Just because you’re out on a hiking trail or out in the woods hunting doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a hot, fresh cup of coffee. Sure, out in nature there isn’t electricity or kitchens, but there is a way to make coffee. And that way is by finding a coffee maker that’s designed specifically for camping, but the consumer does need to be careful and do their homework. That’s because not all of these coffee makers hold up to field use. That’s why we’ve decided to review the best camping coffee makers available so that our readers can find the perfect one for their needs.
Quick Summary of the Best Camping Coffee Makers
- Best Overall: GSI Outdoors French Press Coffee Mug (Amazon) – Review
- Best Travel : AeroPress Espresso & Coffee Maker (Amazon) – Review
- Best In Durability: Stanley Advanced Coffee Press (Amazon) – Review
- Best For French Press: GSI Outdoors French Press Coffee Mug (Amazon) – Review
Best Overall: GSI Outdoors French Press Coffee Mug
As we began to research our review of the best camping coffee makers available, we saw a lot of different products, and some of those were ridiculous for use out on the trail. Some of the devices are as convenient to use as home coffee makers, but they’re so big and bulky that they’re practically usefulness. Fortunately, this product doesn’t make the same mistake. This product is only 7.7-inches tall, 4.4-inches wide, and only weighs 10.3-ounces. In other words, it’s the perfect size for packing into a backpack for use out on the trail. This makes it ideal for hunters, hikers or anyone else who expects to spend a lot of time outdoors.
Another thing that this product has going for it is that it’s easy to use. All the consumer needs are access to hot water, and some coffee grounds and they can have a cup of coffee they’ll love. All the user has to do is add two tablespoons of coffee grounds to it, add 6-ounces of 200-degree water, place the lid on it for 4-minutes and let it steep, and then push down the plunger. The camper can then pour or sip the coffee as they see fit. This product is capable of holding 30 fluid ounces of coffee, it’s unique design helps to keep it hot, and it’s easy to pack. And it even has a collapsible handle that makes it easy to grasp and pour. That makes it a great coffee maker for camping.
Best Travel : AeroPress Espresso & Coffee Maker
Even though this coffee and espresso maker isn’t exclusively created for use during camping, hunting, or fishing, it’s still a product that seems well suited for all of these purposes. It’s capable of making approximately 1 to 3 cups of coffee, and it’s extremely easy to use. It’s also a product that comes with everything the consumer needs to make a great cup of coffee—minus the coffee grounds and the mug, of course. This product comes with the press, a funnel, a stirrer, a scroop 350 microfilters, and a filter holder. This product is 9.5x4x4-inches in size and is made from plastic that’s BPA and Phthalate-free.
This product is like a standard French press, but it doesn’t require a long steep time. This short brew time avoids the problem of bitterness that can occur with French press coffee makers. It genuinely makes a smooth cup of coffee that’s delicious and doesn’t have a lot of acidity to it. We liked this product so much that it almost made it to the number one position. There was only one thing that prevented that from happening, and that was the size of this set. We feel that it might be too small to be truly useful to some people. Of course, if the consumer only needs a few cups of coffee at a time that’s fine, but for those who need to make more coffee at one time, then this might not be for them.
Best In Durability: Stanley Advanced Coffee Press
Stanley is a company well known for its line of thermoses, many of which are considered to be the best ones available. Now, they’ve taken their expertise of the transporting and keeping liquids hot to this portable coffee brewing system. This product is made out of 18/8 stainless steel and uses a unique nesting system that keeps all of the components together so they’re easy to pack in a backpack. This product also has a locking handle and a vented nylon-lid that’s not only BPA-free but is also melt-resistant. All of this seems like common, ordinary components, but when they’re placed together they make a great coffee brewing system.
This product can be used for brewing, boiling, and cooking, as long as the consumer follows the manufacturer’s instructions. That makes it a great set not only for people who enjoy coffee but for anyone who needs the tools to cook while in the wild. That makes it a great set for hunters, campers, hikers and anyone else out in the field. It’s also a good set for travelers to take out on the road with them. Within five minutes, the average consumer can have a cup of coffee brewed that’s tasty and fresh. Of course, this set is a little more expensive than other sets, but in our opinion, it’s more than worth it.
