Travel introduced me to how amazing the world of coffee truly is. Caffeine used to be nothing more than a tool for me: I take short trips with little downtime, so I turned to coffee to help keep me awake. You can only drink so much cheap hotel coffee before you start to wonder if there is more to coffee than throwing down $6 bucks on a sugar-laden latte at Starbucks when you want to treat yourself. Eventually, I ended up stumbling into enough specialty coffee shops to realize that there was a whole world of specialty coffee that tasted amazing without needing to be covered up with milk or sugar (I personally credit Arizona-based Cartel Coffee Lab for opening up my eyes to good coffee). Nowadays, finding local coffee roasters & interesting cafes is one of my favorite things to do while traveling. For travelers who want to take their favorite coffee on their next trip, here are some of the best travel accessories for coffee lovers.
Aerobie AeroPress Coffee & Espresso Maker (with travel pouch)
MSRP: $32 (check current price on Amazon)
The AeroPress is a legend in its own right, but it happens to also be a wonderful travel accessory because it is lightweight and practically indestructible. This immersion brewer uses a simple plunger system that can make anyone feel like a coffee expert.
It is a cheap piece of coffee-brewing hardware that consistently produces a good cup of coffee. Countless coffee lovers use the AeroPress as their daily source of coffee, so extra points for being versatile beyond just on your trips. Seriously, it’s that good.
Knock Aergrind Hand Grinder
MSRP: $159.99
When it comes to coffee gear, having a high-quality grinder is the single most important piece of hardware. There is no better upgrade than stepping up from a cheap grinder to a purpose-built burr grinder.
If you are traveling with an AeroPress to make coffee while on the road, the Knock Aergrind hand grinder is one of the most convenient grinders on the market. There are dozens of high-quality manual burr grinders that you can throw into your travel bag, but the Aergrind is one of the few grinders that is slim enough to actually fit inside the AeroPress plunger chamber to save room in your bag.
Editor’s note: The best high-quality hand grinders can easily retail for $100-300, so the ~ $80 Porlex Mini (check current price on Amazon) can be a more budget-friendly alternative that still fits inside an AeroPress.
Abid Clever Dripper
MSRP: ~$25 (check current price on Amazon)
Love the idea of bringing a travel-friendly coffee brewer but prefer drinking pourover coffee to immersion brewing methods? The simple Clever Dripper may be for you.
The folks over at Boomtown Coffee make a great case for choosing the Clever Dripper over the AeroPress when traveling: both can brew good coffee without needing a scale or gooseneck kettle, but the Clever Dripper is foolproof and its one-piece construction eliminates the possible of losing any components.
Fuzion Digital Pocket Scale
MSRP: $15 (check current price on Amazon)
When I travel, I dread the idea of a delicate coffee scale banging around inside my bag. Both the coffee brewers mentioned above (AeroPess & Clever Dripper) thankfully don’t require bringing along a scale as long as you do little planning before your trip.
That said, you may decide to travel with a French press or other pourover coffee device that would benefit from a scale. If you do, leave your larger coffee scale at home and pack this smaller travel scale in your carry-on bag instead!
GSI Outdoors Infinity Backpacker Mug
MSRP: $10 (check current price on Amazon)
If you know you are staying somewhere that will have coffee cups/mugs, feel free to skip on this tip. I can tell you my firsthand experience how disappointing it is to arrive at a hotel or AirBnb that ended up not having a single ceramic mug or paper cup available to drink my coffee out of.
In those situations, it’s nice to have your own personal coffee mug that travels along with you so you never are stuck without one.
Bringing your favorite (and fragile) ceramic or glass mug is never a good idea, so take a cue from the camping community and pick up a lightweight mug to serve as your travel mug for years to come. GSI Outdoors’ backpacker mug is made of BPA-free & non-leaching polypropylene, plus it comes with a secure lid and a cloth sleeve so you never burn yourself.
Contigo Autoseal West Loop Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug
MSRP: $21 (check current price on Amazon)
While a metal mug is a great option for those who like to sip their coffee while relaxing at the hotel, an traditional mug is not ideal for those who are constantly on the run.
If that sounds like you, get yourself one of these travel mugs instead. These refillable mugs seal easily so you are never at risk of spilling your fresh coffee, and they double as insulated water bottles when you need to stay hydrated after your morning coffee. I actually retired my screw-top water bottles in favor of bringing along my Contigo mug when I’m on the go. Why carry two separate bottles when one will serve my purposes!
Bialetti MokaPot Express Stovetop Coffee Maker (3-cup)
MSRP: ~$30 (check current price on Amazon)
The iconic MokaPot is a staple in coffee-loving households around the world for good reason: it is a simple & effective method to brew concentrated coffee. The MokaPot’s all-in-one construction means that no paper filters or fancy kettles are required. Simply fill up the grounds basket, add water to the bottom, and throw the MokaPot on the stove.
Small MokaPots make great travel companions because their all-metal construction is portable and absolutely bulletproof. I am pretty sure I would have to run my MokaPot over with my car to break it.
As long as you have access to a stove (or camp burner) when traveling, bringing along a MokaPot will let you make a tasty & traditional cup of coffee. If you are making coffee for two people more often than not, opt for the larger 6-cup variant over the 3-cup version.
Gourmia GK320 Collapsible Travel Kettle
MSRP: $36 (check current price on Amazon)
Hopefully your hotel or lodging has a heat source and kettle already available to you upon arrival, but we know that isn’t always the case. Hot water is a key ingredient of coffee (unless you subscribe to a cold-brew only strategy when traveling), so sometimes you need to carry a portable travel kettle.
This small electric kettle will ensure that you always have a way to heat up water when on the road. Hopefully this is only used as a last-resort, but at least you know this small kettle will serve you well (and works very well with the AeroPress or Clever Dripper).
Wacaco Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker
MSRP: $65 (check current price on Amazon)
The Wacaco Nanopresso is not for the faint of heart and should be reserved for only the most gadget-hungry coffee geeks out there, but it is a unique piece of hardware that can help you make “real” espresso while on the go. The Nanopresso is essentially a portable espresso machine with a few moddable upgrades to allow for accepting Nespresso pods or brew larger quantities of coffee at once.
James Hoffman, the voice of reason for coffee lovers around the world, gave an honest review of the Nanopresso on his Youtube channel that I would recommend watching before purchasing. While there are more consistent espresso makers on the market, you simply cannot beat the size & portability of the Nanopresso.
