5 Ways To Make Espresso Without A Big Machine

Few things wake the body up like a freshly brewed cup of good espresso. But your options for a cafe-quality cup at home are limited. Large espresso machines like those at coffee shops are expensive and can be intimidating to newcomers. Thankfully, there's a handful of ways to (mostly) get around these restrictions and make your own espresso without a big machine.

Between classic alternatives like a French press or moka pot, more modern gadgets like an AeroPress, or even just plain old instant espresso mix, there are many options for a good, espresso-like coffee at home. However, none of these methods will reach the high brewing pressures — often 9 bars of pressure, but generally between 7 and 11 — that enable a rapid brew and define true espresso.

These alternative espresso methods check many of the same sensory boxes as the real deal, especially for casual drinkers. But thanks to the development of portable espresso makers, even true espresso enthusiasts can find a satisfying option.

Instant espresso, sometimes labeled espresso-style coffee, is the easiest and most affordable way to make an espresso-like coffee at home. Using absolutely no pressure at all, simply mix the instant espresso into hot water or milk as instructed on the packaging. You can even use cold water instead for a cold brew-style espresso imitation that's perfect on hot days. 

Instant espresso and instant coffee are more similar than their freshly-brewed counterparts. The main difference is that instant espresso has a stronger, more concentrated flavor than instant coffee. You can easily find a variety of instant espresso powders on Amazon, and here's the No1 best seller from Nescafé.  If you're missing the feel of that satisfying crema on top of your cup of espresso, you can DIY it, in a sense, by lightly whipping the liquid with a milk frother.

A classic French press is one of the best ways to brew coffee, but it's also one of the better ways to make an espresso-style coffee without a large machine — or any electricity at all. But it's not quite as simple as brewing an extra-strong cup; there are a few important things to consider. For one, your French press espresso will taste closer to the real deal if you use espresso roast coffee, which is roasted specifically to replicate espresso's signature bitter bite.

You will also want to be sure to use medium-fine ground coffee. Authentic espresso uses beans that are ground into an ultra-fine texture that's almost powder in order to increase the surface area of the coffee grounds making contact with pressurized hot water. But you may find that too many of these tiny grounds escape the filter of a French press, which can cause unpleasant textures in your coffee. Just be sure to use a quality French press like this model from Bodum.

Something of a sibling to the venerable French press, an AeroPress is a portable, electricity-free way to brew a great cup of espresso-style coffee. Unlike French presses, however, the AeroPress, which is available on Amazon, can also take several modifications to more closely replicate real espresso.

AeroPress offers an accessory called a Flow Control Filter Cap, for sale on Amazon for about $25. When applied, the filter cap greatly increases the pressure of the brew. AeroPresses cannot handle the high pressure of true espresso without breaking, but this more modest boost will still produce crema, one of the hallmarks of espresso.

AeroPress also sells fine coffee filters made of metal on Amazon. This filter is not as fine as the AeroPress' standard paper filter, but it is finer than many French press filters. This medium grind allows some (but not too many) of the ultra-fine coffee grounds into your drink, giving this espresso alternative a thicker, richer mouthfeel –– much like the real thing.

Moka pots are a signature of the Italian coffee scene, known for brewing strong cups of coffee with pressurized hot water. That notable similarity with true espresso helped make moka pots a go-to espresso substitute since the coffee maker's 1930s debut.

Although moka pots generate steam pressure to brew a strong coffee, the pressure is nowhere near the 9 bars needed for true espresso. A moka pot only creates about 1.5 bars of pressure, which is not enough to produce crema like a real espresso machine. But it will brew coffee with espresso-like strength, enjoyable either on its own or as the start of other espresso-based coffee drinks. Best of all, you can take it on the go an make espresso even when you're camping.

Much like a French press, moka pot espresso works best with a fine to medium-fine grind. The ultra-fine grind of espresso-style coffee easily gums up the filter on a moka pot, generating dangerously high pressure during the brew. Avoid tamping the grounds for similar reasons. Do not blow up your moka pot! They range in price, and this model on Amazon from Primula is a solid choice.

For espresso enthusiasts who want the real deal without a big machine, the only real option is a portable espresso maker, which uses built-in pumps to generate brewing pressure. But these travel-friendly machines can be intimidating to casual espresso fans. High-quality models can cost north of $300, and variants that use manual pumps can be physically exhausting to use.

There are many different portable espresso makers on the market, and different models are capable of different pressures. Some even feature pressure gauges that allow you to tweak the flavor and texture of your espresso using different pressure levels, just like with a full-size espresso machine.

A number of portable espresso machines lean into the convenience suggested by their name. They can take either your coffee grounds of choice or prepackaged Nespresso capsules. The market for portable espresso makers contains a lot of variety, but they collectively represent the closest you can get to brewing true espresso without a large machine.