This review is for the STARESSO Portable Coffee Maker. You get the maker itself, a stand to hold it, and a little coffee measuring cup, as well as a built-in espresso cup that also acts as a cap for it.

Pro tip: The top of this press, the handle that comes out, can be used as a coffee tamper in a pinch. It won't get your grinds as tight as you want but it does work to get a decent espresso going.

This works great. I love it. I cannot believe how good of an espresso it produced. There are some tricks to using it though. It will not do anything until you have it loaded with coffee in there. It does not create suction or pressure with just the water. Once loaded completely and ready to go press down on the handle and wait a few seconds and repeat. Work this slowly do not pump super fast. You will know it is working correctly when there is resistance with each pump you do.

Overall this is a great machine. It worked exactly as I expected it do and I had no issues operating it. I can absolutely recommend it for a portable espresso maker.

This is the third version of this coffee maker I've tried and I can tell you, that STARESSO has been listening to customers and making improvements with every version. The first version of their coffee machine had a few weaknesses that could allow a careless user to break the machine. This version is very sturdy. It packs small, making it a perfect companion on my sailboat. The new folding stand is very stable, even on the waves. They' made a good machine better with every version!

This doesn't make a lot of coffee at a time, but I can pull two shots out of this maker in about five minutes without any problem. It cleans up easily and it's easy to teach guests how to make coffee with this tool.

STARESSO also makes a very good hand-driven coffee grinder. It's a perfect complement to this coffee maker.

I liked the idea of their first version. I've given these as gifts and upgraded to this version for myself. I think you will like it too if you want a mocha that is almost espresso while camping or boating. It's very good!

I hope this review helps!

I’ve had a chance to use the Staresso espresso maker for a couple of weeks now, and I absolutely love it! It it makes an outstanding espresso, and one of the things I especially love about it is the fact that you can effectively pull several shots from this device.
I own another portable espresso maker and it requires a little bit more effort. As for portability, the Staresso is perfect for road trips, and even airplane trips. It is bigger than my other portable espresso maker, but worth the extra room to get such high quality and high volume espresso. All in all this is a beautifully designed espresso maker. It suits its name, “Staresso”, based on the way it looks. And it functions incredibly well.

The Staresso manual espresso maker is a really neat from an industrial design perspective. The built quality is really good and everything functions smoothly. The touch materials are a satisfying combination of rubber and plastic. Everything threads together well and firmly. The instructions are pretty clear on assembly and it goes together logically. The marks on the inner chamber are accurate enough and take a lot of guessing out of ratios.

I used the Staresso manual grinder at 4. The coffee to water ratio recommended in the manual is 18-22g to 120-180ml. Clean up is straight forward and pretty easy.

Overall, the Staresso Plus espresso machine is a fairly unique and interesting way to make coffee. If you want to try espresso, and not go all-in on a high end machine, the Staresso Plus is a way to go.

STARESSO plus coffee machine is a clever and fun device to use to make espresso at home or on the go. I have several ways to make coffee, including a fancy machine that grinds and makes almost any kind of coffee beverage, a "Melitta pour over" cone, an Aeropress, a GoJo straw and regular drip machine (for parties!). So I consider myself an expert. Set up for the shot is very easy. Put in the grinds into the coffee basket, tamp down with the plunger top or tamper, attach, pour in hot water in the top, close and pump away. After a few pumps you feel the pressure build up and the coffee starts to come out and fill the cup. It is absolutely delicious, the crema (foam) on top was perfect. The flavor of the medium roast beans was excellent and strong without bitterness. What a fun way to make coffee! Comparing this to the Aeropress, which is not really an espresso maker but can be used that way, I would say they are equal and that is saying a lot. The Aeropress makes the best coffee out there. This is about as good. And for the taste of a really great espresso almost anywhere, this is a great coffee "toy" for coffee freaks like myself!