"I don't love this as a drinking vessel" I would probably have said "I hate this cup"

Can we get a hair tutorial next? thanks.

One time I had taken my aeropress camping, and realized I had forgotten my lock-on filter holder. I decided to improvise using a bottle lid from a bike water bottle. I had to have my buddy hold it in place while I pressed down. The pressure ended up exceeding what he was capable of holding and it exploded on him. That's my story.

i love your attitude, a bit blunt with an air of sarcasm, and hint of poshness.

Didn‘t you say you would put out about 60 videos this year? At this rate you‘re done in a month or two. Not complaining, just really excited that you put out content regularly. At least it feels like it! Good stuff, keep it going!

"We're all...agitated appropriately" 😂

Let me do some math for the pressure used in the Kompresso. 9bar = 90N per square centimeter This equals 9kg per square cm Since the stamp is 2.8cm wide, it has 6.2cm2 ...6.2cm2 x 9kg = 55.8kg So find the right grinding size for the coffee. So you need this much power to push the water through the ground coffe within the 20-30s. In my limited experience the coffee grinding has to be half the size of your standard Espresso

I loved the flashback after you applied the plunger to your aeropress. Edits like that, in addition to your endless knowledge of coffee, are why I keep coming back.

Me using an Aeropress: - You know what would slap? If the coffee came out of a butthole

You Sir are just wildly entertaining to watch as you make perfect sense while imparting those coffee smarts! Honestly you have a way of making your audience feel smarter for having watched. I have made it a daily ritual while enjoying my coffees.

Great to see another of these "non standart espresso gear" reviewed by you Mr. Hoffmann! Thank you.

Great video as always! My fav thing to do with the Prismo is an Iced Latte-like beverage. 20g very finely ground (~1.5 on EK-43) with 60ml water. I prefer this "concentrate" over an actual espresso in my iced latte, as it gives a more flavourful experience IMO.

This new Era of Hoffman is very exciting. Keep it up, James! I'm loving the content you're putting out and I'm happy to support you through Patreon.

How apropos that I just encountered a Prismo in the wild tonight before I noticed this video. Thank you for this lovely video, and your note on strong and stable bubbles. ;)

James, again another great review. It's interesting to see these two products side by side, I'm not into any of them, I like the result I get when using paper (Chemex, V60, Aeropress) Also, great that you kept your word and you're giving the reviewed products back to your backers, thats neat! I see your lighting improved a lot, the videos you're doing lately are (technically speaking) more dynamic, well lit. As usual, I'll be waiting to see your next release.

Nice presentation, James. I have a Prismo and find that we use it for long blacks rather than espresso. It's great, for a morning home coffee without spending a heap on a machine and not needing the paper filters. We put 2 scoops and fill up to 3-4 cups, for 2 people.

I love my kompresso. I put my body weight to give more pressure, and i can get thick crema. But the downside is, if the pressure is too much, you can damage the basket. There will be a crack on the basket, and the metal filter will bend.

I'm all in on your channel, I've become such a big fan in such a small time - well presented, great topics, great delivery. I really hope you get a ton of more exposure. You seem like you'd make on hell of a cool friend to have!

That look on your face when the Aero let out the coffee was perfect.

I bought a kompresso on a whim and immediately found out something special about it that even my entry-level gaggia pure doesn't do: BACKFLUSHING!! I love this little guy! XD The only thing I'm not sure about is durability. My aeropress is turning 5 this year and still strong as ever. I really hope I can eventually say the same for my kompresso.

One of your best videos, super informative! Thanks :)

Thank you James, I'm trying to learn different coffee making ways during quarantine, learning the cremea is similar to head on beer, helps increase my confidence in attempting to make espresso as it isn't a you either get it wrong of you get it right, but you make improvements over time. Thank you for being you and helping to take me to make a slightly better cup

Great stuff, very interesting! I like the idea of portable/handmade espresso as sort of a novelty. Have you ever looked into the ones that involve using a hand pump to create pressure, such as minipresso? Also, the quality of your videos just keeps getting better - and they were good to begin with!

