Recently, I’ve seen more and more manual espresso-makers: in cafes, at my friends’ houses, and most often on my Instagram feed. I’m here for it. The innovative, often electricity-free designs appeal to my technical background. And as a meticulous home barista, I love trialing each device and assessing its strengths and weaknesses. The latest setup that caught my eye? The ROK Presso Smartshot.

Standing just over a foot tall with spring-loaded steel levers on each side, the coffeemaker is a dependable conversation starter. I value the aesthetics of my coffee gear (there is a Chemex in the MoMA, after all), and this brewer looks great. And using the ROK Presso Smartshot is just as fun as it looks. As with all manual espresso makers, there’s a trade-off between convenience and tactile fun. Yet pay attention to the machine’s quirks, and you can brew delicious cups with a satisfying hand press.

How to brew with the ROK Presso Smartshot 

Even if you’re only vaguely familiar with espresso machines, the basics of the ROK Presso Smartshot are intuitive. The standing setup comes with a 15-gram portafilter, which locks into the coffeemaker’s lower chamber via a twist. Hot water pours into the top of the coffee machine, then you measuredly pull the two side levers, dripping coffee out of the bottom. Like with most brewing methods, you’ll need to start by considering the coffee consistency.

The grinder question is a perennially tricky one; a good mill is expensive. For the ROK Presso Smartshot, you can buy one of the best coffee grinders, or ask local cafes to pulverize beans. So long as the coffee is burr-ground to a fine espresso texture, I don’t find the ROK’s extraction finicky. No meticulous microadjustments necessary.

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For tamping, the ROK Presso Smartshot comes with a plastic measuring spoon. The lightweight build makes it tricky to tamp in one continuous motion, but the surface area does cover most of the grounds. Hey, it’s not fancy – but it works. I could always buy a spiffier tamp, but I don’t find it necessary. You’ll also need a scale and a kettle to get brewing; two appliances I already had lying around. 

Using the ROK Presso Smartshot maker involves a simple series of steps. With the portafilter secured and the side levers oriented down, boiling hot water goes into the top hole. I stop half an inch from the top, which totals approximately 60 grams of liquid. Next, I carefully lift the side arms, flushing hot water into the espresso maker, thereby pre-infusing the coffee.

Read more: How to Pack a Perfect Shot of Espresso

A momentary pause later, I’ll start my timer. Slowly and steadily, I pull the levers down, looking for some gentle resistance. My aim is to extract at the 25- to 30-second mark, which entails pressing with patience. The manual extraction process feels so satisfying; there’s a joy to watching espresso drip out of the portafilter. The stream goes from a steady flow to a trickle, yielding coffee akin to a lungo, capped with a coating of crema. Lightly syrupy and with an intense bitter-tangy balance, the coffee is no espresso imitator – ROK Presso Smartshot pulls the real deal.

Temperature control…or the lack thereof

Whatever coffee style I’m brewing, temperature is at the forefront of my mind. The higher the degree of water, the more extraction, a correlation I’ve attuned to while crafting pour-overs. Yet don’t heat the gear thoroughly enough, and you’ll get the dreaded lukewarm cup of joe. When I pick up a new manual coffee-making process, I strive to catch the delicate sweet spot.

Temperature control with the ROK Presso Smartshot is the trickiest part of brewing. When it comes to standard (automated) espresso machines, I’ve become spoiled by PID-managed boiler systems, which meticulously regulate the water output. Yet if I pour just-off-boil water into the ROK Presso Smartshot, the heat rapidly dissipates. The stainless steel interior absorbs the thermal energy, leading to a disappointingly room-temperature coffee.

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Any espresso machine requires a preheat — it’s the reason the first shot of the day often tastes off. The problem is that getting the ROK Presso Smartshot up to speed requires some effort. First, I soak my portafilter in boiling water, then pull hot liquid through the ROK Presso Smartshot sans grounds. I’ll even heat my coffee cup for good measure. Even still, my first shot comes out wacky, and the lukewarm issue lingers into the second go-around. The temperature is adequate only by the third espresso. It takes a fair amount of coffee to get this coffeemaker up to temp.

Once I flow into a rhythm, making rounds of coffee for family and friends, I can reliably extract hot espresso without fuss. If I step away for 15 to 20 minutes, though, I’ve noticed the coffee maker cools down quickly, even if I pour in boiling water again. Not to mention the pre-heating ritual proves tiresome for a solo session. Too often with the ROK Presso Smartshot, I find myself drinking tepid espresso to minimize waste.

The ROK Presso Smartshot welcomes experimentation

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The ROK Presso Smartshot’s simple mechanisms beckon tinkering — there are lots of variables to toy around with. I’m especially fond of trying out different degrees of pressure: It’s enthralling to feel how the levers respond to different levels of water or grind size. No matter my cranking intensity, the metal handles swing reliably — I’m never worried about choking the machine. And while the coffee trickles out at varying tempos, the flavor remains wondrously likable. The ROK Presso Smartshot isn’t prone to under- or over-extraction.

Such forgiving functionality can make for some unorthodox coffee-making techniques. Per a recipe on the ROK website, I tried cold-extracting espresso with a can of tonic water. The coffee foamed out of the portafilter, with a texture reminiscent of Nitro cold brew. To my surprise, it tasted great — offering an approachable mix of sweet-and-sour flavors. As I enjoyed the coffee over ice, ideas for other creative mixers popped into my head. What if I pour in sparkling wine for an unusual espresso martini base? Or perhaps a bubbly blood orange sparkling water for an aromatic riff? The ROK Presso Smartshot is super easy to clean, requiring only a simple rinse. As a result, I’m not nervous about pouring a wide array of liquids, crafting espresso drinks with a wide range of compositions. 

The verdict

The ROK Presso Smartshot occupies an intriguing niche. Certainly, you’re not getting the industrial precision and day-to-day ease of a classic espresso maker, which comes with a dedicated boiler and pressurized extraction. Conversely, the machine isn’t as portable as the nearly pocket-size MiniPresso. Unless you add on a dedicated plunger and improve the tamp, the device doesn’t offer the manual fine-tuning of, say, a Flair Espresso maker.

Nevertheless, there’s a sensory joy to the ROK Presso Smartshot that keeps drawing me back. Pressing the levers together feels satisfying, and despite my temperature control woes, the espresso consistently tastes good. For $180, it’s not a miracle budget alternative to a full-blown espresso machine. Yet, even in today’s saturated selection of coffee gadgets, the ROK Presso Smartshot strikes me as well-designed and functional. If you’re looking for an unusual coffee-maker to fiddle with, this one is certainly worth the investment.