After a month of testing, we were impressed by the bold flavor and grit-free sipping experience this travel press consistently yielded.
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Whether you’re racing out the door for an early commute, chasing the sunrise on a trail or craving a second cup halfway through the workday, a travel French press makes fresh coffee attainable wherever you are. Just add your grounds, pour in hot water when you’re ready to brew, and press down the filter for a hot, rich cup of Joe—no burnt microwave coffee or cafe line required.
The ESPRO Ultralight Travel Coffee Press checks all the right boxes. It’s lightweight, easy to use, durable and compact enough to toss into a gym bag, work tote or backpack.
We spent a month testing it everywhere, from kitchen counters to car rides and early morning workouts, to see whether it could keep up. Here’s how the travel coffee press performed.
ESPRO P0 Ultralight Travel French Press
A travel coffee press that makes brewing and sipping on the go delicious and easy.
What is the ESPRO Travel French Press?
The ESPRO Ultralight Travel French Press is built for coffee lovers who want fresh brews on the go. One of the lightest travel presses on the market, it’s designed to deliver hot, tasty coffee whether you’re commuting to work or camping for the weekend.
The double-micromesh filtration system creates a noticeably smooth, grit-free cup. Lined with a silicone lip that seals tightly against the interior of the container, the filters create a vacuum seal that stops extraction the second you press the plunger down. Translation: no over-brewed bitterness and a consistently balanced cup from the first sip to the last.
Plus, the vacuum-insulated double-wall construction keeps coffee hot for hours, making it ideal for long commutes, road trips or slow mornings outdoors. And because nobody wants coffee leaking all over their backpack, the leakproof lid keeps everything securely contained while traveling. A looped top handle adds an extra layer of portability, letting you clip the press onto your bag and head out the door with caffeine in tow.
How We Tested
We spent several weeks testing the ESPRO Travel Press at home and on the go. From the kitchen to the car to the outdoors, we took it along just about everywhere we went, especially when we knew gas station coffee wasn’t going to cut it.
Design
Made for on-the-go use, the ESPRO proved to be leakproof and lightweight during testing. Its slim shape slides easily into most car cupholders and backpack water bottle pockets, while the top handle makes it easy to clip on with a carabiner and hit the road.
Marwyn Garcia, Regional Vice President of Operations at Headcount Coffee, recommends stainless steel as the only practical material for travel presses. “They don’t break, chip or shatter, and they keep heat in better than borosilicate glass,” he says.
The insulated stainless-steel body of the ESPRO doubles as a travel mug and keeps coffee hot for hours. In other words, it’s not just a mini French press pretending to be travel-friendly. The two-in-one device goes toe-to-toe with other stainless steel travel coffee mugs.
Usage
Using the ESPRO is pretty straightforward: add grounds, pour hot water, wait a few minutes and press. Simple enough. But there is one thing worth mentioning: the tight silicone seal around the double-filter means pushing the plunger down takes a good amount of force.
The upside? Smooth, grit-free coffee. The downside? You’ll likely need a firm, flat service to press the plunger all the way down, and you probably won’t want to attempt pressing while commuting, walking or doing anything remotely bumpy. Even if you can press the plunger down while in motion, you’ll likely have to dodge the hot coffee splashing back.
Once pressed, though, sipping on the go is easy thanks to the built-in drinking lid. Black coffee drinkers will probably love the setup most, but I still managed to sneak in a little creamer through the sipping holes when necessary. Obviously, pouring the coffee into a separate cup would circumvent this issue entirely.
One of the best features is how the press stops extraction immediately after plunging, meaning your coffee doesn’t keep brewing into a bitter mess. Brew it before leaving the house, and your last sip tastes just as good as the first. (But be careful, contents stay hot for a while!)
You can also preload the press with dry grounds and add hot water later when you’re ready to caffeinate. It’s a smart setup when you want to keep things lightweight and extra fresh. You’ll just want to be sure you have access to hot water.
Brewing
Brewing takes as long as it normally would in a standard French press (roughly 4 minutes). One thing to note is that the leakproof lid only fits once the coffee has been fully pressed. Before brewing, you can carry dry grounds inside with the lid attached, but once water goes in, it’s plunge first, lid second.
