NANOPRESSO VS PICOPRESSO: An In-Depth Comparison

CHEAT SHEET:

0:05 - Introduction
1:35 - Price
2:48 - Specifications
4:37 - Materials
6:30 - Components
9:15 - The Brew
13:00 - Picopresso Brew
14:12 - Nanopresso Brew
16:00 - Taste Test
17:05 - The Verdict
19:15 - Coffee Nerd Shirt

[benjaminnead]

Thanks for this comparison/review. I bought a Nanopresso in late 2019 and have used constantly since then, passing anywhere between 4 to 6 shots through it per day. Despite being designed for optimum portability, I use mine at home almost exclusively and it literally kept me alive in regards to being able to drink good coffee during the long pandemic isolation period. When I managed to lose the little orange sealing gasket inside the extraction chamber about a year in, I reached out to Wacaco and they sent me a replacement. Interestingly, the machine still functioned without this little part, although a little less optimally. With a new gasket in place (they had to ship it from half way around the world, ) it was as good as new again and, 2000+ shots later, it's still going strong. I'm not sure if the Nanopresso makes "genuine" espresso or not, but it suites my real world coffee needs perfectly, making a marvelously tasty brew with very little fuss and bother.

The other thing worth noting about the Nanopresso is its amazingly efficient use of both coffee and water. Unlike the Aeropress that it replaced (I went through several of those, actually, as well as numerous rubber plunger replacements over the years, ) the Nanopresso really gets the most out of just 8 grams of grinds. I felt that the Aeropress required a lot more coffee to get the desired results and was a fussier gadget to use overall. The Aeropress also never seemed to work very well with the upgraded metal screen, so I was constantly feeding it paper filters. With the money saved on both the quantity of grids per shot and the lack of having to swap in a new filter each time, I could now afford to buy the nicer (pricier) dark roasted bean from my neighborhood cafe and get more out of it. The Nanopresso likes what my cafe calls a "course espresso" grind, which is a finer texture than grocery store coffee (pre-ground Starbucks, etc.) but not as fine as a "true" powder-like espresso grind. The inexpensive electric burr grinder I recently purchased is able to do this "course espresso" perfectly.

Likewise, the Flair Neo manual espresso machine I recently took delivery of uses a greater amount of coffee per shot and requires an annoying preheating process for the metal parts for optimal performance. I waste water in both the preheating of parts and in running it through the machine (where a lot of it seems to get lost) to get the desired finished product. And, while impressive to look at, it does take up more counter space and time, as well as me having to go back to using larger doses of grinds again. The shots are good with the Neo, for sure, but not really any better than what I'm getting out of the Nanopresso. Consequently, I'm now in the process of returning the Neo for a refund. Not a bad experience there, overall, but not what I was hoping for.

Rather than stepping up to the Picopresso (it was certainly considered, ) I'm now more inclined to purchase yet another Nanopresso, as I'm sure my old one will wear out eventually and I haven't tired of the experience. The lack of preheating fuss, as well the amazingly efficient grind and water management, are key selling points. But it also makes a great shot of espresso (yes, I think it's "real" enough) and that's ultimately what's the most important feature.

[sigan]

Our beloved nanopresso has done us really well, for years here and there while travelling and more recently pulling shot after shot daily as we are on a sabbatical abroad. I thought we had blown a seal or gasket on the nanopresso, and as such ordered a picospresso. The Pico would not work with the storebought preground coffee that we were using with the nano, so we had to order a manual grinder (So now we are about $400 into this.) After multiple tries and several different bags of beans, I am finally able to dial it into what is a texturally better shot than the nano - mouthfeel and crema. In the meantime, I figured out that whatever happened to the nano seems to have fixed itself. So we are using both. My thoughts? yes, with a LOT of effort, the pico is indeed better. In fact, I'm pulling really incredible shots with it. the crema is real, thick and beautiful. It could in fact be pulling better shots than my home machine. BUT... for those who need a quick fix espresso while traveling I still would HIGHLY recommend the nano. It works with ANYTHING. I used to keep a jar next to our home coffee machine and would dump extra coffee grinds into the jar from time to time. The jar would sit there for weeks to months and I would just take it with us when camping or travelling... The coffee with the nano was still really good. Store bought ground coffee? still good. Crema, taste, etc. As good as our home machine coffee? NO. As good as the Pico... no, but if you want a GOOD RELIABLE espresso that is not finicky with what you feed it (and takes considerably less coffee to produce an espresso) buy the nano. While the pico produces lovely espresso, it takes a lot of tweaking and is far far less forgiving.

[miguelongpin]

I Have BOTH. I Also Have The Barista Kit. What NOBODY Talks About Is The GRIND SIZE REQUIREMENT For The Picopresso. I Had To Buy A Speciality Grinder (Purefresh) AND DESPITE THAT I Am Having Great Difficulty Dialling In The Proper Crema On The Picopresso. It Has Been Very Frustrating. The Nanopresso However Is Completely Reliable And Easy To Use And Is Absolutely An Indispensable Travel Companion.

