As someone who really leans into their pretentiousness, I’ve been keen to buy an espresso maker for my kitchen for a while now. Unfortunately, I’ve run into two very specific roadblocks: Espresso makers are typically quite large, and the price tag is generally an intimidatingly large percentage of my rent. While I love the idea of pulling a fresh shot of frothy, rich espresso for myself to greet the day every morning, I am also, as they say, “ballin’ on a budget.” I’ve refrained from sinking thousands into a sleek, beautifully designed espresso maker, deferring my dream until I marry rich and/or accidentally get drunk on a Sunday and lose all impulse control.
I was shocked, then, to learn that there may be another way to get the espresso of my dreams in the comfort of my own home. No, I’m not talking about the widely available, and relatively simple to use Cafetera. I’m referring to the Nomad espresso maker, a portable coffee machine powered by a hand-pumped lever. Although it’s not the cheapest option, at $250 the Nomad is more affordable than its high-end Italian siblings. It claims to pull the perfect espresso shot every time, complete with the light crema and complex flavor profile traditionally only achievable by larger, high-end espresso makers.
According to the user manual, all you need is hot water and espresso ground coffee to make a delicious single shot of espresso anywhere in the world. After weeks of pumping out my morning espresso shot, I can attest to the high highs and the low lows of using the Nomad.
How does it work?
Generally speaking, the Nomad espresso machine works like most other machines: hot water is forced through finely ground coffee, and expelled through a nozzle resulting in a shot (or two) of espresso. But, where traditional machines usually have a reservoir or plumped line to supply the water, the Nomad has a well that must be filled with hot water for each shot. Then, the Nomad user must push down in a see-sawing motion on the ends of the lever in order to generate the force needed to push the hot water through the tightly packed espresso grounds, and out the nozzle into your espresso mug.
While the prospect of boiling, loading, and pumping before you’ve had your morning coffee may sound daunting, rest assured that the actual process of extracting the shot is pretty easy, and generally takes less than 30 seconds. A few challenges lay in directing boiling water into the surprisingly small opening to the water reservoir, but what’s a good espresso without a few burns? What you’re met with is a cup of steaming espresso…as well as a tray full of spent grounds, and a machine that may or may not hold residual hot water.
What’s the coffee like?
Espresso is challenging to make in the best of circumstances, and there are many factors that can contribute to the taste and texture of a shot. As such, in traditional espresso makers, factors like water temperature, and the amount of grounds are typically very controlled. When using the Nomad, though, you’re pretty much on your own.
The Nomad’s instructions suggest water just below boiling, and direct you to pour 200 cc’s of water into the machine for brewing, but there’s not much guidance on exactly how much grounds to use for each shot, or how much of the added water you should expect to expel.
True to its promise, the Nomad does produce a frothy shot of espresso with an authentic crema floating dreamily on top. Unfortunately, it doesn’t match up to shots pulled from traditional espresso machines. The biggest difference is in the temperature which, despite my best efforts was, just above lukewarm on each test. The flavor, too, was less pronounced and less sharp than in a traditional shot. It felt like wearing glasses with the wrong prescription: I could make out the basic shapes, but no clear details.
Upon further digging, I found supplemental instructions online which suggested I run hot water through the machine and into my cup to preheat them. This did keep everything a bit warmer, but also effectively doubled the preparation and execution time of each shot.
Specs and cleanup
There’s no doubt that the Nomad is engineered to be compact, and it uses space efficiently. It doesn’t take up much space on the counter, and it’s reasonably light and portable. In several splashy colors, the Nomad is design-y enough to elevate any kitchen space.
For all its looks, though, the Nomad is a bit fussy to clean. The drawer and filter basket generally hold some residual, muddy coffee-water after each shot which means spilling at least a bit each time you release the drawer. The tank, too, is rarely completely emptied, but must be rid of all leftover water in between uses. All in all, for a piece of technology that has five parts including the tamper, it took a shockingly long time to get the Nomad spick and span, and ready for another shot.
The bottom line
The ideas behind the Nomad are undoubtedly cool: a hand-pump espresso machine that won’t break the bank — sign me up. In practice, however, the Nomad falls just short of incredible. It’s difficult to pull a truly incredible shot, and between prep and cleanup, it feels more laborious than would be ideal.
For many, the Nomad is attractive because it’s portable. An instructional video on their website suggests you take the Nomad on biking trips, or fishing excursions, and while sipping an espresso in the great outdoors sounds amazing, it doesn’t seem as simple as the Nomad team would have you believe. Call me a cynic, but it’s a hard sell to lug espresso grounds, the Nomad device (including a tamper), and a mug outside just to get a single shot of espresso — only to then find yourself tasked with an arduous cleanup! If you, however, feel that espresso would improve your outdoor jaunts and don’t mind spending a bit of time crafting and cleaning up after your coffee, the Nomad will do just fine.