Taste
The ESPRO travel press makes a bold cup of coffee. Using a fine to medium grind and standard steep time, I got rich, smooth brews with virtually no grounds present. Even standard store-bought grounds worked well in the travel press. The ultra-fine double filter allows for finer grinds than a traditional French press, making the device more versatile and extracting deeper flavor.
Grounds only occasionally appeared near the last sip. Often, I poured coffee from the travel press into a mug, which helped prevent that issue. ESPRO also sells paper filters designed to fit the travel press for a cleaner, pour-over-style cup. I didn’t test them personally, but they could be worth checking out if you prefer a lighter, less oily brew.
I found that two generous scoops of coffee are enough with about a 10-ounce water ratio (the device has a 16-ounce capacity in total). If you like dark, robust coffee like me, then you’ll probably love the results. If you prefer lighter brews, ease up on the grounds or shorten the steep time.
Cleaning
Cleaning the ESPRO turned out to be relatively painless. Honestly, I found it easier than cleaning a traditional French press. A high-pressure rinse with hot water handled most cleanup between brews, and for a deeper clean, the whole thing survived the dishwasher’s top rack without issue.
If you’re cleaning it outdoors or at a campsite where access to hot water might be limited, it may require a little more diligence, as fine grounds can cling to the mesh filters. I found that rubbing my finger against the filter helped release stuck grounds.
Pros
- Compact two-in-one design
- Keeps coffee hot for hours
- Smooth, grit-free brew
- Stops over-extraction
- Leakproof for travel
- Minimal gear required
Cons
- Pushing plunger down takes effort
- Limited room for add-ins
- Cleaning on the go takes effort
- Small capacity
Final Verdict
The ESPRO Ultralight Travel Press makes brewing fresh coffee on the go quick and easy. Its lightweight build, leakproof design, built-in sipping lid and clip-friendly handle make it genuinely travel-ready, while the two-in-one brewer-and-mug setup helps justify the slightly higher price point. It’s especially great for solo coffee drinkers who want fresh French press coffee without the hassle of packing separate equipment.
That said, the tight rubber seal means the plunger takes effort to push down—not exactly a one-handed operation. We also found that you’ll want to press slowly to avoid hot coffee splashing onto your hands. And while it’s a solid option for camping or hiking, cleaning the fine-mesh filters outdoors can be a bit tedious when water is limited.
Bottom line: If you want bold, freshly brewed coffee almost anywhere, the ESPRO Travel French Press delivers. Just make sure you have hot water and a little muscle power.
Where to Buy
ESPRO P0 Ultralight Travel French Press
A two-in-one French press and travel mug that makes a strong, delicious cup of coffee.
The ESPRO Ultralight Travel Coffee Press retails for around $50 and is available directly from ESPRO and on Amazon.
FAQ
How do you use the ESPRO Travel French Press?
Using the ESPRO Travel French Press is straightforward: Add coffee grounds and hot water, let the coffee steep for a few minutes, then slowly press down the plunger with the dual-filter system. Once pressed, you can sip directly from the built-in drinking lid, while the leakproof top helps prevent spills during commutes, travel or outdoor adventures.
How do you clean the ESPRO Travel French Press?
Between brews, simply take the components apart and rinse everything thoroughly with hot water. For stuck grounds or deeper cleaning, use a soft sponge with warm soapy water to gently clean the filters and interior. During testing, we also found the ESPRO Travel French Press held up well in the dishwasher’s top rack when a more thorough cleanup was needed.
Why You Should Trust Us
The Taste of Home team tests a wide range of coffee products from traditional machines and pod systems to travel mugs and coffee subscriptions. We’re experts in brewing and assessing performance, consistency, ease of use and overall flavor.
To keep our reviews practical and relatable, we test products in real-life conditions, often in our own homes and daily routines, to see how they perform for the average consumer. For additional insight on travel coffee presses, we also consulted Marwyn Garcia, Regional Vice President of Operations at Headcount Coffee.
