If you are a Coffee lover, then you must be knowing how a cup of nicely brewed coffee can add a new life to your day. The caffeine keeps you fresh and energetic when you are working hard. As a result, it becomes very difficult for you if you don’t have convenient access to your favorite coffee. Such situations often arise while you are on an outing, on a holiday or are traveling for any other purpose. At most of the places, you can’t get a coffee whenever you desire. Moreover, if you drink coffee from cafes and restaurants, then you might end up spending an unnecessarily large amount of money only to buy you a good cup of coffee. So, it will be much more convenient as well as economical if you can prepare your coffee while you travel. Now, you may be wondering as to how one can make his own coffee when on an outing. Well, the solution comes with a travel coffee maker. A travel coffee maker is a small and lightweight portable coffee maker which you can carry a lot with the rest of your luggage. With a coffee
maker, you will be able to prepare your favorite type of coffee whenever and wherever you wish. You won’t need to compromise with the taste or the cost of the coffee. There are thousands of coffee makers available on various e-commerce websites with a wide range of features and specifications. This large abundance of choices makes it difficult to choose the ideal one for you. But you need not get worried as I’ll be describing the best travel coffee makers available in the market today. Before buying your coffee maker, however, you must be certain about the specifications and functions you will like to have in your coffee maker.

What should you look for in a travel coffee maker?

1. The type of coffee maker- There are basically three types of coffee makers, which are known for
   the taste and texture of the coffee they produce
   1) Espresso- This type of coffee is produced when hot water is pressed through fine pores containing coffee grounds. This gives the coffee a creamy and taste lather which gives it a characteristic taste (This is my favorite coffee type). The mechanism for espresso coffee makers is a little complicated, as a result of which, espresso coffee makers are a
   little costlier.
   2) Pour over- This type of coffee maker uses a funnel type filter on which you have to put your coffee grounds and then pour hot water through it, into your coffee mug. This is the simplest and hence, usually the cheapest type of coffee maker. It is also highly portable and durable.
   3) Total immersion- In this type of coffee maker, the coffee grounds are directly submerged into the hot water. The size and cost of this type of coffee markers are between those of the espresso and the pour-over types.
2. The quantity of coffee needed- It is important to keep in mind the number of servings the coffee maker needs to make. If you generally travel alone, then most of the coffee makers will fulfill your need. However, if you use to travel with your family or friends, then you must choose a coffee maker which is able to make a few servings in a single go.
3. Powered or powerless- Another important aspect of a coffee maker is the way it is powered. Most of the times, a traveling coffeemaker should be powerless or battery powered. There are excellent hand pressed travel coffee makers, which don’t need any electricity at all. The pour-over coffee makers are also powerless and use gravity to prepare your coffee.
4. Size and weight- Of course, as long as portable coffee makers are concerned, you will want it to be as small and as lightweight as possible. And you must be aware of the fact that a smaller coffee maker doesn’t necessarily imply a compromise in the taste of coffee produced.
5. Health friendliness- The plastic and metal (if any) used in the coffee maker should be of food grade and BPA & phthalates free.

Though the basic requirements for making a coffee are only hot water, good coffee grounds and milk (it is optional), a coffee maker can bring an obvious effect on the taste of the coffee. Now, as you know the aspects that need to be considered while choosing a travel coffee maker, I am going to discuss a few best travel coffee makers, based on their features and customer reviews. Best portable coffee makers (2018):

The Aeropress coffee and espresso maker

The Aeropress coffee maker is a top choice of espresso lovers from all over the world.

Features:
1) Fast brewing- The Aeropress coffee maker gives a very fast brewing with a brewing period of about 30 seconds, which makes brewing your coffee one of the fastest task in your morning routine.
2) Excellent filtering- The espresso maker comes with an additional 350 microfibers which makes a total of 700 microfibers. This gives you a clean, smooth and grit-free coffee.
3) Less acidic and bitter taste- The fast total immersion brewing and the high-quality material of the coffee maker prevent the coffee from growing acidic as is in many pours over coffee makers, giving you a delicious coffee.
4) High portability- The coffee maker is highly compact, durable, and lightweight, making it an ideal coffee maker even for traveling, camping, hiking, and other hardcore purposes.
5) Premium food grade material- The Aeropress coffee maker is made of BPA free and phthalate free food grade plastic which is harmless.

Pros:

• The quick brewing performance offered by this coffee maker is among the fastest coffee makers. Owing to this, now you won’t have to wait before you can enjoy your favorite coffee on the go.
• The 700 microfiber filter gives you a nice, smooth and grit-free coffee. The total immersion brewing gives you a coffee in which the bitterness and acidity are kept to a minimum.
• Owing to its compact design, the coffee maker won’t take much of the precious space of your backpack. Nor will its 12 lbs, lightweight structure add much the total weight of your baggage. You can definitely rely on the coffee maker not only for its durability but also for its health friendliness.

