Businessweek:
It’s 8:45 a.m. and you’re just getting into your car to leave for work. There’s no time for coffee—but you’ve never needed it more. A new espresso machine that plugs into a car’s cigarette lighter socket aims to give French drivers a cup of espresso wherever they are.
The Handpresso Auto is the newest addition to Fontainebleau-based Handpresso’s line of portable, hand-held espresso makers. Users plug the machine, about the size of a flashlight, into a cigarette lighter, add water, pop in a pod of espresso grounds (any brand is fine), and press a button. Water is pumped through the grounds at 16 bars of pressure—nine bars is typically considered the minimum—and the drink is ready in two minutes (click to see a video).
The invention frees caffeine lovers from the tyranny of the clunky, immobile espresso machine. The company draws its unofficial motto, “Liberté, qualité, mobilité†from the French Revolution slogan, “Liberté, égalité, fraternité.â€