Description
The Mixpresso 2 in 1 Brewer is a compact single cup machine that takes K-Cup capsules or loose grounds, brews up to 14 ounces, and shuts itself off when the cycle ends. It has been on sale since April 2016, which by the standards of this category makes it an established design rather than a new arrival, and it has accumulated a large body of published owner feedback as a result.
The pitch is small size and low fuss: one button, a removable drip tray, a removable ground coffee filter, and a footprint the manufacturer gives as 10.4 inches high by 4.5 inches wide by 6.6 inches long. That last set of figures is the one to hold on to, because the specification block on the same listing gives a completely different set, and the difference is not small.
Two Sets of Dimensions on One Listing
The marketing bullet states the size as 10.4 inches high, 4.5 inches wide and 6.6 inches long. The stored specification field records product dimensions of 11.6 inches deep, 19.8 inches wide and 15.6 inches high. Those describe two different objects.
The bullet figures are the ones consistent with everything else on the page: a machine described as a mini brewer, with a recorded item weight of 1.8 pounds, that fits a hotel room or a caravan. A brewer nearly 20 inches wide would not be a compact machine at all. What has almost certainly happened is that the specification field has been filled with shipping carton measurements, or with figures from a multi unit case. Plan your counter space around the 4.5 inch width and the 10.4 inch height, and ignore the specification block entirely on this point.
The 4.5 Inch Mug Limit
The most important number on this listing is the one that will disqualify the machine for a lot of buyers: it takes travel mugs up to 4.5 inches tall. That is short. A typical commuter mug is six to eight inches, and even a tall ceramic mug can exceed four and a half.
Combine that with a 14 ounce maximum brew and a contradiction emerges in daily use rather than in the data: the machine will brew a volume that most 4.5 inch vessels cannot hold. If you want a 14 ounce cup you will need a wide, short vessel rather than a tall one. Anyone buying specifically to fill a commuter mug should look at a machine with an adjustable tray, such as the BELLA single serve brewer with its 7 inch clearance, or one of the taller machines in our single serve brewer section.
Pods, Grounds and Running Costs
The machine takes K-Cup style capsules or loose grounds through a removable reusable filter, and that dual path is the reason to prefer it over a capsule only brewer. The filter is described as removable and the drip tray as removable, which between them cover the parts that need washing.
The running cost case is the same as for every dual input machine and it is worth being blunt about. If you use capsules every day, the capsules will cost more than the machine within months, and the price range across brands is wide enough to be worth checking in our capsules and pods section. If you use loose grounds, the machine costs you nothing beyond the coffee. Having both paths available means you can switch when a pod price rises rather than being locked in.
Brew Time and the Wattage Question
The listing states a brew time of two to three minutes and attributes it to what it calls a powerful 1000 watt motor. Two things there need correcting. A coffee maker’s 1000 watts is a heating element, not a motor; there is no motor in a machine with no grinder and no pump of any size worth naming. And the specification block records the voltage as 1000 volts, which is the wattage figure dropped into the wrong field. A domestic appliance runs at 120 volts in this market; 1000 volts would be a hazard rather than a feature.
The two to three minute figure is at least a total brew time rather than a heat up time, which makes it more useful than the speed claims on most competing machines. It is stated without reference to cup size, so assume it describes something in the middle of the range rather than a full 14 ounces.
A 1000 watt element in a machine this small also tells you how it works. There is no heated reservoir holding water at temperature between cups; the element heats each charge from cold, which is why the cycle takes minutes rather than seconds and why the machine draws nothing at all between brews. The practical effect is that a second cup takes as long as the first, which matters if two people are queuing in the morning, and that the machine is easy on a shared circuit in a dorm or office.
What the Specifications Do Not Settle
The water tank capacity is never stated. The coffee maker type field reads coffee infuser, the specific uses field reads easy to use, and the style field reads classic, none of which are specifications. The number of items field says three on a listing for one brewer. The recommended uses field suggests camping, which is not possible without mains power. There is no brew temperature and no maximum tank fill.
One thing the listing does state clearly is a one year manufacturer warranty, which is more than most machines in this bracket commit to in writing. Given a first availability date of 2016, this is also one of the few products in this category with a long enough sales history for its published feedback to mean something, so reading recent owner reports is more informative here than it would be on a machine launched last year.
Who It Suits and Who Should Look Elsewhere
The Mixpresso suits one person in a genuinely small space, a hotel room, a caravan or a desk, who drinks from a standard mug rather than a tall travel cup, and who wants both capsule and ground coffee options with a one year warranty behind them. The 4.5 inch width is its strongest feature.
Look elsewhere if you use a tall travel mug, if you want a stated tank capacity, or if you brew for more than one person. Commuters should pick a machine with more clearance. Anyone who likes the brand but wants a different format can compare the Mixpresso 8541895238 coffee maker or the Mixpresso personal coffee maker, both carried on this site.
