Best Portable Travel Coffee Maker – Brew On The Go

Aeropress

Aeropress is one of the most well-known and loved portable coffee makers out there. And for a damn good reason!

They make a lightweight, quality product, and it is made in the USA. And at just over $30 almost anywhere online, it’s amazingly affordable and leaves you with no excuse not to have an awesome coffee while traveling.

It’s a super easy-to-use coffee maker because all you really have to do is put the filter in, coffee in, water, then plunge. About a minute later- Boom! Tasty Coffee.

Another cool thing about this travel coffee maker is that it can make both American-style brewed coffee, or be used to make an espresso. So, if you are like me and addicted to Lattes, no stress!

One simple press of the plunger will also give you in most cases 2 shots of coffee, so no need to do it twice if you are traveling with two.

Another awesome plus of this machine over other types (like the French press) is how easy it is to clean. Once your coffee is ready, just push the filter and coffee grounds into the waste. Then, rinse all the bits from the Aeropress – and you are good to go!

As far as portability goes, it’s a bit of a pain with all the parts. But you can leave a lot of them at home (stirrer, scoop, filter holder).

OR, if you get the travel kit version they pack it away into an easy-to-carry bag, which you can see in the image here.

Easy to set up, fast to use, with flavorful coffee, what more can you want in a travel coffee maker!

Filters For The Aeropress

This is a big question for any portable coffee maker – filters. It comes with 350 microfilters if you get the combo-pack on Amazon. Or you can buy them separately. Obviously, you will use one filter per press, and then have to throw it away.

Some people recommend using a metal filter instead. To save on all this paper filter hassle. I have not tried it, but the Aeropress team says they did taste tests and the paper filters always won! At about $10 bucks, it might be worth a try.

What Else You Need To Make Coffee With The Aeropress

The Aeropress is a great piece of kit, but of course, you need a few other bits and pieces to make your coffee:

• Micro Filters (some purchases may include a bag or two – usually 350 per bag)
• A Metal Filter (if you want to reduce the waste and stop buying filters all the time)
• Coffee Grinds (You can pre-grind them at home and store them in a spice jar or similar, but keep in mind the quality will degrade over time)
• A Grinder (if you want to grind your own on the go)
• A coffee mug to enjoy your coffee in of course!

Want to see how it looks in action, check out the video below.

MiniPresso GR Espresso Maker

Are you an espresso lover? Then the MiniPresso may be the travel coffee maker for you!

This baby makes amazing espresso almost as good as what you will buy from a store. You know the kind, with that little crema of coffee froth on the top! Yum.

Basically, it uses super high pressure to create the kinds of top-quality coffee you are used to getting from an espresso machine. But, in this case – it’s super-portable!

Although all the parts are made of plastic, the feel of the device is super solid, and weight-wise you may think it is actually metal.

More Work For Your Espresso

The biggest downside of this portable coffee maker is that it is a bit fiddly. There are quite a few parts that need screwing/unscrewing and it is a little more work to clean. Although to be honest, for such a portable coffee maker, it just means rinsing the filter section each time.

Another downside worth mentioning is that only one espresso can be made each time. After that, you will have to re-fill the coffee and water. Not a huge deal, but takes a little time (worth it if you ask me!).

Note: You can buy a larger water tank to produce either a bigger espresso or for two if you find it is too small.

And to produce the coffee, kinda like the Aeropress, you will have to “push”. In this case, it is a 5-6x pumping action. No matter what portable coffee machine you buy to produce this quality coffee, you are going to have to do a little work :>

Extras And Other Versions Of The MiniPresso

If you go for the MiniPresso alone, you get what is in the picture above. The machine, fully functioning, with no need for extra filters. However, there are some other extras and options worth thinking about:

• The Nespresso capsule version (saves bringing ground coffee but of course more waste)
• The CA Capsule version (Uses capsules from the Caffitaly System® and Tchibo Cafissimo® systems).
• Larger Water Tank – 3.3 Fl Oz / 110ml (bigger Espresso or for two!)
• MiniPresso protective carry case (keep it safe and sound while traveling)

What Else You Need To Make Coffee With The MiniPresso

The MiniPresso comes with almost everything you need, so there are only a few things to get extra:

• Coffee Grinds (Either pre-grind them at home or bring a fresh bag of beans and grind on the spot – I prefer fresh coffee :>)
• A Grinder (another thing to carry, but worth the fresh coffee)
• A coffee mug to enjoy your coffee in of course!

