portable coffee makers for camping etc

[Hilary]

Hi, I am a design student researching portable coffee makers (all types) to be used in outdoor activities.

If you have used portable coffee makers, how would you rate the coffee compared to the coffee you can make at home?

Also, how would you compare the process of making coffee outdoors to making it at home?

What would your perfect portable coffee maker be like?

Thank you for your input!

 

[ourcoffeebarn]

I take a french press with me when I'm camping.

An unbreakable French Press would be my "perfect" portable brewer.

The coffee always tastes better camping! It's the being outdoors and the sounds of nature. It is the perfect "atmosphere" for me.

 

[Jackson]

I agree with ourcoffeebarn. I have not used my auto drip coffee brewer for over two years. The french press is one of the best brewing methods I have used, (with the exception of a Fetco drip machine at a restaurant I used to work at).

 

[npkeith]

Where have you guys been? REI has been selling lexan (polycarbonate) french presses in several sizes for something like 10 years. The last time I was at REI (about 2 weeks ago) I saw: adaptors to turn your 1 liter nalgene bottle into a press, a Jet-boil system (boils a liter of water in something like a minute and a half) that has a press built in, and an insulated travel mug with a press build into the lid. In addition to that, there are gold mesh cups that fit into any coffee mug, and a little aluminum espresso makers to put on your stove (makes 1 shot, uses a pressure process like the italian stove-top coffee pots). I've even seen a coffee maker that looks like a mister coffee, but made of metal, that is designed to fit on a standard green coleman stove and makes 10 cups!

Personally, I use a 1 cup melitta with #2 filters, and I can boil water in whatever... Much less to pack, and I could even burn the filter and used grounds if I was in a leave-no-trace mode. I have the portable french press, but cleanup is a pain if you have to filter your water and have to use minimal or biodegradable soap/detergent.

I'm thinking about trying the Aerobie AeroPress - cleanup is easy, the little filters are easy to pack, and the water doesn't have to be near boiling so it saves fuel. It does look like it needs a lot of coffee though...
-Keith

 

[MichaelZ]

When I used to go camping I always took an old Farberware Percolator. You know the old ceramic one that weighed about 6 lbs. It always made great coffee. One year somehow the inner parts that held the grounds didn't get packed. I tried to fabricate a french press, and even resorted to using a clean white crew sock as a tea bag. Amazingly, every cup tasted great.

However as my coffee tastes refined, I use the melitta cone and pour hot water over it for coffee and use the aluminum espresso maker also available most everywhere now, got mine at Target.

 

[CafeBlue]

When I used to go camping ...I tried to fabricate a french press, and even resorted to using a clean white crew sock as a tea bag. Amazingly, every cup tasted great.

Filter with a used crew sock and the taste will be even more complex - the coffee might rival Kopi Luwak for cup quality! Try wearing the sock for two days to "kick it up a notch!" :twisted: :shock:

 

[CCCRoaster]

Any coffee tasts pretty good after sleeping on the ground. That said I''m a big fan of the Areopress. Makes a good cup, is indistructable and is light enough for an ulralight hikeing trip.

 

[mrgnomer]

If I had a choice I'd probably take an ibrik and a decent manual grinder like a Zassenhaus.

 

[Aleckst03]

Hi maybe you could look the Presso X from Caffe2go.


It is used with a battery so you can take it anywhere you like, and it looks pretty cool ��

 

[MntnMan62]

I also agree with ourcoffeebean. I've done a ton of backpacking and canoe camping during my lifetime and I finally settled on something that works very well for me. I have a GSI Personal Java Press french press. It's made of thick plastic so it won't break. It's about 20 oz. in size so it will make two small cups of coffee or one large cup. And I drink it in a Snow Peak double wall titanium mug with a cover for sipping to keep it hot. As for my process, I don't bring a grinder with me. That's just too much trouble. So I pre-grind the beans with my grinder to get the best grind size before I leave for the trip and put enough for one container of coffee in separate zip lock bags for as many servings as I think I'll need. While the beans will not be freshly ground, it's a perfectly good cup of coffee for the great outdoors. If I wasn't the only one drinking coffee as I typically am, I would get a bigger one, either the 30 oz. or 50 oz. It's easy enough to clean. Just dump the grinds into the fire and rinse with filtered water.

https://gsioutdoors.com/personal-javapress-blue.html

https://www.rei.com/product/876106/snow-peak-titanium-double-wall-450-mug

 

[Musicphan]

FYI... this is a very old thread

 

[MntnMan62]

Interestingly, the member who posted about the cafe2go did the same thing on a bicycle forum I am on. New member there too. Posted there about the cafe2go. 1 post. Both forums. Do we have a marketing troll here?

 

[UmmaySalma]

In my opinion, Aeropress coffee maker or Wacaco Nanopresso will be better as a portable ​coffee maker for camping.

 

[UmmaySalma]

In my opinion, Aeropress coffee maker or Wacaco Nanopresso will be better as a portable ​coffee maker for camping.

 

[JakeCornish]

Frankly speaking we often camp and I never thought that it is possible to take a coffeemaker with us. Honestly, it is not portable, but we could find a place for it in our trailer. This month we decided to go to the beach with our friends and camp there. We haven't caught waves for a long time, and it seems the time has come. I recently came across an article about surfing on outdoorlifecafe.com and wanted to get back on the board. I thought that it would be a perfect idea to make such a trip and have a rest. For this time we will definitely take our coffee machine with us.