About the Mina

The Mina is Olympia Express’s first electricity-free, portable espresso maker. It is built around an open-top version of the direct manual lever group used on the Cremina, mounted on a stand that disassembles and packs flat into a travel case. There is no boiler and no pump: you pour hot water into the top of the group, add ground coffee, and lift the lever so an integrated valve lets the water reach the puck. Pressing the lever down closes the valve and builds the pressure that extracts the shot, with a manometer on the group showing the pressure as you go.

Build quality and history

Olympia Express was founded in Switzerland in 1928 and introduced the Cremina lever machine in 1967, followed by the Maximatic in 1974 and the Cremina SL in 2020. The Mina, launched in 2024 after a two-year development, extends that lever lineage into a travel format. Like the Cremina, it is made almost entirely of aluminium, stainless steel, and brass, with plastic used only where necessary. The lever guide and fork are electropolished stainless steel, and the brewing head is anodised to a surface hardness approaching ceramic. Wear parts are designed to be easy to replace, in keeping with Olympia’s focus on machines that last and can be serviced rather than discarded.

How it works and who it suits

Because the Mina has no heater, the workflow is hands-on and deliberate. You preheat the group by flushing it with hot water, then fill and pull each shot manually, supplying your own kettle and grinder (the case has a compartment for a small hand grinder and coffee). Since the metal group starts cold, the first shot tends to run cool, and most users find a few warming fills help before brewing. It is espresso only, with no steam wand, so milk has to be frothed separately. This is a machine for people who enjoy the ritual and the direct, tactile connection to the shot, or for existing Cremina owners who want a packable companion, rather than for anyone after speed and convenience. If you want easier, more repeatable lever shots, a Flair or similar may suit you better.

Mina vs. Cremina

Specifications

What’s in the box

• Mina espresso maker
• Bottomless (open) portafilter
• Mini tamper (49.5 mm)
• Drip tray
• Allen key
• Travel case
• Instruction manual

Good to know

• There is no boiler or electronics. You supply hot water from your own kettle, preheat the group with a flush or two, and expect the first shot to run cooler until the group is warmed.
• It makes espresso only. There is no steam wand, so milk drinks need a separate frother.
• The portafilter and basket use a 49.5 mm non-standard size, so baskets and accessories are not interchangeable with common 49 mm or 58 mm parts.
• Pulling a shot takes real force, and bracing the machine by a leg or the portafilter handle helps keep it steady.
• The travel case has room for a small hand grinder and coffee, but a grinder is not included.