The Best Coffee Setup for Travel (to Bike Races)
Bike racing and coffee. Coffee and bike racing. The two at times seem inseparable. And yet, for those long race weekends on the road we so often find ourselves resorting to lackluster hotel and gas station coffee that leaves a lot to be desired.
In pursuit of a better option for coffee while traveling we have tried many different means of production, including the Wacaco Nanopresso that we received on the journal. Now we have consolidated all of those lessons, into our favorite options for coffee while traveling.
Collapsible Pour Over
Reviewed by Shane
I love my collapsible pour over set up. It packs flat and is super light. I keep it in a ziplock with a few paper filters (it doesn’t say what kind of filters to use, but you should use the hario v60 filters) and a small plastic container that holds about 80-100g of beans. I'll usually pre-grind some beans just before I leave for a weekend trip. It gives me plenty of coffee for two to three days plus a bit extra for when someone inevitably asks to share.
Collapsable Pour Over: Our Ratings
Coffee Quality: 7/10
Weight/Size: 9/10
Durability: 9/10
Sharing: 6/10
Collapsable Pour Over: Add2Cart?
Would recommend
Shane’s recommended Collapsible Pourover
AeroPress
Reviewed by Yosef
I don’t know a better travel coffee rig than the AeroPress when traveling alone or with one other person. It’s both a fun way to make coffee with so many variations (one of my favorite from Heart roasters), packs up pretty neatly, and is fairly indestructible. Depending how long you are traveling, you can either pre-grind weighed out doses in individual zip lock bags or pack along a small hand grinder like the Hario Skerton or Mini-Slim for the freshest possible coffee. If the trip is shorter than a week, I pre-grind.
You can skip the funnel and stirrer and just bring the chamber, plunger, filter cap and a few filters in a zip lock bag. The filters and a coffee dose can easily fit inside the plunger. I forgo a scale while on the go as the AeroPress is a pretty forgiving method of making coffee and you can get a pretty great cup just by eyeballing it. All you need is a kettle and some cups.
The regular AeroPress is fairly small with just these items, but if you wanted an even smaller package, there’s now the AeroPress Go which has a smaller chamber and plunger, as well as a folding stirrer and portable filter holder. Personally, I don’t see the use of a folding stirrer since anything — a spoon, knife, chopstick, etc — could replace it.
Sadly, the AeroPress solution does not scale when traveling with a team of people. It is not well suited for bulk coffee prepping, and grinding the amount of coffee required for multiple people by hand is definitely out of the question. But if I’m traveling alone or with a small group, it’s my favorite way to make coffee on the road.
Aeropress: our ratings
Coffee Quality: 9/10
Weight/Size: 9/10
Durability: 9/10
Sharing: 2/10
Aeropress: Add2Cart?
Would recommend (if you’re not trying to make for multiple people)
The Aeropress in action
Nespresso Pixie
Reviewed by Lucia
This super compact (4.4 x 12.8 x 9.3 in.) Nespresso Pixie espresso machine delivers a perfect cup of espresso, complete with a layer of crema on top with the push of a button. It takes less than 30 seconds to heat up, the pods come in seemingly unlimited varieties of flavors and roasts, and unlike Keurig K-cups, these pods are recyclable. I have taken my Pixie with me when the hotel/AirBnB coffee situation is sketchy. Sure, it takes up more space and is heavier than some of the other camp coffee minimalist options here, but there’s no need to grind/weigh/boil anything. And, nothing beats a couple shots of espresso in the morning (or any time) for that pick-me-up without the extra water bloat!
Nespresso Pixie: Our Ratings
Coffee Quality: 10/10*
Weight/Size: 2/10
Durability: 7/10
Sharing: 8/10
Nespresso Pixie: Add2Cart?
Would recommend (if you’re driving and have access to a standard wall outlet)
*rated by a an admittedly coffee non-aficionado
The Nespresso Pixie
Chemex
Reviewed by Shane
My boyfriend and I traveled to a race with a Chemex once. If you don’t know about Chemexes, they are a beautifully designed coffee makers made of glass. They make about 8 cups of coffee at a time, making it ideal for an Airbnb full of racers. We left it in a cardboard box in the car, on the floor away from other things, so it would not get broken. For two mornings, it made excellent coffee for multiple people. Many people were happy. I was briefly under the impression this was a viable method of making coffee on a race weekend. Then, on day two, I went to get something in the car after my race, dropped something heavy, and heard a loud crack. RIP Chemex, we hardly knew ye.
Chemex: our ratings
Coffee Quality: 9/10
Weight/Size: 3/10
Durability: 2/10
Sharing: 10/10
Chemex: Add2Cart?
Would not recommend, not for this purpose.
A Chemex (in one piece)
