Reviews: Mypressi Twist
When I first shifted Bitter Press over to the coffee blog it deserved to be instead of a loose mish-mash of whatever, I had one simple directive: accessible brewing methods that can both improve the coffee that professionals are making themselves at home, and can help introduce new home brewers to fantastic coffee.
I can’t think of a single espresso device that does the job better than the Mypressi Twist. And I mean device. Through most of espresso’s lifespan, it has always come down to a machine. An espresso machine. A hulking mass of steel, boilers, and phallic portafilter protrusions.
A machine this isn’t. The Mypressi Twist is a handheld, trigger activated, goddamn space age ray gun of espresso. In every way, its spherical bulb and twisted handle resembles the utopian future promised by 60s sci-fi writers: a glass dome for every roof, a jetpack on every back, and a portable espresso device in every hand. And why not? For all the talk about semi-commercialness of parts integrated into the low cost of the Rancilio Silvia, why not talk about the semi-commercialness of parts integrated into the Twist for a mere fraction of the cost?
Like most espresso experiences, test-driving a Mypressi Twist is really just an exercise in testing the accuracy of your grinder. I found my experience to be frustrating to a certain extent. When the shots pulled the way I wanted to, they were great, but dialing in an excellent pull took longer than I wanted it too, and when you have to disassemble the entire device and boil new water every shot, it becomes a bit of a chore. But more on that later with some hard data to back it up. Let’s examine the philosophy behind the Mypressi Twist.
By slowing down the espresso process The Mypressi Twist gives you a bit more control over the whole process than you would get in your average espresso experience. Great baristas are taught to dose by basket volume and intermittently weighing the dose to make sure that he or she is on point. With a Mypressi Twist, there’s no reason not to pre-weigh your dose before you grind.
With no boiler system, you have complete control over the temperature of the water that you’re adding to the reservoir. Heat retention seems to be an issue discussed, but without using a thermometer, I found water right off the boil to be adequate for brew temperature. Espresso came out at a drinkable temperature, but still very hot. In my estimations, starting water was around 199-200 degrees Fahrenheit. The important thing, though, is that there’s no temperature swing to account for. The cheaper pro-sumer models of espresso machine tend to have a 10-20 degree temperature swing, and that’s no good for espresso, where every variable matters.
Inadvertently, this portable espresso device gives you similar control that a professional barista has with a PID controlled boiler system. Control over brewing variables is the most important issue with coffee preparation. It’s putting means of production into the hands of the masses. We truly have the first socialist espresso device on our hands.
All you need is is to the pair the $150 or so Mypressi Twist and a $250 or so Baratza Virtuoso grinder, and you have a sub-$500 espresso option for home or work. Or heck, get fancy, and put Mypressi on your coffee bar’s coffee menu. The cheapest consumer/commercial hybrid machines you can buy that are worth working with will start you at $600 on their own. It’s expensive, sure, but it’s also accessible in a way that’s hard to describe. Or maybe it’s not.
Half the power of the Mypressi Twist is the strange phenomenon that surrounds it — the power of lowered expectations. Upon first sight, upon first demonstration, there’s no doubt that the Mypressi Twist will raise, well, doubts. It doesn’t seem possible that this fidgety device can prepare solid espresso options. Going into home espresso preparation with low expectations is key. There’s a reason that high-end espresso machines can run up to $20k. And a reason that the Mypressi Twist costs $150-170. The ability to drive professional baristas into full blown shock and awe is the trick that the Mypressi Twist has up it’s sleeves.
The low expectations for a handheld espresso device, and the high delivery and low cost of the Mypressi Twist make it a befuddling brew device, for sure.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a table full of my collected data. In the week and a half of having the Mypressi Twist at my disposal, I pulled way more shots than documented, but this represents two days worth of data gathering. Previous attempts found that 18 grams of coffee was generally the target weight I wanted to use for evaluation. My first two pulls were at a straight 2 grind setting on the Virtuoso and pulled beautifully and delicious.
Then when time came to repeat the experience, things went a bit awry.
More than anything, this becomes a big ad for the Virtuoso Precisio grinder — one with a micro-adjustment — over it’s predecessor, the Virutoso Plain and Tall.
Other Observations
—Overall build quality is far superior to the original model, which I played with a lot when they first arrived. Plastic is thicker, locking mechanisms tighter, metal heavier. Much better suited to wear and tear.
— The big improvement here is the improved basket design. There’s a slight ridge to it, which is supposed to help pressurize the basket with less than perfect grinds. No way for me to really test it, but I’m assuming it helps.
— There’s now a built-in “shot timer.” Basically, the reservoir top has four different notches, each with a pip numbering *, **, ***, ****. It’s just a little thing, but it’s nice not having to memorize how many shots you’ve pulled with a particular cartridge.
— O-rings. They make the device work, but I had a loose one that I had to swap out for a replacement one. If they don’t fit perfectly, it makes a bit mess. Or just leakes pressurized gas.
— Channeling, and basket size: can be an issue. The basket is narrow and deep, making leveling your dose a bit more of a chore than with a standard 57-58mm basket. This can lead to channeling. Also, not holding the device level can lead to channeling. Making sure you level your dose and hold your Mypressi level will keep the water traveling centered.
Final Take
Does the Mypressi Twist have problems? Yes. But, at the same time, it’s the first espresso device I’m going to recommend to anyone to buy. Hell, I’d recommend it over most entry-level espresso machines, and even some mid-grade hybrids. The potential it holds is great, and the usability and build have never been better.
Personally, having espresso as an option at home creates problems for me. I play around with espresso enough at work, and devoting a half hour to dialing in a great shot doesn’t do my marriage very much good. So sadly, when I return my review model Mypressi, I won’t be rushing out to get one.
As soon as I’m out of a retail situation, however, you bet your ass it’s the first thing I’ll save up to buy.
