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GSI Outdoors Expresso Maker - 4 Cup

$34.95

(13)

Item # 401040

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Indulge yourself at camp with a cup of steaming espresso--it takes just 90 seconds to make with this Italian coffee maker.

Made from lightweight aluminum, this European-style espresso machine is finely crafted with a brass steam pipe
Designed for use on low heat over your backpacking stove
Tank holds 10 oz. of water and fresh ground coffee

Imported.

Item 401040

View all GSI Outdoors products

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GSI Outdoors Expresso Maker - 4 Cup Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup

2.8

(based on 13 reviews)

54%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Stable (4)
Compact (3)
Durable (3)
Easy to clean (3)

Cons

Heavy (6)
Heavy / bulky (5)
Not durable (4)

Best Uses

Car camping (10)
Backpacking (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (6), Casual/ recreational (4)
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Comfort driven (8), Survivalist / minimalist (4)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (3)

Reviewed by 13 customers

Sort by

Displaying reviews 1-10

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Jul

2009

(5 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Not worth it's weight...

By Flyin Brian

from Antioch, Ca

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact

Cons

Bulky
Heavy

Best Uses

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

First of all, I admit I am a coffee snob. I roast in my garage and have a full espresso setup with professional grinder in my kitchen. I saw this at REI while we were getting a few items for a 4 day backpacking trip and thought "what the heck" even though it weighs almost 1 lb, maybe we can make an exception and splurge a little, just to have a real americano in the morning instead of the cowboy coffee I usually make. The results are it does make a decent espresso, but I am planning to return it as it is not worth the trouble or weight to haul around on a backpacking trip. I spent 4 days waking up and dreading having to use this thing and wishing I had even one paper coffee filter to make some drip coffee. It's not like this is some unproven design, it's the same as the stovetop Moka Express by Bialetti, only it doesn't work as well as my Bialetti. This thing starts off great with a good shot coming out, then it starts sputtering and spitting and blows coffee drops all over the place. I think the funnel inside may be too short, as there is water left inside when it is done brewing - a lot more than in a Moka machine.

If you are car camping or in a cabin where you aren't concerned about weight, then sure you could use this machine. But you wouldn't use this machine because you could by a Bialetti Moka for the same or less, and have a FAR superior experience.

Jan

2009

(3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Only if someone else carries it....

By John F

from Maryland

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Bulky
Heavy
Not durable

Best Uses

Car Camping

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

Too flimsy, bulky and heavy for backcountry use. Makes a nice cup of coffee - definite luxury item if you're in the woods. Better suited for car camping or in a cabin where the fragile tube is less likely to get wrecked.

Dec

2008

(3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Needs a new design

By CPT Ted

from Nevada

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Cheap

Cons

Bulky
Not durable

Best Uses

boating
Car Camping

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

I also bought mine for use on a boat. We do a lot of camping on the lake an coffee in the mornings is a must. Even though I packed it well we hit some rough water and the tube bent, over all it bent twice and broke during the second straitening. I think the tube needs to be detachable and stored inside. The coffee it produced was OK. All in All I am going back to my french press. It makes great coffee and all the working parts are stored inside. It is probably too heavy for backpacking as it is made out of glass and aluminum but maybe they make a light weight one.

Jul

2008

(3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Too Fragile

By Capt Chuck

from Cambridge, MA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Not durable

Best Uses

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

Arrived with the tube already bent. Didn't survive the initial cleaning. Clearly wouldn't have survived long on a sailboat.

Jun

2008

(3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Great coffee, before it breaks...

By Morocco Mountain Man

from Marrakech, Morocco

About Me Professional Guide

See all my reviews

Pros

Great coffee
Just add fire
Stable

Cons

Bulky
Heavy
Not durable

Best Uses

Anytime you'd like a brew
Backpacking
Car Camping
High Altitude
Hiking

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

Although I'd like to think of myself as a minimalist, some things are worth their weight. Coffee is one of those things! A good cup-o-joe turns a **** trip into a ***** experience. GSI's 'expresso' maker puts out a great cup of coffee in any situation where a flame is available. Unfortunately the spout is not so durable and breaks with surprisingly little pressure. This makes it VERY difficult to pack. I have broken and returned mine 3 times now. I think I'm done with it finally. Back to the drawing board on good back country coffee.

Nov

2007

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Nice Luxury

By Bigger Al

from Auburn, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy To Clean
Stable

Cons

Bulky

Best Uses

Car Camping
Hiking

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

This thing is great for a family camping trip or one where weight and packability aren't big issues. It makes a great cuppa Joe, but is a bit messy to clean up.

Sep

2007

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great taste, but at a cost.

By Chigger

from Cheeseville, WI

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Great taste

Cons

Grounds in cup like perk
Heavy

Best Uses

Car Camping
Home

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

Great coffee but it's heavy and gets grounds in coffee like a perk. I added a paper filter to remove grounds. It results in espresso like coffee. GSI calls it an "expresso" not to confuse it with an "espresso" maker. My wife uses it at home too.

Dec

2009

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Excellent product for coffee addict!

By TPH372

from LA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy To Clean

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

Mine is a 4 cup stainless steel. A Thanksgiving gift from my son. Did not have instruction when I got it, but pdf is readily available at GSI website. Very solidly made and I have no doubt that this will last a loooong time.This machine work every time with my Giga Power as well as, with my kitchen stove. Takes only 2-5 minutes depending on the amount of finely grind coffee used. 4 cups is the small expresso cup which is about 10.5 oz. If you want great expresso in the wilderness, look no further.

Apr

2008

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

LOVE IT!

By AK Chick

from Anchorage, AK

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Difficult to Clean

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

I love my little espresso maker. Contrary to what one reviewer wrote, this is an espresso coffee maker. I would give this 5 stars except it's a bit messy when it brews and is hard to clean. I use a tall cup to help cut down on the splatter when the espresso starts flowing. However, it makes an excellent latte with a little heated milk in winter and iced milk in summer. Delicious! The key is to get coffee ground for a home espresso machine (not as fine as a commercial espresso and not as coarsely ground as drip coffee) and don't tamp the coffee down. The best way I've found to clean it is to let it cool and then use a spoon to scoop out the grounds, then wash it out with soapy water, rinse and dry.

Apr

2008

(1 of 10 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

GSI Mini Expresso Maker

By Mark_nz

from Christchurch, New Zealand

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact

Cons

Heavy
Not Green

Best Uses

Car Camping

Comments about GSI Expresso Maker - 4 Cup:

The GSI Mini-Expresso Maker is a keen idea but the product has designs faults.

1. Wiki defines express as requiring high pressure of 0.82 to1.8 MPa which the GSI only produces a small fraction of that pressure. The GSI is a Moka machine not an espresso machine.
2. The heat transfer from flame to the water is inefficient and wasteful. This could be improved with fins on the bottom and thinner walls up the sides.
3. When finished brewing the unit is too hot to touch for quite some time. This is a waste of energy.
4. At 0.43Kg (15 oz) weight may be a bit much for packing/tramping.