Good coffee on the go/camping?

[a311]

Just after some opinions on coffee setups for life on the move, camping, pulling over for a stop and making a brew.

I’ll have access to hot water via a camping stove and already have a coffee machine at home so there’s never a shortage of decent beans. I’ll probably take a hand grinder too.

What are people actually using and rating?

Aeropress seems popular. I’ve also been looking at the OutIn Nano and the Picopresso.

Main priorities are:

• Good coffee
• Fairly compact
• Not a faff when travelling
• Easy enough to use at campsites or just pulled over somewhere for a brew

Happy to put a bit of effort in if the coffee is worth it, but equally if there’s something simple that just works I’m all ears.

What would you buy again?

[Defcon5]

I use coffee bags when camping with the kids. It’s good enough and all you need is hot water and a cup

[Bill]

I just take a stainless double wall cafetiere.

[PT1984]

I use these when away with work.

https://47degreescoffee.com/collections/hand-roast...

[MOMACC]

Had an aeropress - bit of a faff.

Now using a Moka with a milk frother.

https://www.johnlewis.com/bialetti-moka-express-ho...

My coffee is now as good as a Starbucks.

[craig1912]

MOMACC said:

My coffee is now as good as a Starbucks.

So not that good then

[PhilAsia]

a311 said:

Just after some opinions on coffee setups for life on the move, camping, pulling over for a stop and making a brew.

I ll have access to hot water via a camping stove and already have a coffee machine at home so there s never a shortage of decent beans. I ll probably take a hand grinder too.

What are people actually using and rating?

Aeropress seems popular. I ve also been looking at the OutIn Nano and the Picopresso.

Main priorities are:

Good coffee
Fairly compact
Not a faff when travelling
Easy enough to use at campsites or just pulled over somewhere for a brew

Happy to put a bit of effort in if the coffee is worth it, but equally if there s something simple that just works I m all ears.

What would you buy again?

I use either a Picopresso or a Leverpresso, but prefer the latter as I can profile the shot. Leverpresso is like a small Cafelat Robot, but quicker to brew as it can be suspended in the kettle as it boils, to warm it prior to extraction.

You do not need the stand:

[Callerton]

Vote here for aeropress - they do (or did) a portable version which might fit the bill.

However, I'd suggest you at least give the coffee bags a try first. Much less hassle & mess, but of course it's whether or not you like the flavour that's important.

[sherman]

Coffee bags are good.
I got a 20 pack of Percol coffee bags last time I was away.
You can get 80 packs too
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/312...

[PhilAsia]

PhilAsia said:

I use either a Picopresso or a Leverpresso, but prefer the latter as I can profile the shot. Leverpresso is like a small Cafelat Robot, but quicker to brew as it can be suspended in the kettle as it boils, to warm it prior to extraction.

You do not need the stand

Oh, and normal 19g/38g espresso dose, can upgrade to competition basket...and, it takes 10 seconds to clean, ready for the next extraction.

[dave123456]

Small bialetti jug. I use it every morning. 2 cups so I can one for the car.

Did use a sage bambino for a while but the coffee wasn’t as good and it seemed like it constantly needed something cleaning or unblocking, my morning routine is pretty tight (except on Wednesday!) so I couldn’t be bothered with the faff anymore.

[a311]

Thanks for all the replies.

So there seems to be 3 categories.

Instant Coffee/Coffee Bags-cheapest lowest effort option,

Aero Press/ Moka makes good concentrated coffee but not espresso

Picopresso etc probably closest to what I want but 3 times the cost.

[Mobile Chicane]

Cone and filter papers.

At home as well as on the go.

Anything with a 'permanent' filter will clog with coffee oils over time and taste kack. A filter cone can be easily washed and the papers binned.

[PhilAsia]

a311 said:

Thanks for all the replies.

So there seems to be 3 categories.

Instant Coffee/Coffee Bags-cheapest lowest effort option,

Aero Press/ Moka makes good concentrated coffee but not espresso

Picopresso etc probably closest to what I want but 3 times the cost.

If you want espresso, this may help...

Ultimate Budget Manual Espresso Tier List! By Lance Hedrick on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52o6ieU0mv4

[Jermy Claxon]

For camping, I have tried a load of different options, and all have their place, but by far the easiest and cheapest is called the "Barista & Co Brew It Stick" (you'll find it on Amazon, and there are many cheaper clones/alternatives along the same lines).

It's basically a 1-cup coffee filter that you use like a tea basket strainer thing, conveniently on a stick. Take a bag of ground coffee with you (or beans and a hand grinder if you can be bothered, I can't). Stick a spoonful of coffee into the "Brew Stick" basket, and give it a stir in a mug of hot water. 2 mins, and you're done. It just needs a quick rinse under a tap, or in a river, or with a water bottle.

No papers, no mess, no bulky paraphernalia.

Great for hiking too, mine just lives in my brew kit permanently.

For more than 1 cup, Aeropress is probably the next best thing (although I ditched those too, too much faff), and if you're not bothered about lightweight and pack size, then a cafetiere still has merit.

I've tried portable espresso makers, and none are worth the cost or faff, IMO. You'd have to really hate filter coffee to go down that road.

[oddman]

Jermy Claxon said:

I've tried portable espresso makers, and none are worth the cost or faff, IMO. You'd have to really hate filter coffee to go down that road.

I think the other consideration when camping is it's pretty cold in the morning. Even in summer, especially if it's a clear night. A filter brew will get at least a half pint of warm liquid into you rather than the measly 50ml max you'd get from espresso.

I carry a filter cone and filters but aeropress is a good call.

[Gin and Ultrasonic]

We have a Picopresso and it's great for making a passable espresso on the go - we just grind some beans and take them with us.

It's not really clear if you want espresso or just a black coffee (or if you want to make a coffee from espresso).

Coffee bags or a Moka Pot are fine if it's just a weakish coffee you're after.