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Shopping for a coffee lover? This popular mini espresso maker arrives by Xmas

We've found the gift that will perk up even the pickiest of coffee enthusiasts. You’re probably thinking about a coffee subscription from a fancy purveyor of expertly roasted beans (you can’t go wrong with Driftaway Coffee — in fact, I’m gifting it to my coffee snob of a husband right now). We fully support that, but it kind of demands a companion gift. If that sounds reasonable, here's a fun coffee gadget Amazon shoppers love: the Wacaco Minipresso Portable Espresso Machine. It's awesome, and it’s on sale for $55.

This portable espresso machine comes complete with a filter, tamp, water tank and cup. And get this: No electricity or batteries are required!
$55 at Amazon

This little guy looks kind of like a coffee bean, but the coffee lover in your life will get much more use out of this mini espresso maker than a single bean. This gadget was thoughtfully designed — the cup, filter, tamp and water tank are all neatly contained in this bean machine.

The best part? You don’t need electricity to operate it — no batteries or cables are required — it’s powered purely by the coffee drinker with a little bit of pumping action. You can literally drink espresso anywhere you go, as long as you have access to hot water. It could really make a difference while traveling.

"Do you drink coffee on the plane?" asked one of over 2,000 five-star fans. "I don’t anymore. This is such a game changer for flying. [You can] bring your favorite brand with you and enjoy."

"This is the must-have travel companion!" raved another five-star fan. "I was sick of weak hotel room coffee and didn't want to hunt down coffee shops in whatever city I was in. I figured that this would make a nice strong cup; what I didn't expect is it would make something smooth that was complete with crema! It makes such a delightful cup of espresso! I now use it both at home and on the go."

This is the gift that will perk up even the pickiest of coffee snobs. (Photo: Amazon)
This dynamo of demitasse will change your (or some lucky gift recipient's) espresso game forever. (Photo: Amazon)

Even better? It gets two thumbs up from coffee connoisseurs.

"I just need to express how obsessed I am with this espresso machine," shared another happy java junkie. "I was so sick of either buying terrible coffee at Dunkin or Starbucks or overpaying at local coffee shops. This has saved me from late nights, early mornings and midday sleepies at work. I recommend this to anyone who is a bit of a coffee snob or just doesn't feel like paying for overpriced joe everyday. This would also just be a cool gift to a coffee lover, for sure."

"Tested it out with different types of beans and then completely surprised on how well it extracts the flavor!!" shared another coffee enthusiast. “If you are in a pinch and need something that will satisfy your coffee urges throughout the day, this little thing beats any break room coffee by miles!! Brought mine to work, and as it drew attention from coworkers I easily found myself hand pumping six cups of espresso. Everyone was quite impressed by the flavor and intensity of this little gadget.”

And of course, the people who have given and received the Miniespresso as a gift gush about it.

“Bought this for my father at Christmas (he LOVES espresso),” reported a generous shopper. “He was shocked at how amazing the espresso that came out was! He said, 'For the price, this thing shouldn't work. It just shouldn't. But it does, and it makes a better foam than my machine at home!'”

"We received the minipresso as a gift and it did not disappoint," wrote. a grateful coffee drinker. This is very easy to use, the espresso tastes great on its own or in a latte. The best part is its size. We can take it on the go or use it at home without cluttering the kitchen countertop."

This portable espresso machine comes complete with a filter, tamp, water tank and cup. And get this: No electricity or batteries are required!
$55 at Amazon

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

More Holiday Gift Ideas

We’ve got your holiday shopping list covered with fantastic gift ideas for everyone on your list. You’ll find expert picks on the best tech gifts on Engadget, the best gift ideas for car lovers at Autoblog, gifts for the young (and young at heart) at In the Know, and picks for just about everyone else on your list (moms, dads, teens, nurses, you name it!) in Yahoo’s holiday gift ideas section. On AOL, you'll find for gift ideas for seniors shopping for moms, dads, teens and toddlers.