I've got a Fellow Prismo, and while I was initially thought I might like an "espresso-like" alternative, I've only used it as such once or twice. Like James said in the review, the provided recipe was too strong for my liking and didn't really put out that much to actually drink. That said, it does have a place in my Aeropress arsenal. I use it occasionally for my regular 1:15 ratio cup. The holes in the filter are quite fine (smaller than the Able Brewing disc and Aerdisc), so there tends to be less sediment when I go the metal filter route. Also, the valve is a nice addition that keeps anything from dripping through while the water/coffee infuses (although, I'm not sure how much of a difference that really makes in the final cup). Thanks for the reviews. They're well thought out and well done. Keep it up!

I use my Prismo for loose leaf tea almost exclusively. It didn't really cut it for me as a coffee brewing device. Love the videos!

Great video, James. I'm in pursuit for the best manual espresso at home (I own an aeropress with an Able steel disk filter, and a 2-cup Brikka) and your reviews of the Flair, ROK, and these two are fantastic insight. Looking forward to more content.

Love your reviews, James. It's nice to see a professional go through some of the trials and tribulations when trying out a new gadget. God knows, it's happened a million times to me and you always seem to think you're the only messing this up :-) If you have not had enough yet of little handheld espresso machines, give the Nanopresso by Wacaco a try. (They're claiming 18 bars, by the way!) After many years of buying coffee gadgets (and mostly discarding them after one or two uses) this is the brewer I have used exclusively at home for over a year now; and it's performed admirably. Over the course of this year I have perfected my routine and can pull very consistent, very delicious shots of, what I would claim, real espresso. It takes very little time, clean up is easy and it is extremely portable. Not that I have taken it anywhere - it's actually taken the place of my home espresso maker. My holy grail for the couple of espressos I have at home every day. A caveat though: I think purchasing the Barista Kit they offer is a necessity.

I wish there was a James Hoffmann for tea

7:55 “Is that branded?” 😂 They branded Your beans.

I could watch you review literally anything!

I love that you're starting to do more product reviews! Would you maybe do a review on Bodums series of coffee gear? I have seen stuff from them that are clearly inspired by Hario and chemex, but for quite a bit cheaper. Would be cool to see a review :)

James, I haven't got around to personally testing the Cafflano, however, I believe the correct method for the extraction is to use your palms to apply the downward force while gripping it with your fingers below. That way you'll generate a higher pressure than just using your thumbs. Enjoyed the comparison though. With regards to the Aeropress, I remember watching a video where they created a puck my sandwiching the grinds between two paper filters. The guy built a crude lever mechanism out of timber to apply additional force and got some surprising results - not very aesthetically pleasing to the eye though ;)

The faces you made while unboxing!! Also loved how you just threw the box of cafflano! (nothing against the product, you just looked cute doing it)

As usual I get so excited to see your videos pop up. Please do make a video on an in-depth about espresso like what you were talking about. I've learnt so much from you.

This was made more than two years ago (it's May 2021 now). I ran into this and then the other one made by the European Coffee Trip channel which was done Jan 2021. The "espresso" they made is MUCH more espresso-like. In terms of recipe, both are similar: ECT used 13.5g in, 60g water resulting around 40g out. Lots of creme and the reviewer said it's 90% like espresso. Was the product improved over this two years? Was it because the guy over there applied much more pressure (that guy seems 1.5x the size of James and he was pressing really hard (in a stand up posture). It's is not easy for James to re-do a product review but it'd be interesting to see if what was done at ECT can be replicated.

Your videos are very pleasant to see early in the morning with a cap of expresso. Coffees become more tasty

so I discovered this channel through my recommendation feed, this is the first video I watched and I've been watching a lot of your videos of the past few days, and I couldn't be happier. The only thing I'm not to happy about is the amount of money I'm about to spend because I want to experience fresh coffee but we don't own a coffee maker or anything.. so after watching your french press video 5 times I think I'm just gonna get a french press for now and expand from there. also I need to buy a grinder and stuff, and I think it will be fun! and If I don't like it at least I'll be able to make delicious coffee for the people I know like coffee. However I'd like to see more guides.. like a pourover guide (though I've already seen that comment somewhere...)