Best For French Press: GSI Outdoors French Press Coffee Mug
This French coffee press is perfect for anyone who spends any significant time in the outdoors, even though it’s top can sometimes be hard to remove at times. This product is only 7.8-inches tall and 3.8-inches wide, so it’s just big enough to make 2-cups of coffee. This product is also made with double-walled insulation that helps to keep it warm until it’s ready to be served. Another thing that we liked about this product was that it was wrapped in cloth, which is easy on the hands while the camper is trying to pour it or drink from it.
This product uses a sliding inner carafe instead of a French press rod, which makes it easier to use. And since this model features a non-slip foot, it stays upright in car cup holders better than similar models. That makes it a great coffee maker for travelers who intend on using it while they’re on the road. So, we probably should conclude our review of this product by saying that it’s good for a variety of different purposes. It can be used by travelers, campers, hikers, bikers, boaters, hunters, or fishermen. It can even be used by people in the comfort of their homes. All of which makes it a product that some people may want to consider. We know that we enjoyed it quite a bit.
The Ultimate Guide To Camping Coffeemakers
Once the camper has determined that most of their methods for making coffee on the trail are outdated, to say the least, they might want to consider buying a new coffeemaker for camping. With our reviews, we’ve tried to isolate and present to our readers the best camping coffeemakers available, but we do understand that some of our readers might prefer to look for their coffeemakers, so we decided to write this guide on the subject. We hope that this guide will help the reader find a coffeemaker that will work well for their travels.Â
[wc_fa icon=”cutlery” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]The Different Ways Of Making Coffee On The Trail
Before we start the buyer’s section of this guide, we’d like to talk about the many ways the camper can make coffee out on the trail. Although some people think that there are only a few ways to make coffee, that’s not actually the case. There’s a variety of different ways to make coffee while hiking, camping or hunting. We’ve included a few of them below.Â
- Instant Coffee: Freeze-dried and added to hot water.
- Cowboy Coffee: Regular coffee grounds thrown into hot water unfiltered.
- French Press: Like cowboy coffee, but a lot less crunchy.
- Coffee Bags: Yep, just like tea bags, except it is actually bags of coffee.
[wc_fa icon=”cutlery” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]How To Buy A Camping Coffeemaker
Now that we all know some of the methods for making coffee out in the field, it’s time to talk about how to purchase the best camping coffeemaker around. Even though we don’t claim to know everything there is to know about brewing coffee while camping, we do know just enough to make us dangerous. And we know just enough to give our readers some handy-dandy suggestions for choosing a coffeemaker. Many of the following tips are obvious, but there might just be something on the following list that keeps a person from buying a bad coffeemaker instead of a good one.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Portability Is Key
One of the most important things for campers to think about when they’re choosing a new camping coffeemaker is the portability of the appliance in question. They naturally want a product that’s easy to pack into a backpack. Some of the camping coffeemakers we’ve come across try to replicate the size of kitchen coffee machines, which can make them difficult to take on the trail. We suppose they’re good for RV camping, but for every other type of camping, the consumer is probably going to want to go with a smaller model.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]But Don’t Forget About Serving Size
As important as portability is to the average camper, they still want to make sure that they buy a coffeemaker that brews up enough coffee for their needs. It’s fine if the camper only needs 1-2 cups of coffee, but most people are going to need more than that. Therefore, the consumer needs to balance portability and serving size to find the best camping coffeemaker for their needs.
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Does It Require A Separate Pot And/Or Mug?
Another thing to think about is whether the camping coffeemaker needs a separate pot. Some models require the user to heat the water in a different pot before they pour it into their coffeemaker. Other models allow the consumer to boil, brew and serve all from the same cup. It all boils down to whether the consumer wants to carry a coffeemaker and a separate pot or just have an all-in-one solution available. In the same vein, the consumer might want to consider a coffeemaker that comes with a matching cup over one that requires one to be purchased separately.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]How Easy Is The Set To Clean?
The consumer also needs to consider how difficult a particular coffeemaker is going to be to clean. Some models have removable filters and the like that make them extremely easy to clean after brewing. Others are not so convenient, so the consumer should pay attention to how the coffeemaker is made to determine if it’s going to be a breeze to clean or if it’s going to be a pain to clean.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Check Out The Coffeemaker’s Construction
Okay, perhaps we should’ve placed it up further on our list of suggestions, but since we’ve decided to place it here, we guess we’re going to have to roll with it. When choosing a new coffeemaker for camping, the consumer must make sure that it’s made with durable components. Try to avoid plastic models that tend to warp or break while out in the field. Instead, look for models made with metal.