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| CoffeeJack Pro/v2 |
A few weeks ago, I made a CoffeeJack Pro Flowchart so I could learn espresso concepts, while also figuring out how to use my new toy. Except that this thing isn't a toy. It's a well-engineered, heavy-duty little manual machine that makes real espresso, easily able to achieve the magic nine bars of pressure. Except that there's really nothing magic about nine bars, but it can do it if you want it to.
I'm also a little hesitant to review the CJv2 because I'm an espresso-making newb, and I cannot even compare it to its similar manual cousins, like the Flair 58 or the Picopresso (starting at 1:08), let alone a counter-top model like a De'Longhi or a Gaggia. So the answer to any question that starts like, "how does it compare to the ..." is... I dunno.
For example, I didn't know that making espresso was kind of fiddly, regardless of method. Even with non-manual machines, you have to prepare the puck, which involves grinding very finely, mixing the grounds with a porcupine-like needle tool to break up the clumps, and tamping the grounds down into a dense bed (the resistance created by the grounds is what creates the pressure that defines what espresso is). You really need to preheat the cup you are brewing into because the volume is so low (a double-shot is only 36 ml or 1.25 fluid ounces); the cup will cool the espresso, and no one likes drinking lukewarm coffee.
Then, for manual methods, you have to preheat the tiny water chamber with boiling water, then finally, you brew: you empty and refill the water chamber, install the dense coffee puck, and then force the water through with a crank, in the case of CoffeeJack. Brewing takes about 30 seconds.
As with all espresso-making, things can go wrong. If you grind too fine, you "choke" the machine. If you grind too coarsely, the water almost falls through the puck. Surprisingly small changes to the grind determine whether it's a good shot or a bad one. This fiddly process even has a name: "dialing-in," which is the trial-and-error needed to find the perfect grind size. You have to repeat this process every time you change coffees, though it gets faster with experience. You can also overfill your portafilter basket, which can cause the machine to leak (the grounds swell, which can interfere with the seal). You also can't use stale coffee; if the coffee oils are too broken down, the puck will fall apart when you install it.
The CoffeeJack is remarkably forgiving. Out of the box, nearly all shots are drinkable, and most are better than what you'll get at Starbucks or Caribou Coffee. Only one has been bad, a truly awful mouth-puckering sour shot caused by grinding far too coarsely. But once I got past the learning curve, all shots have been at least very good, and a few shots have been divine. Hopefully I'll continue the upward trend.
The espresso-maker is 54 mm, which means any 54 mm portafilter basket will work with it. The one that comes with it makes a fine coffee, but the Ikape 54-to-32 mm step-down portafilter basket changes the taste a remarkable amount, creating a much sweeter shot. Because the basket is taller and narrower, it creates pressure more easily, allowing for a coarser grind (upgrading your portafilter is much cheaper than upgrading your grinder if it cannot grind finely enough).
A lever-style manual machine is probably easier to use than cranking, but lever machines are a lot bigger because they depend on a big arm and equally big support feet to gain the mechanical advantage needed to create 9 bars of pressure. If you've choked the machine, cranking can be downright difficult, but even this middle-aged, out-of-shape woman desk-jockey can do it. I do wish it were slightly narrower - a good grip would make cranking a little easier.
It's also tiny, and when not in use, my entire setup fits on a shelf, taking up less room than a shoebox:
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| It is small and surprisingly heavy at 1.3 kg/3 pounds. |
If you are starting from scratch, you will need some accessories:
The stand (in which case you also need the stand adaptor ring that, if you flip it over, doubles as a dosing funnel), or the little stainless steel cup which sockets into the bottom of the device. If you are only going to make espresso at home, get the stand and adaptor ring. If you plan to travel with it, get the cup.
You will need a tamper - It can be any 54-mm tamper, but CoffeeJack's mini tamper fits inside the portafilter basket or the cup, and it's great for traveling. Their regular tamper is perfectly fine, but I ended up preferring Normcore's clicky 54 mm v4.1 self-leveling tamper for everyday use (I'm apparently really bad at creating a level bed of coffee grounds).
Finally, while it's not strictly necessary, a WDT (Weiss Distribution Technique) tool is a very good idea. It lets you stir the grounds with several needles at once, breaking up clumps and improving extraction (even extraction = better flavor). You can find them for about $15-$30 on Amazon. Make sure you get one with a stand that protects the wires.
After that, all accessories are optional, and fun. I have a $30 milk frother that heats milk and adds foam, perfect for making lattes.
A final elephant-in-the-room note: CoffeeJack is a little bit infamous in the coffee world because of what happened during their first Kickstarter campaign, which was launched immediately before COVID broke. Then they got utterly slammed in every way that it's possible to be slammed, but still managed to deliver the device, though years late. They did learn from the painful experience, and their second campaign was run almost as well as it could be - they delivered only a couple of months late (which, in the Kickstarter world, isn't really late), and their communication to supporters was frequent and transparent. There were unanticipated hiccups (like needing to send out sachets of grease after the fact and asking early backers to lube their machines themselves, which was problematic for the not-so-handy), but they handled what was a big problem with grace.
I think the only/main unmitigated issue they need to work on is responding to communications from individuals. They've gotten somewhat better since their first campaign, but I'd like to see them improve more.
So, do I recommend the CoffeeJack Pro?
Yeah, I do. I like it a lot. It's built like a tank, all metal inside, so I expect to be using it for years and years. I'm delighted with it, really.
Links:
- Kickstarter (ended) with lots of info: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coffeejack/coffeejack-v2-gear-powered-portable-espresso-machine/description
- https://www.coffeejack.co.uk/
- Full review video by Lance Hedrick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQmtF_UI9Ps
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