Cons:

• The complete setup of the coffee maker consists of many parts which you must assemble in order to use it. This makes the setup a little cluttered and difficult to use, especially when
  you are on a trip.
• The flat base which pours the coffee into your cup is a little unstable and requires a very careful pouring the coffee and the cup size also needs to be perfect otherwise the coffee will spill out and make the place messy.

To buy: amazon.com

Bodum travel press

The Bodum travel press is one of the most popular coffee makers among coffee lovers not only for its classy and elegant design but also for its high-end performance. The basic features of the Bodum coffee press are mentioned listed below:

Features:
1) Tea or coffee- The brand claims the coffee maker to be as well efficient with as it is with coffee. So, now you can drink whichever you wish on the go.
2) Easy to use- The highly portable Bodum coffee maker is very easy to use owing to its built-in plunger, silicone and acrylic filters which remove sediments.
3) On the go mug- It comes with a detachable 15 oz mug, so you don’t need to carry a cup for your tea or coffee. The mug is easy to clean and is dishwasher safe.
4) Thermally insulated- The vacuum insulated double-walled structure keeps your coffee hot or cold for many hours and also makes it easy to handle. The stainless steel outer body gives it high durability and the colorful silicone grip ensures a firm hold throughout the brewing process.

Pros:

• The coffee maker is truly portable as it consists of more or less, a single body with no extra parts. As a result, the assembling the coffee maker is a matter of seconds and doesn’t require much space.
• The thermally insulated double-walled design will keep your beverages hot or cold for hours and you don’t need to carry an extra thermos flask to store the coffee for later use.
• The coffee maker is durable and easy to clean owing to its stainless steel outer body, acrylic filters, and dish-washer friendly mug.

Cons:

• The plunger used for the press doesn’t go all the way down to the bottom. As a result, a significant amount of coffee which is stuck below the plunger is undrinkable and generally goes waste.
• Some of the customers have found a problem with the filtering system as few grits found their way to the coffee and made it less enjoyable.

To buy: amazon.com

Presto My Jo single cup coffee maker

Features:
1) Makes single cup coffee- The compact coffee maker is specially designed to make a single cup of coffee, which is ideal for those who use to travel alone.
2) Uses k-cups – The Presto My Jo coffee maker uses k-cups to prepare your coffee. All you need is to place your favorite flavor k-cup at the base of the brewer and press hot water through it. The responsibility of the k-cups after brewing gives you a new sense of portability.
3) Microwave and dish-washer friendly reservoir- The water reservoir that comes with the coffee maker is microwave oven friendly. So, all you need to do is place it inside the oven after filling it with sufficient amount of water and then assemble the reservoir in the coffee maker and your coffee is ready for brewing. You don’t need to worry about cleaning it as it is dishwasher safe.

With the simple design and easy brewing process that comes with the Presto My Jo coffee maker, making a delicious cup of coffee is now no longer a chore whether you are in your kitchen or on an adventure trip. The coffee brewer has been trusted by more than a thousand people for making their coffee on the go.

Pros:

• One of the most fascinating aspects of this coffee maker is its low price. It costs you nearly half of the other similar coffee makers still, you don’t have to compromise with the taste of the coffee brewed.
• The heat resistant and slip resistant silicone grip around the reservoir makes handling the hot water very safe and convenient.
• The microwave friendliness of the reservoir makes it easy to heat water in a microwave oven. It can be effortlessly cleaned because it is dishwasher safe.
• You no more need to carry messy coffee grounds as the Presto My Jo coffee maker uses disposable single brew k-cups. You also have the alternative option of using the refillable My Jo cups in place of the typical k-cups.

Cons:

• The base of the maker may not fit properly on the top of your coffee mug. This results in spilling of coffee around the coffee maker and making things messy.
• The seal used to vacuum press the coffee may sometimes not fit well, which will make the pumping process miserable and you may need to wrap some plastic around the plunger in order to get it working.
• In some cases, a leak occurs near the k-cup attachment due to which the coffee goes directly into your coffee mug without getting properly brewed.

To buy: amazon.com

Espro travel coffee press

The Espro travel coffee press is a sleek, elegantly designed and cleverly innovated coffee maker. It lets you choose between a decent pour-over and a delicious espresso.