[MarcoMarfia]

I own a Nanopresso with the barista kit, the nano vessel, the case and the nespresso adapter. I manage to produce a great creamy espresso with it and i always use it at home and take it with me when I travel. I've also pre-ordered the Picopresso and can't wait to receive it and test it out hoping to produce an even better espresso. As far as I know it looks like the Nanopresso system, while being a bit bigger in size, seems to be more travel oriented than Picopresso thanks to the included portable attached cups, the baskets with lids so you can load them with coffee and bring them with you ready to be used on the nano, the nano vessel that can be attached directly to the Nanopresso for a convenient use of hot water on the go, the barista kit giving the option of double espresso or lungo, and the nespresso adapter for a convenient use of coffee capsules on the go.

[neillogan]

Great comparison Brodie. Got my Picopresso a few days ago and having a lot of fun playing with it. Probably drunk more coffee than I should have. Have already discovered that one of my grinders cannot go fine enough on the ground for the Picopresso using a dark roast bean. Too much oil and it clogs it up. Switching to a medium roast works but definitely needs a finer grind to get a nice crema - just takes longer to grind.

[jiridvorak]

I have both of these. After 3 cups of "pico" I find "nano" as better choice mostly because of the creama and the taste. For me picopresso is a disappointment.

[cookiemonster]

I've had nanopresso + barista kit but gave it away while overseas and went back to the store to buy another one. The store suggested getting picopresso instead, so I watched a few videos and got it along with Wacaco grinder - no turning back, it's leaps and bounds better than nanopresso and suits my needs - I primarily use it while travelling to other countries that don't have good coffee available, but always have hot water and cups in my accommodation. Plus the grinder will be used for specialty coffee beans with my regular machine at home. Overall - impressive kit!

[drytool]

I like that the Pico uses a standard size basket, so you can replace it with a higher quality one.

[CraNiumMT]

Definately the Nanopresso, I own one with barista and Nespresso adapter.... truly versatile sleek gadget the Pico even though it's shorter it's more chunky on the side, plus you are using way more grams of coffee (8g or 12g vs 18g) more than double for similar result (with less crema). As a Wacao Daily user hands down Nanopresso, also you can use Nespresso capsules very convenient when on the go. Just bought a pack of Starbucks Nespresso capsules ^_^

[DangerousGuitarist]

Great showdown! It for sure validated my choice. My Picopress is in the mail and excited to dive into espresso as a hobby. There’s a chance this will turn my “work rig” into my everyday rig if I can get it outpulling the super automatic ordered for home 😎👍🏼

[orideconblingbling]

If you remove the resistive valve, the nanopresso works as non-pressurized mode, so the crema is actual crema from the beans that goes through the nano portafilter.

[steffie.morris]

Tnx for the review.
I like the nanopresso a bit more for my specific use case. I use my nanopresso during travels and holiday on my motorcycle. The fact that you can take prefilled baskets is a big advantage for that scenario.
The price comparison is not completely correct since you can buy package deals that include the barista kit and a case. Making it quite a bit cheaper.

I only tested tried the Pico in a store so would be curious to actually use it and compare it during travels.

[TheWhitsboy]

Unfortunately you were right, the price of the pico did increase, to three times the price for what I can get the nano with barista kit. To me, no contest, pico isn't worth that sort of money. Thanks for the review.

[fadilxheka]

I've got the nanopresso also. I bought the barista kit cause the single shot basket was not enough of a coffee kick for me. I later bought another barista kit just for the extra 2 double shot baskets. So now I have 4 baskets and it's perfect for making coffee for a group. I pre fill 4 baskets in the morning ready to go. But like the picopresso love the size

[robertkreft]

I'm not sure I get the difference - why is it simulated crema in the nano and not the real crema?

[arashxxxx]

hi bro.thanks for this video.I have the nanopresso and I will no more need to change it with the pico model after watch your video👍👍👍 wish you the best 🙏🙏🙏

[arie]

I wish Wacaco would make a dosing funnel for the Nanopresso. That would be so handy. Maybe as part of a deluxe accessory kit or something.

[BensCoffeeRants]

I think the grind size differences probably made the difference in taste / texture, or were you saying the Nano was using a pressurized basket? I find grinding finer does give you more body, and better mouthfeel even with a light roast as well as a lower brew ratio, so if you're putting in more coffee and putting the same amount of water through both the more concentrated one will have a better texture.

[michaelcleveland]

I'm on Nanopresso #2. The first was the old version and after about 6 months it stopped working at all. With #2, I manage to get to leak nearly boiling hot water on myself nearly every time I use it. Hence, I nearly never use it. Of course, that's after trying to remember what goes where with the Barista kit each time. to say that I'm not overly impressed would be an understatement. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment as the Picopresso intrigues me. Will I never learn? Ugh!

[trapeador]

The basket size of Nanopresso Barista Kit is 16g, not 12g! Plus you're comparing de nanopresso in pressurized-mode Vs the Pico (who's no-pressurized), but the bid advantage of Nano is that you can choose if you want to use it with valve or without it. Thanks for the video.