There’s nothing better than the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Even if you don’t agree with me, I’m not ready to listen to you. You’re just wrong. Waking up to that intense aroma simply doesn’t have its equal. Any coffee lover will have their own set-up at home, depending on their preferences. Maybe you’re a true connoisseur with an espresso machine, someone who likes to pull five different shots on Saturday morning to tweak the perfect cup. Maybe you’re more of a moka person, enjoying to watch the slow yet classic brewing process. Or maybe you’re going for comfort and using a Nespresso machine.
Yet what to do when you’re away from home? Often, there’s no real coffee equipment in hotels or holiday homes and even if there is one, it’s probably not the best. And if you’re camping, it’s really totally up to you to make sure you’ve got what you need. Yet then again, not all coffee equipment is made to travel – you can’t take a multiple kilo machine with you. So what are your options here? Which coffee makers are best to embark on your journeys? We’ll give you three easy options.
1. Moka
We already briefly mentioned this method. Some people swear to this method even when they’re at home and honestly, it’s one of the easiest options when you’re away as well. All you need is the pot itself and a hot plate or camping stove. And some water and coffee of course, yet that seems quite obvious. How does it work, you ask? Well, first, you fill up the lower part with water. Then, you add the coffee to the metal filter part, add it on top of the lower part and lastly you screw the upper part on top of the rest. You turn on the hot plate, put the moka pot on top and wait until the coffee starts coming out on top. Don’t let it cook for too long though, because you’ll then and up with one very bitter tasting cup of Joe. This is also the perfect option if you’re travelling with other people and want to make a big load of coffee.
2. Aeropress GO
If you’re looking to keep the volume of your coffee maker to a minimum and if you’re travelling solo, the Aeropress GO is exactly what you need. With its compact storing size, it’s the perfect trekking companion. You’ll need a separate pan to boil water if you want a hot cup of coffee though, so be aware of that, yet normally that’s something every trekker has in his or her backpack anyway. Here’s a short yet handy guide on how to use this little device.
- Push plunger out of chamber.
- Put filter in filter cap.
- Twist filter cap onto chamber.
- Stand chamber on the mug and put one rounded scoop of fine drip grind coffee in chamber.
- Shake to level coffee.
- Add water up to Level 1 on the chamber. 175°F (80°C) water for hot brewing or room temperature water for cold brew.
- Stir about 10 seconds for hot brewing or 1 minute for cold brew.
- Insert plunger and press gently, pausing when you feel resistance, until plunger reaches grounds.
- Remove filter cap, push plunger to eject used coffee and rinse seal.
- You can drink the beverage as is or add some milk or ice, depending on how you like your coffee.
3. French press
The French press is a classic and that doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. It may be one of the easiest ways to prepare your cup of Joe and one of the most compact ones too. And on top of that, it’s perfect to take with you when you’re travelling. The only downside? Some models are quite fragile, so think about that when you’re purchasing a French press or be careful when you’re packing. Other than that, you’ll need a pot or kettle to boil water, yet like we already said before, generally that’s something you’ll have within your reach anyway. And if not, cold brew’s the way to go. This is how you proceed. First, you add your coffee to the pot. Measurements depend on your taste, so that’s up to you to figure out. Then you add the hot water (make sure it’s not quite boiling) and stir. Put the plunger into the pot yet wait about 5 minutes before you plunge it and press the coffee. And there you go, you’re ready to wake up!
