How do you get a good quality coffee when travelling? If you’re in a city, you may be able to stop by a specialty coffee shop, but if you’re somewhere more remote or prefer to have full control over your brew, it can be tricky. Nobody wants to bring an extra suitcase just for their brewing equipment.

But don’t worry – there are some innovative products and useful tips to make preparing great coffee on the go easier than ever. With these insights, you’ll never have to go without a delicious cup of coffee again.

Lee este artículo en español Cómo Preparar Cafés Excelentes Cuando Viajas

Campers enjoy coffee made with the Voyager Kettle from Nomad Joe. Credit: Nomad Joe

Choose The Right Equipment

By taking the right equipment, you can make your own coffee without filling up your bags. The most important point is to choose wisely. You may love your Chemex and electric burr grinder, but they’re bulky, easily broken, and awkward to transport.

Instead, consider packing an AeroPress. Because its made of plastic, it’s less fragile than a glass device and is lightweight. There are countless variations on AeroPress recipes, so you’ll most likely be able to make a coffee that suits your tastes with this brewing method.

You could also take a plastic or metal pour over device, such as a Kalita Wave or a Melitta product. There are collapsible and snap-together pour over devices specifically made for travelling too. But with any of these you’ll also have to consider the filter. Cloth ones can be easily rinsed out and reused, both reducing waste and the amount of things you need to pack.

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Hand grinders are smaller and don’t require electricity. Credit: Porlex

But does travelling mean you’re reduced to using whatever pre-ground coffee is locally available in your destination? Of course not. Take a hand grinder, which won’t need power to work and will take up much less space in your bag than an electric version. The Porlex Mini and the Hario Slim are great choices that are small but produce a consistent grind.

If you’re staying in a hotel, RV, or Airbnb, you might have access to a kettle. But have you ever tried to brew a pour over with a short-spouted kettle? When water gushes out of a short spout, it disrupts the coffee grounds and can make extraction inconsistent. This is why a gooseneck kettle is important.

Learn more in Everything You Need to Know to Brew Great Pour Over Coffee

The Voyager Kettle is a collapsible gooseneck kettle that folds down to make it easily transported anywhere. With dual-voltage, you can use it in many different countries. It’s also possible to control the water temperature, meaning that you can brew coffee without risking rushing the extraction.

Because it’s made of silicone, it’s lightweight. With this in your bag, you can also easily prepare tea, instant soup, and other dehydrated food and drinks. Why not pair it with a collapsible cup to make sure you’re always prepared? The Voyager Kettle is available on Kickstarter until July 29, 2019.

The Voyager Kettle has a gooseneck design. Credit: Nomad Joe

Pack Efficiently

Now you’ve selected the best equipment to travel with, it’s time to pack it. Consider whether you can include items inside others to reduce wasting space and to keep all of your coffee equipment together. For example, you may be able to fit a small grinder inside your AeroPress or fold the Voyager Kettle in with your camping equipment.

You could also consider leaving the pour over device and grinder at home and taking specialty quality instant coffee or single-serve immersion bags with your Voyager Kettle.

The Voyager Kettle folds down, meaning that it doesn’t take up too much space in your bag or drawer. Credit: Nomad Joe

Keeping Coffee Fresh & Delicious

If you choose to take a brewing device and coffee beans, consider how to keep the coffee fresh. Roasted coffee is vulnerable to light, heat, moisture, and most of all, oxygen. So consider packing small amounts in sealed containers or opaque plastic bags to avoid exposing all of your beans to unnecessary light and oxygen each time you make a cup of coffee.

If you’re able to, take vacuum-packed beans. This will both keep them fresh for longer and avoid taking up more space in your bags. There are vacuum bag systems intended for travel, but you could also see if your local roaster has sample bags or is able to make you some customised smaller bags.

If you’re flying, pack coffee in your carry-on and cover the valve. Otherwise, the low temperature of the baggage hold and the changes in pressure may put your coffee is in less than ideal conditions, which may have an impact on flavour.

When you get to your destination, make sure to store your coffee somewhere dark, cool, and dry. If you’re moving around, keep them deep inside your bags and protected from moisture.

And if you’re on a long trip, keep in mind the roast date of your beans. Instead of using stale coffee, see if there’s a roaster or supplier at any point of your trip where you can buy fresh ones.

Learn more in How to Store Roasted Coffee & Prolong Its Freshness

Planning travel with coffee.

Whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, heading to a campground or a hotel, there’s a way to make your perfect cup of coffee. With a little advance planning and careful selection of products, you don’t have to settle for stewed coffee or commodity grade beans.

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Please note: This article has been sponsored by Nomad Joe.

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