Finally a product I've owned and used. The Prismo was great to start with but you have to exert so much pressure and that seemed to get worse. At one point I blew it off the bottom. I've gone back to paper filters since then. I wouldn't recommend it but it does at least mean you don't have to worry about filter papers.

I was thinking about getting the Prismo, but have decided against it since a lot of playing around and trail and error with my Aeropress. I can make a pretty decent "espresso" shot with it, to use as a base for a flat white. I've been using this method for a week or so now, and I'm happy with the results. 18g fine ground coffee 70g water about 90c Fine mesh metal filter Stir for only a few seconds to get everything wet, then immediately plunge as hard as possible (I'm 19st, so can get a far bit of force going). Not a true espresso, not a lot of crema, but for what I want, it makes a very sweet tasting flat white.

After owning the Prismo for a few months now, I’ve experimented a little after doing some research on the fellow website with some of their recommendations on how to pull better “espresso-style shots” (funnily enough not listed on their little instruction manual in the box). These have helped somewhat and resulted in a passable portable shot.. From memory they mention temperature to be important (thus preheating the Prismo and aeropress and using close to boiling water); agitating the coffee for longer (a minute I think 🤔); pressing hard and consistently; and also using fresh roasted coffee to get more crema.

Can't get enough of your vids.

Very good post James. Im looking at doing a review on the fellow product as well in the coming future as I have a lot of there products they make.

Great vid. Pulled it up since I got a prismo recently and love it. Well as a Aerosmith fan, er I mean Aeropress fan since back in the day I find it makes a rich coffee that is just delicious. Is it true espresso? No. Does it taste good, yes. Now I will try adding a paper filter and see what I get. Should increase pressure and take away the negs of a metal filter. In any case it's a fun tool to add to my manual brew collection. And yes, put it over a glass before putting the plunger on top. Otherwise there is no drippage issues

I’ve dialed in my prismo so perfectly, I get a good layer of crema that lasts a good while. Always inverted and let it pre infuse and agitate the coffee for a good 40 seconds. Absolutely delicious and I’d say it’s a 8 out of 10 in terms of “real” espresso.

Agree about the "Magical Crema" Mr. Hoffman, btw.. I've got both of them since last year. Honestly, I'm still brewing with Kompresso a couple times, but never again with that Prismo since making a review of it. Salam Kopi from Indonesia 🙏

I actually really like how your hairstyle evolves through these video journals

So obviously someone needs to invent a cloth filter for the aeropress now.

Hello James. Absolutely love your channel and reviews. Thought I could also ask if you can do a review of Melodrip? I think it would be a great review coming from you. Cheers!

love the oring for the metal filter on prismo. I feel as though when I use metal filters on aeropress, they dont form enough of a seal between brewer and cap.

First, I Love your videos. 2. The pressure applied on the Kompresso is the same as the resulting pressure on the coffee puck. The Forces are different, but the Pressures are the equal. (Pascal's Law). Pressure = Force/Area. To get 9 bars of pressure (130 lbs/sq in) at the coffee requires 9 bars of pressure to be applied to the plunger.

I bought an Aeropress, some lovely Specialty filter Coffee and the Prismo for my brother in an attempt to get him out of drinking espresso roasts from Woolworths. It hasn’t necessarily worked. He found his morning coffees were “Too fruity...” he said he prefers the “coffee that tastes like coffee”. All power to him, he knows what he wants. But from his use of the Prismo for his Espresso-like drinks and his version of a French press with it; he loves it. Mission accomplished in a way?

I like when you trow the box. Lol . 😅

I've used kompresso for 4 months, and i'd say i can make really good espresso. It's basically a naked portafilter espresso maker, compared to other manual espresso brands which utilizes pressurized porta. The main challenges are getting a proper tamp (the included tamper is horrible) and maintaining a constant pressure with hand. It's quite difficult to press with my final dialing in.

