We Put In-Car Espresso Maker to the Test
The idea of an espresso machine designed for the car is so absurd that we had to say yes when Importika, the U.S. distributor of the recently imported Handpresso Auto, reached out and asked if we wanted to test the new cupholder espresso maker. Perhaps most surprising is the French company’s crazy contraption actually makes a decent shot of espresso on the go.
Let’s back up a minute.
The manufacturer does not recommend using the Handpresso Auto while driving. And frankly, neither do we.
An espresso machine even as tiny as the Auto creates pressure and heat to make the familiar, potent shot of hot coffee. Pressure and hot liquid are best kept in a car’s engine and not so close to your lap.
We wonder if there’s an attachment for a tire valve stem because the compressor sounded beefy enough to fill a truck tire, and definitely loud enough to make us take a few cautious steps back when we used it for the first time.
However, Cars.com’s multimedia senior editor noted the temperature varied on subsequent batches during a weekend camping trip, ranging from not very hot to piping hot.
Even though buyers shouldn’t use the Handpresso Auto while driving, there are still uses for the micro espresso machine — like when there isn’t a coffee shop within 50 miles. Taking the Handpresso Auto camping adds a classy touch to the outdoors, and it could even add a new layer of sophistication to tailgating. You’d have to be a regular of both to warrant the cost as well. And expect to receive a new type of ridicule from fellow campers or tailgaters when you disappear to sneak an espresso shot.
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