Handpresso Wild Hybrid French Press

The Handpresso is another travel coffee maker aimed at espresso lovers. The difference here is that this guy is high-pressure! (which espresso lovers know is key!)

So, if you are serious about pumping out the best quality espresso when you are on your travels, this might just beat the MiniPresso above!

The black part you see at the bottom is a small pump that you prime to the right espresso producing pressure. Then you just tip it up to wet the coffee, and let her rip!

Before you know it, in less than 1 minute, you will have a tasty cup of coffee – an espresso complete with crema on top!

This portable coffee maker is perhaps a little more expensive and heavy, but if you are serious about your espresso.. what can I say!

Like with most other travel coffee makers, this guy takes a few steps to get your coffee:

1. Pump the pressure to 16 bar
2. Add your coffee (grinds or ESE capsules)
3. Add your water
4. Let Handpresso serve you coffee

But if you check out the video below, you will see it’s pretty damn easy.

It also comes with the option of capsule-like (ESE) coffee (see the white bags in the picture) so if you don’t like grinding or carrying grinds there is another easy option – as you can buy these everywhere.

Work For Your Espresso

You have to pump the handle a bit to get to the 16bar for your awesome espresso, however, it is not going to send you into cardiac arrest. So, don’t sweat it.

If you are a coffee grinding kinda person, there is that extra bit of work to do, but hey, you probably do that at home too, right?

But, all in all, this is a pretty simple little coffee maker that you can throw in your bag or even take on a hike!

Extras For The Handpresso

The Handpresso is of course good to go as is. You just need hot water and coffee (grinds or capsules). These guys also have extras that are really handy or a full kit version which is great for trips or picnics!

• Handpresso protective carry case (keep it safe while traveling)
• Intense Filter (provides up to 24x stronger coffee with a slower filter time)
• 3x coffee pod holder (perfect for your next weekend trip)
• The Handpresso Full Kit (Handpresso, Hot Water Thermos, 3x unbreakable espresso cups)

What Else You Need To Make Coffee With The Handpresso

The MiniPresso comes with almost everything you need, so there are only a few things to get extra:

• Coffee Grinds (Either pre-grind them at home or bring a fresh bag of beans and grind on the spot – I prefer fresh coffee :>)
• ESE Coffee capsules if you prefer not grinding
• A Grinder (another thing to carry, but worth the fresh coffee)
• A coffee mug to enjoy your coffee in of course!

Want to see the HandPresso in action (of course you do! go on, press play).

STARESSO Coffee & Portable Espresso Cappuccino Maker

The STARESSO is designed to do two things – make coffee and hot frothy milk.

So, if you love a latte or cappuccino (like me!) this little guy might be your travel lifesaver!

However, trying to do two things well, might be a little ambitious for a little travel coffee maker, but I like the idea.

This portable coffee maker has quite a few parts to deal with, to help create the coffee and the milk, but it is not much more complex or large than the Aeropress or MiniPresso.

It also comes with a liquid holder, where the coffee or milk ends up. So this could also double as your coffee glass. Albeit not a great one

Although the end result is quite good, I think this is a little too over the top for a travel coffee maker – in terms of complexity, what it is trying to make and how big it is. Having said that, many of the other higher pressure devices are also quite big.

If you want to see how good it can do a cappuccino, watch the video below. It isn’t Starbucks or even an Italian cafe, but it is not bad for a travel coffee maker. I guess it all depends on how badly you need your latte or cappuccino!

Bialetti Moka Express

We all know Italy is synonymous with epic espresso coffee, so why not include one of the oldest and best portable coffee makers in this review?

The Bialetti Moka Express is probably something you have seen before but never really considered?

