My tester had just come back from a few weeks in Italy so her coffee palate had been fine tuned for a decent espresso. As a fully-fledged tea drinker I can’t claim to understand but apparently no basic campsite coffee makers could really cut it.

It took a couple of attempts before we achieved the perfect tiny coffee. You start by disassembling the Minipresso. Ground coffee is measured into one end, hot water goes into a cup on the other and it’s all put together again. The side piston is then hand pumped to force the water through the coffee, producing the infamous strong drink into your cup (in this case, one of Olpro’s finest mugs, though it was technically a little big for an espresso).

It needs a certain amount of skill and patience to use. In particular, the water chamber is very small so you need a steady hand to fill it with near-boiling water from a camping kettle without scalding yourself. However, in the words of the connoisseur: “If you’re prepared to risk burning yourself for the taste of your coffee then it’s worth it.”

The final result is a great espresso in even the most basic setting. And that is – I’m told – a thing of wonder.