On the metal vs paper filter thing you should check out research on cholesterol and coffee. Coffee raises cholesterol by about 10% due to cholesterol raising compounds in the coffee oils. Those compounds get completely blocked by paper filters but don't get blocked by metal filters. That means that paper filters are considerably better for heart health.

Great review James. I've had a kompresso for about a year now and I'm able to get some really tasty shots out of it. However, I think the tamper scoop is a really poor fit so made my own. Teamed up with an EK I've consistently been able to get amazing tasting 22%EY shots. My technique tends to be 14g at my usual espresso grind, tamp nice, flat and firm but not too hard. Fill right up with water straight off the boil. Leave for 10s, gently press until 30s till drips start to form then press with full force. Given then surface area, 9 bar is possible but it's not easy, it requires your body weight and gripping force. But does 9 bar really matter anyway?

I like my Prismo as a small upgrade to my Aeropress. It doesn't make it far better, but I would rather use the small and easily storable Prismo as an enhancer (reusable, more full coffee oil taste, don't need to invert, cold brew press) versus getting entirely different brewer that only does the one thing. For someone who already has the Aeropress, the Prismo could be a good option if they are looking to get a metal filter for it and don't mind spending some extra dollars to get the best version of such an upgrade.

Prismo helps to brew usual aeropress without inverted methods as You said. I usually add 1 or 2 paper filter. But yes, i never get “real” espresso with prismo . Kompreso needs suitable grind size to get nice espresso.

Here is the thing on foam, if you want to go a bit more "nerdy". Water has surface tension because it likes itself. So much more than anything else. Water hates oil and air, that's why it can't form bubbles or foam. Coffee, as well as soap and detergent, contains "surfactants", that are substances that like both water and air/oil. They form a film over the water surface and "makes the water think" that air/oil disappeared, so it finds itself "ok, in that situation" and stabilizes bubbles and foam.

I’ve had the Kompresso for a couple years now, and I won’t say that I’ve got it completely dialled in or perfect, but I do like the experience. I’ve fiddled a bit with pressing from the top of the column like with an aeropress compared against gripping the little wing handles between my palms and fingertips the way Cafflano recommends in the manual. The difference is night and day. I have to recommend the official method, because it really does seem to result in a richer, more flavourful cup.

Awesome I guess I would try to get some money to support your work you really deserve it

Would you consider trying the Fellow again with a slightly modified recipe? I think the recipe has likely changed recently, with a longer agitation time. I have been using the Prismo exclusively for more than a month now, and it is producing more crema than it looked like you pulled, and seems to be close to espresso I have gotten at some coffee shops. I also think you can build greater pressure with a faster plunge

Great review. I was massively disappointed by the Prismo myself. You should try out the Nanopresso though! Really brilliant and makes great espresso in my opinion.

I've just got back from travelling around SE Asia - with a Kompresso (with a Flair Pro2 funnel and a mini WDT tool i picked up from Temu) and a Timemore Nano grinder - and have to say as my travel coffee set up - often better than most coffee shops - but of course that could also be the beans and many Asian Baristas not actually drinking coffee - having tried the Nano, PicoPresso etc - easily my favourite travel coffee maker - lightweight, easy to use and clean - and makes more than acceptable espresso-like coffee

Hi James, brilliant video! Please consider doing a review of the Cafflano Klassic travel pour-over kit. I'm curious to see if you think it's just a gimmick or it might be a real option for us road warriors who want to brew a larger cup than an Aeropress can provide. Thanks!

really laughing during the prismo valve accidently open. Because I faced the same thing before hahahaha.

Love the fact that James could transition into a physics youtuber. With that in mind, the “I’d like to see their maths on that” comment blooms into something much more serious ;-)

I own a prismo and I used it for a regular aeropress brew. got it from contributing to the aeropress movie. I would say great for brewing coffee.

