It’s confirmed: coffee is now a part of your life. It’s now a part of your system. You cannot go through a day without a hot cup of joe. Everywhere you are – at home, in the office, at the park, or wherever – a cup of coffee is always your companion, hot or cold, depending on the weather.
In urbanized areas, coffee shops and cafés have become more ubiquitous than ever. But what if you’re out of the so-called civilization? What if you’re in the middle of the boondocks? Or what if you’re traveling on a plane and don’t want to drink coffee there (because you think it’s gross)? Or find out that the hostel you’re staying at doesn’t serve coffee, and the nearest coffee shop is still a mile away?
It’s best to be ready at all times when you’re out on the road. We know all too well that you don’t want to be deprived of your favorite beverage.
In addition to your favorite coffee beans and a coffee grinder, a coffee maker is also a must when traveling. Of course, you can’t brew coffee without a dedicated apparatus. Or else, you’d end up drinking your beverage with the coffee grounds at the bottom of your cup, and you don’t want that. It won’t also be a good idea to bring your bulky drip coffee machine on one of your trips.
Fortunately, be glad because portable coffee makers are available in the market, in stores and online. They’re available in many brands, types, and price points to suit every coffee lover, depending on their needs and budget.
Portable coffee machines
If speed and efficiency matter most to you when brewing coffee away from home, there are several portable coffee machines available. Some of these portable coffee machines also use coffee pods like Nespresso or K-cup pods, apart from ground coffee. A prime example is the MobiBrewer portable coffee maker.
MobiBrewer’s manufacturer, One Mug Brewers, knows exactly what you need in a coffee maker no matter where you go. It could even end your quest for the ideal portable coffee maker! It’s an all-in-one portable coffee maker and travel mug that you’ll surely include in your travel essentials. It is designed for both ground coffee and K-cups.
It includes a car adapter to heat your water and coffee in the car. For at-home use or out in nature, you can use a wall adapter or battery pack, which are purchased separately. You can also use two AAA batteries for your MobiBrewer to brew your coffee anywhere you go.
Plug your MobiBrewer in (or have the two AAA batteries inserted) and press the power button. That’s it. It doesn’t take too long before your coffee is done brewing. The brewing finishes when the power button beeps and then turns its light off. Its lid also serves as a cup.
Compact coffee makers
You want to travel light. But knowing how much of a coffee lover you are, you know you can’t always find a coffee shop, particularly when you’re out in nature. But you also know you can’t bring your drip coffee maker, either. It’s too heavy, bulky, and requires electricity. You’re looking for coffee makers that don’t require electricity. However, you don’t even want to bring the standard French press or Chemex, as it can take some space in your backpack.
In that case, you should consider compact coffee makers. They’re ingeniously designed to fit anywhere in your backpack, luggage, or even your pocket.
The collapsible drip coffee brewer is one of the latest compact coffee brewing devices available It is typically made of silicone and, as the name suggests, collapses into a flat disc when not in use. But when you open it, it is structured to work like a regular manual drip coffee maker. And like the manual drip coffee maker, the collapsible drip coffee maker requires a paper coffee filter, which you will still purchase separately.
Other portable manual drip coffee makers come in a “flat-pack” design and packaging, notably the Tetra Device from Japan. It is probably the smallest, lightest, and most compact coffee brewing device ever yet made. The Tetra Device is less than one millimeter (1 mm) thin and smaller than a passport. It is made of three stainless steel pieces that can be assembled to form a drip coffee stand, on which you line with a paper coffee filter.
Press, drink, and go
If you love brewing coffee from a French press or similar to that, there’s a more portable version of it. Some also function as a tumbler or travel mug.
The AeroPress is one of the popular portable coffee makers out there for a good reason. For such a portable device, it makes really good coffee. The AeroPress “plunges” and forces water through the coffee to extract the oils and flavor. The great thing about AeroPress is that its brewing method can be customizable to your tastes.
The AeroPress Go is a smaller and more compact and travel-friendly version of the original AeroPress. But both iterations are portable.
There are travel presses, such as the Starbucks x Stanley collection of travel presses that make an ideal outdoor adventure must-have. Or, the Bodum travel press, which you should consider. Every knowledgeable coffee lover knows that Bodum is a reliable brand when it comes to French presses. Both of them have filters, just like the standard French press. As soon as the heated water has extracted the coffee’s oils and flavors, plunge the filter down, and now you can enjoy your freshly brewed coffee straight from it.