GSI Outdoors 4 Cup Stainless Mini Expresso

There is something about the efficiency of camping gear that makes me happy. No frills, no ornament, just exactly what you need with tough durable quality construction. This coffee maker is precisely that.You want espresso? It makes it. You want a cup of coffee? It makes that too. Tea? Of course! It can do it all in about 3 minutes. Works great on the burner at home and even better over the stove at camp. Coffee tastes fresh and is delivered hot! It breaks down and can be thrown into a pack and put back together in 15 seconds.Indeed, there is some splatter at the end of the brew. The trick is to take it off the heat right as it starts to really jet out at the end and let it sit for about 30 seconds. Then put it back on the heat and it will come out smoothly again. You get the most out of each batch that way. I also put some tin foil over the top of the cup and that keeps any coffee from getting on my stove.Really, this is an excellent product. I can't recommend it enough.

The first was my kelty microfleece sleeping bag warmer, but if I have to get out of that on a cold morning, at least I can slide ride into a nice hot espresso to make up for it. This thing will take the worst ground coffee (stale folgers that was left over from the last camping trip) and the worst tasting water (North Texas lake water in August) and turn it into wine...wait...wrong time of day. But you get the idea. Easy, fast, worth the weight, you can make regular coffee if you water it down, or drink it straight up. The trick is to screw the thing down as tight as you can when you put it together. I use it with a jetboil stove, you will want a large mug to catch the espresso, because it does splatter and sputter. Totally beats any coffee I have ever made outdoors, and I own the lot of camping and backpacking coffee makers - drip, propane, press, percopot - tried em all and nothing comes close to the flavor this little device doles out. I have taken to using at home too as it does a better job than my electric espresso maker. I will not hesitate to take this backpacking - at a pound of weight, its absolutely worth it!

Bought this unit mainly because it was stainless steel and works on a stove top. Well made and simple to use. It functions better with a full pot of water and coffee and not so well with 1/2 measure. Tends to 'spit' at the end of its production cycle, so I am looking for a fully enclosed stainless steel model like my old electric unit.

i bought a one-shot and also this 4-shot. The 1-shot was disappointing due to leaking pressure valve and short takeup tube and the black plastic protector being too thin and nothign like the photo.This 4-shot one is disappointing due to the black protector actually sliding up and down the shaft of the output tube. It is loose. (incidentally it looks like the photo, and this is also the protector that I received on the one-shot). For a supposedly premium quality product this is a poor result - two items, two disappointing build-quality experiences.It does however make a nice coffee, it is stainless steel rather than aluminium, and it is a convenient travel accessory. If I had not also had the bummer one-shot I would have been more forgiving on the sliding plastic.

I love this coffee maker, but warning, it splatters because of its design, so you have to chose the right cup to accompany it. The cup must be tall and able to accommodate a full cup of coffee, because near the end of the 'brew', the water jets out with a lot of force, and splatters, so the wrong mug could make a mess. Also, it helps if the cup has a protective handle, or doesn't get too hot, as the metal base transfers a lot of heat. The ideal mug would be tall and wide, with an insulated handle, and a cover that allows just the spout to enter. I am surprised that GSI hasn't developed one, yet.I used to have the single cup aluminium version, and I found I had to waste a lot of time as a decent coffee for me is about 3 or four of what the smaller one produces, but this one gives me a nice healthy mugful, in about the same amount of time, and at not much extra weight. Also, I was a bit sketched out at using aluminium at such a high temperature, so the stainless steel is worth it to me, as it is less likely that I imbibe some of the metal.

Fantastic construction and functionality. We use this at home to make espresso. Makes about 4 shots. I add water to mine because it is strong! Good for me and my husband as he likes his coffee strong and I like mine a little more mild. Easy to clean. Sturdy. I also like the design. I think it's attractive and works well.

The espresso maker discharges a sludge as well as the coffee into the cup provided.It stopped up the paper cone filter because as it did not freely flow through .The coffee did not have the smoothness [ no bitterness ] like true espresso.Good design idea though bad taste.

I recently returned from a trip to Italy (Rome, Napoli and Sorrento) and had capuccino nearly every day. In my opinion, this espresso maker, paired with real Italian espresso roast (like Kimbo or Mutesi) and frothed milk, produces a home-brewed drink that's as good as what you get in the old country. There are a couple of fine points to consider like cleaning the unit after each use and the espresso should be poured nearly immediately after extraction in order to retain heat. I measured 2 ounces of brewed espresso, and added to it 2 ounces of warmed (but not boiled) milk and 2 ounces of frothed milk to make the capucccino.