While coffee is a very important part of the day for many people, choosing the perfect brewing device for camping isn't nearly as technical, involved, or essential as other outdoor gear purchases. If you pick the wrong camp coffee maker it certainly won't result in someone getting lost, hurt, or hypothermic. However, it's still of the utmost importance for some and not a choice to be taken lightly. If you are reading this, you are probably overjoyed that there are so many options for taking your favorite beans on the road!
All of the products in this review are portable and can adequately supply caffeine for your craving. But the critical factor is this: can they satisfy your refined palette? We know that our team of testers would never settle for just any cup of cheap bitter Joe, so we searched out the best and most delicious ways to brew while outdoors.
How to Choose?
Some things to consider when trying to decide on your purchase:
- How important is flavor to you? If this is the most important piece, then focus on that and commit to learning how to best brew on your device. Dialing in a recipe and system before you head out into the woods means you'll be that much more likely to have the perfect cup every time.
- How many people do you want to be able to serve? Do you just need a coffee maker for solo backpacking trips or do you tend to go camping with a big group? Does it make more sense for everyone to use their own separate brewers or to have one that can accommodate everyone easily and efficiently?
- How easy is the brewer to use? Do you care? Paying attention to what pieces you will need to keep track of, how easy the brewing process is, what filters and other accessories you may need to buy, and how streamlined clean up is will have a big effect on how satisfied you are when out in the elements.
- Do you need the lightest possible method? If you're looking for a brewing device for backpacking or other weight-conscious activities, be sure to pay attention to this. Also, how packable is the device? Will it work with your current set up?
Types of Coffee Makers
If you require coffee every morning, chances are you probably already have a preference for how you like it brewed, so you may already have an idea of what you are looking for. Following is a quick coffee maker run-down. Our Best in Class review gives a more detailed breakdown of the factors we find important when purchasing one for camping excursions.
Percolators
Percolators are the old school way of brewing while camping (well, short of cowboy coffee, where you just boil water and throw in the grounds). Typically, a percolator is a metal pot with a basket inside which you fill with grounds. The pot is placed on a burner and, as the water from below boils, it bubbles up through the grinds and into a see-through glass knob. Once percolation starts, if you care about flavor at all, you will need to start a timer. Brewing takes about five minutes and can have a rough flavor. When coffee is boiled or reheated — especially for too long — it tends to go very bitter and acidic (and we're not talking the "good" acidity of a fruity light-roast).
French Press
French presses are very easy to use, but rather a pain to clean. You make your cup by placing grounds in the bottom of a container, adding water, and letting it steep. When you are ready to drink, push down a screen to trap the grounds in the bottom and pour your drink out. For the best results, you should keep your brew time to about 4 minutes and pour all the coffee out immediately. With most French presses, the longer you leave your liquid sitting inside the thicker and murkier it will become — which some people love. Even if you do pour everything out right away, there tends to be some amount of sludge in the last dregs. This is changing though with devices like the Espro Travel Press, which has a double micro-filter for removing more particles and a patented design that completely stops extraction once pressed.
For some great tips on how to brew the best French press, check out this blog post from Copper Door Coffee Roasters.
Pour-Over Style Drip
The pour over is a simple, yet refined way of making your morning cup of Joe. True coffee snobs have very particular methods for making it, down to hand grinding, measuring the exact weight and temperature of the water, and timing how long the water sits in the grounds. For those of you who aren't that particular, it still makes a satisfying cup without much fuss. Since all it requires is a cone and a filter, it is easily portable, and there are many non-filter options available as well. Check out our favorite, the Editors' Choice Hario V60.
There are dozens of ways to level-up your coffee brewing regimen, but an easy and recommended one to make a habit of is always rinsing your paper filter. Not only does this help the water drip through more consistently right from the start, but it also removes trace amounts of paper-flavor that can transfer into your cup.
If you want to learn how to take your pour over skills to the next level, check out how the pros recommend using a V60.
Espresso Makers
The classic Bialetti Moka pot is one type of portable, espresso-style brewer that has been around for decades and has a bit of a cult following. The AeroPress is another one that kind of falls half in this category and half in the pour over category. There are also some devices on the market like the Wacaco MiniPresso that can build enough internal pressure to give you pretty good crema. These options are for the purists who want the most from their coffee every morning, even if the brewing process is slightly more complicated.
