My take on “you can’t have your cake and eat it.” You certainly can have your cup of joe while camping with coffee makers like these.
No shower for a few days? Sure, I’ll get by. No clean water available to drink? That’s cool, I came prepared. No coffee or coffee makers for the entirety of the camping trip? Absolutely not.
I’d like to say I’m a strong individual who can go without her cup of joe for the duration of my stay at the campground. But I am not. And should I be ashamed of that? God no. Coffee is one of my simple pleasures in life. And I sure won’t be giving that up, even when off-grid.
There’s no barista waiting in the national park for folks such as myself, and instant coffee is not up to my standards. So how do I create a tasty coffee while I’m camping off-grid? And how can I help you to do so as well? Check out these coffee makers for camping below, and thank me later.
First, let’s acknowledge the additional benefits that come with camping coffee makers. Unlike your pod machine at home, you won’t need to find electricity to work your coffee maker for camping. They can make coffee in a caravan park or in the middle of the national park where you’re set up off-grid, allowing you to be flexible about where you brew.
They’re lightweight, easily transported and typically small in size. Therefore, they won’t add too much weight to your load. Many of them also come with an insulated vessel so that your coffee will retain heat for as long as possible. This saves finding a flame or microwave to heat up your coffee if you don’t down it on the first few sips.
If you feel like sharing, camping coffee makers will make you a favourite amongst the campground when less prepared campers smell your brew. They may even trade you some firewood for a cup of joe. Or perhaps invite you to their BBQ dinner in exchange for your generosity. Sounds like a friendly campground exchange to me!
Only got a few minutes to make your brew before you head off to your adventure? The AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Makers brew in an unbelievable two minutes, creating a camping and cafe-approved cup of joe.
It can serve up to three cups of coffee each time and uses more air pressure than a standard French press. Easy enough for any beginner to use. Even cleaning the AeroPress after use is quick, easy and straightforward.
Have a Nespresso machine at home with a whole heap of pods to use? Same! I love having the option of different strengths and flavours that comes with using pods and not having to deal with disposing of coffee grinds after a brew. Unfortunately, I can’t lug my Nespresso coffee maker machine along for the camping trip, and even if I did, there’s no power to plug it into.
But I do think I’ve found the next best thing in the Wacaco Minipresso NS (Nespresso) Coffee Maker. Available at Anaconda stores, these coffee makers for camping are convenient as they’re both portable and handheld. It fits in seamlessly with the rest of your gear and takes up barely any space at all. Compatible with Nespresso capsules, the Wacaco Minipresso allows you to have your at-home tasty pod coffee even in the middle of the bush!
The biggest difference between this one and my at-home pod coffee machine is that you’ll need to manually pump the Minipresso to extract the espresso.
Travelling with your family or a large group of friends? The Bialetti MokaPot Express may be your ideal choice of coffee maker for a camping adventure where you have plenty of mouths to feed and caffeinate. Depending on which model size you choose, you have the ability to brew up to 18 cups of coffee. However, you’ll need to pack ground coffee and a camping stove for this one.
It’s made from aluminium, allowing it to be durable. However, it gets hot, so make sure little hands aren’t grabbing it while it’s brewing. To protect your hands, the heat-resistant handle allows a firm and safe grip on the pot.
The con of this one would probably be the cleaning requirements. A separate chamber brews the coffee, which needs to be emptied and cleaned afterwards. But as you can see in the video above, it’s easily and quickly done. Simply leave yourself a little time before you head off on your first hike, 4WD or fishing trip of the day to complete the clean.
Made from rugged 18/8 stainless steel, the GSI Mini Espresso Coffee Maker is ideal for the outdoor traveller as it will sustain some rough and tumble that typically comes with camping and being off-road. Great for two mates on a camping trip or a couple enjoying a getaway, these coffee makers will make two delicious espresso shots in around 90 seconds.
Its simple design makes it super easy to use, and it comes with a double wall, stainless steel cup!
Many of us have already invested in the awesome gadget that is the Jetboil. As you’d have experienced, it’s a handy cooking system that allows you to boil water and provides hot food and drinks quickly and conveniently. But did you know that Jetboil also has a system that doubles as a coffee maker for a delicious cup of joe for camping and hiking?
The Jetboil Flash Java Kit Cooking System boils water in 100 seconds, making it the fastest Jetboil ever. Which I’m sure you can agree is essential when you’ve had a dodgy sleep on a cheap mattress the night before. The Silicone French Coffee Press stores inside the cooking vessel, meaning you won’t even need to bring along extra gear to create your coffee.
With so many different camping coffee makers on the market, it’s actually never been easier to have a cafe-worthy cup on your outdoor adventure. You may not have service or access to a warm shower, but you’ll have your cup of joe and I reckon that pretty much trumps the others!