I bought one for our camper van because I needed something, portable, compact and most important of all, simple to use and easy to clean.

The Bialetti ticks all the boxes there, and more. You open it up, put the water in, then the coffee in the grind holder, and put it on the stove. Then, when it starts gurgling, you take it off and pour!

Couldn’t be simpler than that.

You can choose your side (in cups of Espresso) and it even comes apart for storage if you need more space

Bodum Insulated Stainless-Steel Travel Press

The travel press from Bodum is quite handy for travelers for two reasons.

1. It is a simple french press in a strong stainless steel container.

2. It doubles as your coffee cup, so you can kill two birds with this baby.

Everything from Bodum is always high quality and the materials used are great – stainless steel (nothing to ruin the taste of your coffee) and an easy to drink from a plastic spout.

It’s not the lightest or smallest portable coffee maker on this page, but if you like the french press style coffee and you are traveling solo, maybe this is the perfect option for you.

As always, seeing is believing and this video gives you a quick breakdown of the Bodum Travel press and shows you all the pieces and how they work. It’s all pretty simple really.

The Presse by Bobbie - Travel Coffee Press

The Presse by Bobbie is a cool little invention and a unique take on the french press.

It consists of two parts: the outer container where you put the measured coffee and water, and then the press.

The bonus with this coffee maker is that the press part is also the cup.

As you press down on the press (you can see the silicone lid in the image) it pushed the coffee into the press itself, which is then the cup. Pretty sweet!

The bottom of the press is also a coffee measurer, so you don’t have to guess how much you need.

All around, this is a well-made device that has the traveler in mind and looks built to last.

In the video below you can see all the steps, you need to whip up a well-earned cup of coffee.

It really is pretty simple.

And in terms of weight and size, it is comparable to the other coffee makers like the Aeropress.

Kuissential SlickDrip - Collapsible Silicone Coffee Dripper

It cannot get much simpler or cheaper than the Kuissential SlickDrip drip coffee maker.

And on top of that, it also collapses into a flat disk of silicone, so is super easy to store and use while traveling.

Of course, there is a downside, which is that it is a lot more messy and time-consuming to make your cup of coffee. But if you have time over money, then this might be the solution for you.

It’s pretty easy to set up and use. Simply expand the silicone cup upwards and put it on top of the glass or cup you want the coffee in.

Next, place a standard number 2 sized filter into the Cuissential, add the right amount of coffee (make take some experimenting) and slowly, yes quite slowly, pour the hot water in.

Of course, the easiest way to show you how this baby works is to show you a video of someone using it in detail.

Similar Items

Kuke Reusable Silicone Coffee Dripper with Hook

GSI Outdoors Collapsible Java Drip Coffee Maker

Presto MyJo Single Cup Coffee Maker

The Presto MyJo is a simple and fast single-cup coffee maker that you can take with you on your travels.

It uses the K Cup capsules, so you don’t have to take beans or grinds with you. Which might be a big selling point for many of you out there. There is also a coffee grind holder (image further down) in case you do prefer your own.

It’s pretty much all plastic and easy to assemble and use. Just check out the video further down and you will see how it goes:

1. Unscrew the bottom.
2. Push in your K Cup capsule
3. Put bottom back on
4. Fill the top with hot water
5. Add top and pump into a cup

The bottom is also well designed to sit easily on your favorite mug or cup.

As I mentioned above, not everyone likes to use disposable K Cups (for environmental reasons I hope :>). So you do have a choice of grinds of cups.

And the hot water can come from a kettle or you can place the cup in a microwave to heat it up. Something you won’t be able to do with most coffee makers on this list (although more often than not, you won’t have a microwave with your, right?).

Now for the downsides. The biggest issue with this puppy is that it is BIG. I think it is overall the biggest coffee maker on this list.

Sure, it’s pretty convenient and easy to use, but that comes at a price.

So, if you are traveling by space limitations (carry-on only or not with a car) then maybe this is not the travel coffee maker for you.

However, it would be great for those one-week vacations at a rental property without a decent coffee maker. Or say car camping where you can take lots of stuff.