The AeroPress, in a group by itself
The AeroPress often gets grouped with espresso makers and, while it can produce a very strong cup and even a wee bit of crema, it's really more of a hybrid in a class by itself. One part french press, one part pour over, a nod to espresso and that's the AeroPress.
There are two different ways of brewing on an AeroPress, regular and inverted, with many coffee pros preferring the inverted method. For a run-down of the standard method, take a look at this blog post. If you'd rather delve into the inverted method, here is a great step-by-step tutorial.
Instant
For those of you who are big on flavor, this will probably be your least likely choice. But for those of you concerned with weight, there really is no lighter way to go. Instant coffee requires no actual brewing device (just a cup and water, the water doesn't even have to be hot) and hardly weighs anything. The downside is that it never tastes as good as a freshly brewed cup. Not even close. However, for a backpacker or a climber on a big wall, this can be an ideal method. And, to be fair, craft coffee roasters are starting to create high-quality instant that — while still not as good as the real thing — is surprisinly impressive. We were seriously impressed with the Ethiopian single-origin from First Ascent.
Gas Grill Coffee Maker
If all you plan to be doing is car camping and you're usually with a big group, this could be a practical option. Essentially, these are pots suspiciously like the ones that sit on your kitchen counter at home, only they use either your gas grill or fuel canisters to power them. You end up with a full pot, just like at home. These systems are bulky and rather expensive, but they can brew easily for groups and are the most similar to a standard at-home apparatus.
Example: Coleman Camping Coffee Maker.
On Grinding
One of the decisions you will need to make on this journey is whether or not to pre-grind your coffee. If you need to save on space and weight, then having your beans already ground is undoubtedly a smart choice. It's also preferable if you want to be able to just roll out of your sleeping bag and brew. Yes, fresh ground is amazing and preferable when at home, but using a hand grinder while camping isn't for everyone. It will add time and labor to your morning coffee-making process and weight in your bag. That being said, if you're car camping and want only the best, there are quite a few options for portable hand grinders that we recommend.
- The GSI Javamill is a staff favorite. It is lightweight with a slim and durable design and the handle packs down compactly when not in use.
- A lovely stainless steel option is the JavaPresse manual burr grinder. It's not fast, but the quality of the grinds is exceptional and it's also slim with a removable handle.
- The Hario Skerton is another viable option, though it's bottom chamber is glass and therefore not as durable.
What Beans to Buy?
There are, of course, a zillion things to consider when choosing what beans to purchase. It can be highly overwhelming and confusing, but here are a few guidelines to consider:
- Finding a local roaster in your area is a great way to support smaller businesses and ensure freshness. If you can visit a roaster directly you will be able to ask questions, learn more about the farms where your beans come from, and try new things.
- If there isn't a craft roaster where you live, consider an online subscription like this one. There are lots of options all over the United States and beyond for having fresh, small-batch roasted beans delivered directly to your door.
- Be open to trying different roast profiles. While many people prefer dark roasts, light roasts actually have more caffeine and retain more of the unique nuances of the beans origin and processing method in their flavor profile.
- What is processing method anyway? This has to do with how the ripe coffee cherries were handled after being harvested and it very much effects how your final cup will taste. For a rundown on the main methods and what they mean, check out this informative article.
- Try to purchase a coffee that has been roasted within the last 3 weeks. The beans are good longer than that, but for optimal flavor and freshness this time window is ideal.
- If at all possible, purchase your coffee whole bean and grind to order at home. If this isn't feasible for you and you need to have the cafe or roastery grind for you, try to use the coffee within one week. Store tightly sealed in a cool dark place.
- Do not store your coffee — whether ground or whole bean — in the freezer. This destroys some of the more delicate oils that help create lovely flavors in the cup.
Conclusion
Whew, look how much you've learned! We hope all this information helps guide you to finding your perfect beans and brewing device.
For tips and tricks while backpacking, check out these excellent recipes. If you're car camping and weight is not a concern, consider learning how to use a dutch oven.