For as much as the Kompresso wants to be a travel option, it looks far too much like a bong for me to travel with it.

I've been using the Fellow Prismo for over a year now and consistently get crema using the following method: use metal filter AND paper filter (increases pressure); after grinding and pouring grounds into tube, tamp coffee grounds using plunger (or narrow spice jar); pour a few drops of water over the grounds to pre-soak puck before pouring in the remainder of the water; cover with open end of plunger (don't insert the way you did); let soak for one minute or more (for stronger brew); stir for 20-30 seconds; enjoy the aroma of the bloom!!!; press plunger SLOWLY all the way down (20+ seconds); marvel at your crema. Enjoy. Later, unscrew Prismo and push out puck and filter into compost bin.

Glad you did the Prismo, I was really wondering what the point of it was. Describing it as a aeropress hack is perfect. I'm still curious though what affect the valve has on the actually brewing of the coffee as everything happens in the chamber above.

Great explanation my friend.

Thank you for your continued videos and content. I do own the Prismo. While I don't use it that often (as I have a "real" espresso machine at home), it really does travel well along with the very light and compact and indestructible Aeropress. As you can notice, there is a considerable difference in space these two devices take up. The Prismo can fit inside the tote bag along with the Aeropress, compact grinder, and other little things. That's why I like it. When traveling you can make both your coffee and espresso-like beverage, all with just some hot water. I also like the fact that with the Prismo you can adjust and play around with different recipes, ratios, etc. All this being said, my #1 go to 'real' portable espresso machine is the "Handpresso" which although can only make small shots, they truly are pretty great shots, and you can adjust the bars of pressure and decide how much pre-infusion you want.

I just got the fellow aero press attachement. I've brewed a few shots and I agree that their recommendation for ratios seems off. I think a little more water will help. I was very pleased with an iced "latte" I was able to make. Still able to taste the coffee through the milk and sugar. I think for milk drinks it's a nice little tool. But yes if you're looking for true espresso this is not the way.

Rocking that cable knit

Very insightful! On a side note, what do you think about wacaco's nanopresso? They claim it reaches 18 bars

Could you review the Mr. Coffee? I don’t trust Joe DiMaggio.

Fwiw you can use a paper filter on top of the fellow filter. I like that its depth allows a slightly larger volume of brew water into the Aeropress.

Love my Fellow Prismo. I even did a video on it too!

James you are so classy and hilarious at the same time 😂😂😂😂😂 Love all your videos🎉

Thanks for confirming my experience with the cafflano. Their filter/grinder-all-in-one is my FAVOURITE coffee gadget but the espresso one just isn’t up to what they promised. HOWEVER still a fun gadget from time to time when no espresso machine is around.

Dear James, What is to go drink when you got a shop? Are you picky regarding coffee when you go out?

I'd be curious about your thoughts on the Delter Coffee Press. It's fairly new and possibly only in Australia at this point but I've been enjoying it as a (sub-espresso-level) pressure based aeropress alternative.

please do a review of the Bellman Stovetop Steamer!!! :D

What a perfect video! So much fun, so well done, and I love your viewer-supported product review idea!

Hey James, just started subscribing you for a month and i love the way you explain everything about coffee. Anyway, i have a Minipresso GR and a Staresso that works similarly with both products that you reviewed. I love both Minipresso and Staresso but the later has a lot of problem with its components, some of it fell apart quite easily and i just lost the basket which cost about 10$ ish. Anyway, you should try them both because i think that they're possibly better than these products.

