The Best Travel Coffee Gear: Great Coffee Anywhere You Go

The first morning of a trip usually means a hotel coffee pod, a gas-station cup, or nothing at all. It doesn't have to. A good travel kit fits in a small bag, needs only hot water, and makes coffee that tastes like home. Here's what to pack.

The brewer: AeroPress Go

The AeroPress Go ($49.95) is the AeroPress rebuilt for travel. The brewer, plunger, filters, and scoop all pack inside its own 15oz mug, and the lid snaps on to hold it together. It's made from BPA-free plastic with no glass, so it survives being tossed in a backpack or a carry-on.

It brews the same way as the original: a minute or two of steeping, then a gentle press. It's forgiving with grind size and water temperature, which matters when you're working with a hotel kettle or a campsite stove. The Go brews about 8oz at a time, right for one person.

Traveling with someone? The AeroPress Original ($44.95) is a little bigger and makes up to three cups in one press, though it doesn't nest into a mug.

The filter: go metal

Paper filters are light, but they're one more thing to run out of. A stainless steel reusable filter ($14.95) fits the Go, the Original, and the Clear, rinses clean, and lasts indefinitely. You'll get a slightly fuller-bodied cup than with paper. We explain the difference in paper vs. metal filters.

The grinder: pre-grind or bring one

You have two choices, and both are fine.

Option 1: grind before you leave

Grind enough for the trip at home, seal it in an airtight bag or container, and keep it cool. Ground coffee starts losing freshness within a day or two, so this works best for short trips. For a long weekend, it's the simplest approach and still far better than hotel coffee.

Option 2: bring a hand grinder

For longer trips, a cabin, or the office, freshly ground coffee is noticeably better. The Pietro Pro Brewing ($499) uses 58mm flat burrs tuned for filter coffee and AeroPress, and its lever folds away for packing. At 3.3 pounds it's not ultralight, so it's a better fit for car trips, cabins, and desks than backpacking. Our Pietro Pro Brewing guide covers who it suits.

Hot water

Most hotels have a kettle in the room or hot water in the lobby. At an office, the hot water tap on the coffee machine or water cooler works. Camping, any pot on a stove will do. Ideal is just off the boil, around 200°F, but the AeroPress is forgiving. Water a little cooler than ideal still makes a good cup. Let boiling water sit for 30 seconds and you're close.

Three kits for three kinds of trips

A simple travel recipe

1. Add two level AeroPress scoops of coffee (about 15g) to the brewer.
2. Fill with hot water to the 3 mark.
3. Stir for 10 seconds, wait one minute.
4. Press gently into your mug. Top with hot water if you'd like it milder.

Once you're home, our AeroPress recipe guide has three more recipes, including an iced concentrate.

Shop this guide

• AeroPress Go: travel brewer that packs into its own mug
• AeroPress Stainless Steel Filter: never run out of filters
• Pietro Pro Brewing: flat-burr hand grinder for filter and AeroPress
• AeroPress Original: for brewing for two