Features:
1) Excellent cleaning with the double filter setup- The double filter setup, each of which is 9-12 times finer than other filters, makes sure that only the smooth and fine-textured coffee goes into your cup.
2) Pour-over or espresso- The cleverly designed dual filter system gives you the option of pour- over coffee as well as espresso. For espresso, you just have to assemble the dual filter, put some coffee grounds on the filters and pump the hot water through the filters into the coffee chamber. For pour-over coffee, you have to place a filter paper between the filters and let your coffee pour through the coffee grounds into the coffee chamber.
3) Thermally insulated dual wall- The stainless steel wall actually consists of two vacuum insulated walls which keeps your coffee (or tea) hot for longer periods.
4) 360-degree drink lid- Yes, you guessed it right, with the Espro travel coffee press, you don’t need an external cup. The brewed coffee is stored into the coffee chamber in the lower part of the coffee maker. From there, you can conveniently drink it owing to the 360-degree drink lid. The lid is also leakproof, preventing the coffee from spilling out and messing things up.

Pros:

• Since the coffee maker allows you to prepare pour-over as well as expresso, it will suit you, whichever is your favorite. So, now you need not to settle with only one of them.
• The all in one compact design enables you to brew, store and drink coffee from the same container.
• The coffee maker is not only classy but also durable. Its reliability is reflected in the company’s claim of a lifetime guarantee on manufacturing defects in the product.

Cons:

• The seal of the pump may become defective with time and then you will find it difficult to press the plunger. It is a little difficult to clean, especially when you are unable to pull the plunger out of it.
• The coffee maker is unable to keep the coffee hot for much longer.

To buy: amazon.com

Stanley Classic Vacuum travel press

The classic travel coffee press lets you make your own delicious coffee, even when you are on a hike or traveling to your favorite picnic spot. The large 16oz capacity lets you store coffee for more than one serving.

Features:
1) Easy to use and clean- The simple functioning of the press makes the brewing process very easy and fast. The press is also easy to remove and easy to clean.
2) Thermal insulation- The vacuum-based thermal insulation that is used in this coffee maker is supposed to keep beverages hot for 4 hours, cold for 5 hours and frozen for 20 hours.
3) Durable 18/8 stainless steel outer body- The stainless body won’t rust and the classic looks of your coffee maker will remain unaffected for years. It is also dishwasher safe.
4) The coffee maker features a folding loop which can be extended while traveling and clipped when packed.

Pros:

• The easily removable press makes it way easier for you to clean it. Moreover, it is dishwasher safe. So, you won’t face any issue with cleaning it.
• The thermal insulation will keep your coffee hot (or cold if you want) for several hours, increasing its usability while you are on the go.

Cons:

• It is known in California for containing harmful chemicals, including TDI, which not only brings a different taste to your coffee but can also be harmful to your health.
• The set of lids on the top is unnecessarily complicated, which makes its cleaning a very difficult task.

To buy: amazon.com

KOHIPRESS portable French press coffee maker

The original Kohipress coffee maker has been known for years, especially for its durability and performance.

Features:
1) Air pressure plunge method- The air pressure plunge method aids in making a quick coffee and also in avoiding the bitterness that comes due to slow pour-over type coffee makers. This also results in a lower acid level in the coffee.
2) Thermally insulated travel mug- The thermally insulated travel mug which has two vacuum separated walls which keeps your coffee hot for hours.
3) High quality built material- The coffee maker is made of high-quality FDA approved premium grade stainless steel which is BPA free and 100% food safe.

Pros:

• The patented self-lock mechanism of the coffee maker keeps the brewed coffee separated from the used coffee grounds. So you won’t find any grit even if you store brewed coffee in the mug for some time.
• The BPA free plastic plunger and the premium grade stainless steel make it safe for you. So, you need not worry about any side-effects due to any cheap material.
• The total immersion technique gives you a rich and smooth coffee.

Cons:

• The coffee grounds may get accumulated in the bottom and then, it will become very difficult to be clean it even when done manually, leave alone when using a dishwasher.
• The flip-top lid sometimes presses your nose, which makes it very annoying to drink coffee from it.

To buy: amazon.com

Bottom line:

Most of these have thermally insulated walls which help in keeping your coffee hot for longer. All of them are more or less portable and easy to handle. They are also easy to clean and dishwasher safe. While selecting the best travel coffee makers, I assumed that you won’t be having an electricity supply for operating the coffee makers. So, all these coffee makers are completely independent of electric power. In case you will be having an electric supply during your travel, then you can see some coffee makers with more advanced features. Though all the coffee makers mentioned above have their own advantages and disadvantages, according to the features, portability, and taste of the coffee produced, the Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker is the most preferable travel coffee maker. This is why it has been able to satisfy the largest number of customers. Your decision, however, is completely your own and you should consider your own requirements and preferences while buying the coffee maker which is most suitable for you. So, best of luck for finding the ideal coffee maker to accompany you on your trips.

The post Best on the go travel coffee makers. appeared first on Travel your dreams.