[Review] Third-Generation Star Particle Hand-Pressed Espresso Machine Evaluation - Can a Hand-Press Coffee Machine Produce Rich Crema?

Unboxing the Compact Manual Espresso Machine

When I heard from a friend that a compact manual espresso machine had entered the market, supposedly capable of producing rich crema, FrontStreet Coffee, always embracing a spirit of exploring new things, naturally had to test this interesting machine.

So, let's begin the unboxing ceremony. The box is quite simple and aesthetically pleasing. Opening it reveals a small manual espresso machine nestled inside, with a small coffee spoon beside it, presumably for measuring coffee grounds.

Opening the top cover reveals a distinct plastic smell. It's recommended to clean with hot water before use and let it air dry for a few days.

This manual espresso machine is the third-generation product from Star Grain, showing significant improvements over the previous two generations. For instance, it features a collapsible stand that folds compactly against the machine when not in use, saving space. When deployed, it supports the entire machine and comes with a clasp mechanism, making the stand quite sturdy.

Disassembling and Studying the Construction

To understand its extraction principle, one must first learn how to disassemble it! The official instruction manual includes a component breakdown diagram, which we can examine:

As shown in the image above, basically all components can be disassembled.

The topmost component is a syringe-like pressure device with a spring inside that automatically resets after being pressed down. The operating principle is similar to the Delter Press – when the pressure rod moves upward, it draws water, and when pressed down, it ejects the water inside.

The large cylindrical component in the middle is the water tank, used for holding hot water.

Moving to the water injection part, the distribution screen here is quite interesting. Since water is injected from the center, and the distribution screen has no holes in its middle section, this design is identical to that of traditional espresso machines.

The bottom cover has a pressure regulation valve. According to the manufacturer, it allows free adjustment between 15-20 bar (I'm somewhat skeptical). During disassembly, turning the pressure regulation valve actually adjusts the internal piston. When tightened to the maximum, the piston is fully open, while when loosened, the piston is in a semi-closed state.

Can It Really Produce Crema? Let's Try It Now

According to the official instruction manual, this product's portafilter can hold 18-22 grams of coffee grounds, and the water capacity is 120-180ml. For FrontStreet Coffee's first attempt, we used 18 grams of coffee grounds with 120ml of water.

First, pour 18 grams of coffee grounds into the portafilter. The grind size was directly set to the same fineness as our shop's espresso machine – similar to flour texture.

Use a tamper to compact and level the coffee grounds. There's a MAX line on the edge of the portafilter – just don't exceed it.

After tamping, attach it to the water tank and tighten.

At this point, you can place it on the stand and pour in 120ml of boiling water. There are measurement lines inside to reference.

Then attach the top cover, tighten it, and begin pressing the pressure rod with continuous, rhythmic motion. Following the recommendation of 1-2 second intervals between each press, coffee liquid began to appear at approximately 20 seconds.

I stopped when the liquid volume reached 60ml. Surprisingly, such a compact machine was able to produce crema, and quite rich crema at that.

However, when tasting, it was somewhat watery and bitter, with the surface of the crema turning white in the middle, indicating over-extraction. So FrontStreet Coffee decided to adjust the parameters and try again. We continued using 18 grams of coffee grounds, still with 120ml of water at 95°C. This time, we stopped at 40ml of coffee liquid.

This time, the espresso had good body and relatively finer crema. Let's try making a hot latte! We'll skip the details of how to froth milk. Overall, this crema is qualified – no clumping, no breakdown. The large bubbles around the edges were created when pouring the espresso into the coffee cup and are somewhat difficult to eliminate, while the latte art pattern formed very comfortably.

This manual espresso machine is genuinely quite impressive, especially in the moment when it produces that golden coffee liquid. Compared to similar manual espresso machines or capsule machines in the same price range, it offers significant competitiveness. Its greatest advantage is the ability to choose various coffee beans – this freedom of choice is superior to capsule machines. In terms of stability, honestly, it's comparable to semi-automatic espresso machines, mainly depending on the operator's skill level. As for coffee grind size selection, simply use the same grind as you would with a semi-automatic espresso machine.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473