while traveling, which I also like a lot. But the Leverpresso is much more compact and lighter. So, when size and space is an important, I will be using this instead of the Flair.As noted by others, there is a learning curve if you are new to a lever machine for producing espresso, especially if it doesn't have a brew head pressure gauge. I've been using a LaPavoni and the Flair for years, so my first shot with the Leverpresso was good. There are a lot of YouTube videos on dialing in an espresso shot that can help a lot. I especially like those from James Hoffman.

Compared a number of available portable hand press units, price is very reasonable, works very well with seal tight piston press.

Pros:- Most important - Was able to get nice crema on a double shot with the pressurized filter. If you're looking for crema, don't bother with the non pressurized filter.- Portable- Relatively easy to use once you get the hang of it.Cons and puzzlements- It is messy. Cleaning is easy if you can rinse it off, but when camping, that is usually not the case. For camping, I prefer the Aeropress.- If you use too fine of a grind, the pressurized filter basket will clog and it becomes impossible to push the levers down.. Customer service instructed me to put the filter basket upside down in a pan with some dish soap and simmer for a while. That seemed to work.- The instructions could be improved.- There are rubber pieces on the top that are not referenced in the instructions. Their function is not clear and they fall off. I found I didn't need to have them in place during extraction, so puzzling. I reach out to the company and received this explanation of these parts: “ The rubber pieces on the top of the Leverpresso are merely part of the design and protect the upper part of the Leverpresso.They should be removed before the extraction.”- I found it difficult to see the water level and it is not clear how much water to add. The first time I overfilled it and the overflow of hot water burned my hand, operator error, lesson learned. I have learned to fill it with the levers down, lift the levers to encourage the water to go down, with the levers up, fill it again twice and tilt it each time to encourage the water to go down. This is enough for a 3 oz extraction.

I like that it is portable and packable but it takes a while before you can find the right mix and technique to make good coffee.

Its an amazing product that produces excellent espresso shots! Love it for the travels as a great quality coffee maker. The one downside to it is that there are too many pieces to clean and assemble after every cup, and the diffuser part falls off in the coffee cup as its not properly designed to screw into the ring of the portafilter.

Just got my new Leverpresso, it is pretty nice, good quality materials, makes such a great espresso, very convenient to take with you anywhere or use at home all you need is your ground coffee and hot water… can’t wait to my next camping!

I'm glad that this portable product can perform very well at this price!

I like this little espresso maker. There is a learning curve and you will make quite a mess until you learn to do it properly. The only thing I didn't like with this unit is the horrible plastic funnel that came with it for the coffee grounds. It wasn't machine correctly and it falls off at the drop of a hat. It's all but useless. They're going to bother putting a funnel in there at least make it a decent one that works properly. Other than that I am completely satisfied. By the way I did buy a good funnel that works properly and stays on.