Battery espresso is booming, and while a brand like Outin is stealing a lot of the attention, the MiiCoffee Eon is the cheap and flexible ticket in.
I have had my unit for several months, pulling hotel shots, travel shots, and even a few off-grid experiments.
This device has a lot of stuff going for it (besides its cheap price) but there is one crucial downside that you need to be aware of!
Heads up: The review unit was provided by the brand. They have had no influence on my testing procedure.
Quick Take
I like the 51 mm basket, included funnel and palm tamper are nice.
Build is decent, extremely similar to the other battery powered espresso makers on the market. Probably from the same factory? Similar thermos-looking design. Similar USB-C port that is covered.
First Impressions
First shots with a dark roast were okay, but I detected a little bit of a citric/acidic quality to the shot. A note that to me indicates a slightly low extraction temperature.
After testing it with thermo couples, it confirmed my suspicion: My review unit runs cooler than rivals. This affect what roast types you can brew with it.
Heat-up to “ready” is actaully very fast, it just takes about 2:20 minutes from room-temp water. But I consistently measured brewing temperature to 85–88 °C in the reservoir, which means brewing temps will be in the low-mid 80s.
Dark roasts are okay, medium and lighter roasts struggle unless you heat water separately in a kettle.
Perhaps this is just my unit that is slightly mis-calibrated, who knows?
Pulling the shot is also a bit weird: Once you hold in the botton for two seconds it starts the heating. But instead of just progressing directly to brewing once temperature is reached, it will beep to indicate that it’s ready and then it’s your job to double click the power button to activate the pump and pull the shot.
It has a pre-infusion mode that cannot be turned off. This can be either a pro or con, depending on who you ask.
How It Fits in the Market
Among battery espresso gadgets, the Eon is a good budget pick. Especially, if you can live with the slightly weaker built-in heating. It’s cheaper than most other brands, but in many ways very similar.
If you’re mainly going to use a kettle to boil the water, the lower temperature from the built-in heater is no big deal. So let’s say you’re going to use the Eon in an office or a hotel, then the performance should be just as good as with the more expensive flagship brands.
It uses the 51 mm portafilter format, which is a sweet spot if you ask me: accessory choice is broad, extraction is forgiving, and so is dose flexibility.
Temperature test
| Shot # | Temp (°C) | Time to temp |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 87.0 | 2:23 |
| 2 | 85.0 | 2:15 |
| 3 | 85.2 | 2:16 |
| 4 | 84.9 | 2:18 |
| 5 | 57.0 | battery died mid-shot |
Specs
- Weight: 729 g / with accessories 855 g
- Basket: 51 mm (Upgradeable to IMS)
- Battery: 7500mah rechargeable lithium-ion
- Battery: Expect 4 heated shots (60 ml in water tank) before battery dies
What I Liked
- 51 mm ecosystem: easy to find baskets, tampers, puck screens
- Included funnel + palm tamper are actually pretty nice and made of metal
- Great tasting shots if using a kettle for heating water
- Cheaper than rivals
What I Didn’t
- Built-in heater shuts off around 85-88 celsius, which is too low
- Doesn’t activate pump after heating cycle is finished
- Pre-infusion can’t be turned off
Unresolved Questions
- Unit variance: is my thermostat calibration typical or a cold outlier?
First Sip Verdict
If you will mostly brew with pre-heated water from a kettle, buy with confidence: the Eon becomes a legitimately capable 51 mm travel espresso maker.
If you want true off-grid heating, skip it, since the cooler brew temp is the ceiling you keep hitting.
I’d recommend it to espresso nerds who keep a kettle nearby; not to off-the-grid coffee geeks.
The fundamentals are good and a version that reliably hits higher temps would be an instant best-value pick.
