A few years ago, even five years ago, it might have seemed like a geek, but today we can find on the market almost any device that can be plugged in “by USB”.
USB ports have gone from being an almost exclusive tool in the computer world to an everyday ally that allows us to charge or activate any household appliance. Of course, USB coffee makers are no exception, and although there are not many models to choose from, we are going to present them to society and find out more about them.
When we talk about a USB portable coffee maker, we must inevitably turn to the popular portable coffee makers that we have already talked about at length on our website. They are the same type of machine, but in this case with a different socket.
Mini USB coffee makers are a simple and convenient solution for enjoying coffee. A normal coffee maker, due to its size or energy requirements, has no place, for example, travel, vehicles or computer desks.
- FTVOGUE Espresso Machine, Portable , USB Automatic Capsule Coffee Machine
- KSTE Espresso Machine 1 PC Of Portable USB Electric Coffee Capsule Machine
As you can see, we do not have many options at the moment to buy a USB coffee maker. In many cases, it is the same model, with the same features, but marketed by different manufacturers.
How does USB coffee maker work?
In essence, mini USB coffee makers behave in the same way as almost all portable coffee makers. They can be considered, de facto, as a subset of the latter.
They have to be, by necessity, small-sized coffee machines as their power source is not too powerful. They could not heat a large amount of water, so they were limited to making one espresso per cup (about 30 ml).
Besides, they mostly use soft single-dose pods, usually of the ESE type. In some cases, however, ground coffee can also be used.
This type of coffee machine usually uses a 12 or 24-volt plug so that it can be connected to the cigarette lighter socket of a car. It also usually has a normal plug for the home standard electric current.
The novelty introduced by these portable coffee machines with USB is just that: replacing the 12-volt socket, which for many users can be impractical and limits its use to cars, with a much more conventional USB socket.
This allows us, for example, to be able to use the USB coffee maker to get a hot coffee anywhere by plugging it into a computer, wherever we have our electronic devices. And we can also continue to use them inside a car because nowadays, most vehicles also have USB sockets for data and for charging devices.
What are the advantages of USB coffee machines?
- On the one hand, it’s convenient: you can use it practically anywhere, whether you have a normal plug (since you can adapt it to any mobile phone charger, for example) or a laptop, your car or any other device that has USB sockets for charging devices.
- They are simple, small machines. They are perfect as a coffee machine for travelling or excursions.
The best mini USB coffee machine in 2023
To prepare this review with the best USB coffee machine on the market, we have chosen a white label product that you can find market from different manufacturers. It is a 550 ml capacity coffee maker whose casing is entirely made of black plastic, and, as we have already said, it is plugged into a USB socket. It does not have a normal power outlet.
To operate it, apart from having it plugged in, we must fill one of the two containers (the manufacturer calls them “capsules”) that the machine includes in its packaging with ground coffee. One is larger and the other smaller, depending on the size and intensity of the coffee you want.
Once we have the coffee ready (and the water, of course) with the coffee maker plugged into a USB socket, we only need to press the start switch and wait for about a minute. The coffee will be ready, hot and we can drink it directly from the cup of the coffee maker!
Advantages of the FTVOGUE USB coffee machine
- It has a built-in cup that allows you to drink directly from the coffee maker once the coffee is brewed. It is perfect as an outdoor coffee maker.
Disadvantages of the FTVOGUE USB coffee machine
- We can only use ground coffee, not pods.
- It forces us to pour hot water to prepare the coffee. In this case, the energy that the machine captures from the USB is used not to heat the water, but to generate the necessary pressure to be able to make a proper espresso.
Characteristics of the FTVOGUE USB coffee machine
- It measures 22 cm in height and 10.5 cm in width or diameter.
- The outer casing is made of plastic, but the inside is made of stainless steel.
- It includes two different sized capsules or containers for serving ground coffee.
- Only has a USB plug; it cannot be connected or plugged in any other way.
- Coffee cup integrated in the top of the machine (with lid).
- The base is made of silicone, so that it sits perfectly and does not slip.
FTVOGUE Espresso Machine, Portable, USB Automatic Capsule Coffee Machine
