Whether you spend long days in the office or escape into the great outdoors every weekend, one thing often remains the same – the need for great coffee.
Portable coffee makers are more popular than ever; however, few can produce a truly café-quality espresso. For serious coffee lovers, this 'good enough' simply doesn't cut it.
That's where the Flair 2GO Portable Lever Espresso Maker, available at Amazon, saves the day. This compact manual brewer produces authentic espresso at six to nine bars of pressure, complete with a rich crema, wherever you happen to be. Better yet, this non-toxic coffee maker is BPA plastic-free, too.
Weighing less than four pounds and fitting into a case that measures only 9.5in x 5.25in x 4in the Flair 2GO fits into any suitcase or backpack.
Usually, when we think about coffee on the go, the AeroPress we reviewed and loved comes to mind. This handy compact coffee maker is undoubtedly one of the greats, offering all-in-one coffee that is like espresso but not quite the same. The cost of being able to brew anything from French press style to cold brew is the rich, velvety crema essential for an espresso base.
The Flair 2GO, on the other hand, can brew only espresso, but delivers the true experience without the need for the best home espresso machine.
The portable aircraft-grade aluminum frame folds away between uses, making it one of the only foldable lever espresso machines for travel, collapsing down to fit in the palm of your hand. What makes it particularly special, however, is the lever design, which allows users to easily brew between six and nine bar pressure, exactly that needed for incredible espresso with crema, with an integrated pressure gauge to make the perfect shot every time.
While we have not tested the Flair 2GO ourselves, we have had our hands on the larger Flair NEO Flex and loved how simple it was, the small footprint, and the fantastic-tasting coffee it produced. There is no denying that it is a slightly more involved setup than an automatic machine, but if you are a true enthusiast looking for cafe-quality on the go, we are sure it is a learning curve you will appreciate.
What Else to Shop
Whether you're making espresso at home or on the go, I have rounded up the best accessories for small-scale espresso making to suit small kitchens and travel bags.
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
This pack of two durable metal espresso cups is ideal for travel, allowing you to enjoy the authentic espresso experience wherever you are. The double wall means the exterior stays cool to the touch as you drink, too.
Crafted of transparent BPA-free silicone, these durable eco-friendly bags have an air tight seal, making them ideal for transporting grounds or beans for portable espresso makers.
The premium AeroPress is the iconic 3-in-1 brewer reimagined. Double-wall borosilicate glass chamber enhances heat retention and showcases your brew, while stainless steel and aluminum components add strength and style.
The AeroPress might be just one tool, but it promises plenty of brewing options, with the included instructions offering you four different brewing options: American, espresso-style, latte, and cold brew. Our reviewer, former Barista Laura Honey, said in her review, 'If you need tasty coffee on the go, you won’t do better than this. Once you've learned how AeroPresses work, you won't want to go back.'
This compact handheld milk frother won't heat your milk like the Nespresso Aeroccino we reviewed, or the Smeg Milk Frother we gave 4.5 stars, but it comes in at a fraction of their price, and doesn't take up anywhere near as much space in your kitchen. The five-star reviews, of which there are over 220,000, speak for themselves, too, with thousands of happy shoppers finally enjoying more luxurious coffee for less.
This portable burr coffee grinder allows you to grind coffee beans wherever you are. For a fine espresso grind, set it between levels one and five. For Moka pots, use levels five to 10 for a medium grind. Levels 10 to 20 work well for pour-over coffee.
Just looking for an on-the-go caffeine boost, but are not as sure on the drink itself? We have an expert guide to making coffee taste better when you don't like coffee, just for you.
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