I get more crema from my AeroPress (and a larger amount of coffee - nice!) by simply using a metal filter and the inverted method. The extra weight and fuss with the Fellow Prismo seems like a waste with little or no benefit. ONE WEEK LATER: For mobile espresso-like shots, I‘m now truly enjoying my new Starpresso (the model with the glass included - not the one with the fold-out legs). It‘s proven very easy to use, and if you leave the bottom bits at home (glass holder and glass) it is highly compact and very light in weight, so perfect for travel or backpacking. For a bigger cup of dark coffee, my AeroPress still rules, but for a nice, intense shot with wonderful crema, the Starpresso is doing the job far better than either of the two items reviewed here. Still curious how the Starpresso might stack up against the Nanopresso. Will try that out one day when budget allows. Or maybe James will do that review first? :-)

James have you seen the Gabi Master drip brewer? Looks like a hybrid Kalita/Clever dripper but does away with the need for a gooseneck kettle and some of the faff usually associated with pour over coffee. It’s been it a little while but I can’t find much about it. I saw Caravan we’re selling them and wondered if you’ve used one or rate them. Thanks

Great video, similar to these I'd be interested to so handpresso vs minipresso, both claim to be higher pressure

I, just purchased the prismo to go with my new Areporess, defiantly intresting but would prefer bigger espresso ie a bit more liquid

I bought the Prismo and didn't think the amount of water they suggested was enough. Also, although I used 212F water, it wasn't sufficiently hot the way I like actual espresso. Haven't used it much, as the Aeropress makes quite good coffee on its own.

If you put a SECOND paper filter on top of the bloomed puck in the aero press, then press (I forget whether you fill to the top first, or float the filter on top of the bloom--you get faux crema. BUT it’s extremely hard to push the piston down-it’s like a gym workout. I would imagine that valve disc is based on this old aero press trick.

i use the prismo and it's the closest thing that i have to an espresso. I brew my 20g fine coffee and 50-60ml water. I add a bit of milk (50-60ml) my recipe: Inverted method (which i think adds more pressure when you tilt the Aeropress) - A add paper filter which does a cleaner taste (filters out the sediments from the fine grounds) - add beans to preheated aeropress - gently stir til 35s mark. close aeropress using plunger - on 1minute or 1:10 mark, flip the aeropress and plunge as quickly as you can - crema usually happens, add milk and voila!

You made an excellent point in comparing crema to the head of a beer. Given enough time, the crema will disappear just like the head of a beer. I live 30 minutes away from the nearest espresso machine (thus my interest in this video) and will buy 12 oz of espresso in one go to use over several days with my regular Moka pot coffee. The crema disappears even before i get home. The unimportance of it never occurred to me until this video.

I have the prismo but haven't ever been satisfied with anything I've made on it tbh. I would love to see your take on the Wacaco Nanopresso. It is my favourite manual 'espresso like' coffee brewer.

Love your videos. I´d like to ask which scales are you using? Thanks in advance.

Maybe you'll try to use paper filter with prismo over the metal one? It can do some additional pressure i think

FYI: You can use a paper filter with the Prismo. You still need the stainless mesh filter for support, but you put the standard Aeropress paper above it, between the coffee and the stainless filter. If you don't use the stainless filter, or try to put the paper filter below it, the paper will clog the silicone valve and stop the flow. That way you get the "benefits" (?) of using the Prismo, your coffee tastes cleaner without the oil and it is less cholesterol raising (because compounds found in coffee oil cause your liver to produce more cholesterol). The advantage of using the Prismo over the OEM Aeropress setup I guess, is that the valve stops the egress of coffee via gravity as you're letting it brew. Something mitigated by simply turning it over, using it with the OEM components and saving your money.

I was very interested in this one as I just do manual espresso-like shots. I bought the Fellow Prismo because I already had the Aeropress, and I was pursuing that quest for crema with aeropress which is for me a really fun and versatile product. But I was very interested in the Kompresso. I would be very interested in your thought on the Handpresso Pump!

hello mr.hoffman, i'm your new viewer from indonesia. have you ever tried using aeropress paper filter with the cafflano kompresso? if you have tried, how the result? is it better than without aeropress paper filter? if you never try, what your thought about that? thankyou mr.hoffman.

James would you please review the (STARESSO Portable Espresso Maker, 3rd Gen Upgraded Manual Espresso Machine) Since it seems to be the only pump type that handles a double shot? All other pump types handle single shots?