The 8 Best Camping Coffee Makers of 2024 (2024)

Notable for Delicious Espresso On The Go

Wacaco Nanopresso

Weight: 12.35 oz with all accessories | Brew Type: Espresso

Historically, heading into the backcountry has meant that coffee lovers must leave behind the caramel crema of their dream espresso. Not any longer. The Wacaco Nanopresso produces expert-level espresso with a crema to rival the "Guinness Effect" on a freshly pulled shot at your favorite cafe. The Nanopresso performed favorably in every blind taste test, almost edging out the AeroPress. Brewing with the Nanopresso is straightforward, requiring minimal expertise to produce an excellent shot of espresso — once you learn how all the parts work together. Fill the mini-portafilter with finely ground coffee, tamp it down with the provided scoop, add hot water to the reservoir, and pump it like a bike pump — voila, a fantastic shot of espresso.

While the Nanopresso delivers delicious coffee and near-perfect crema, it has a few drawbacks that kept it from earning a higher mark in our review. The steep price tag is hardly a deterrent for die-hard espresso lovers, but it will set you back a noticeable amount. And, even though it is fairly straightforward to make excellent espresso, this device comes with many small parts that are difficult to clean and easy to lose. Using the Nanopresso while camping could prove challenging without access to water or a drying rack; thus it is a more ideal coffee maker for van-lifers than backpackers or casual car-campers. Despite these drawbacks, it stole our hearts by producing cafe-quality espresso with a beautiful crema.

Read more: Wacaco Nanopresso review

Compare Products

Why You Should Trust Us

We took these devices everywhere to ensure that each coffee brewer was tested thoroughly and in a broad range of situations. From car-camping and van-living to multi-day backpacking trips and alpine bivvies, we assessed the strengths and weaknesses of each brew method specific to its potential camping applications. We sourced high-quality coffee beans with a consistent flavor profile to level the playing field and eliminate flavor variability. This allowed us to evaluate taste differences between brew methods accurately and reliably.

We tested each camping coffee maker using five performance metrics:

• Taste (40% of overall score weighting)

• Ease of Use (25% weighting)

• Group Cooking (15% weighting)

• Portability (10% weighting)

• Weight (10% weighting)

Our camping coffee review is spearheaded by Mary Witlacil and Penney Garrett, both life-long lovers of coffee and outdoor enthusiasts. Mary has over fifteen years of backcountry experience riding bikes, hiking, backpacking, and climbing rocks, ice, and mountains. While her outdoor sport preferences have changed over the years, her love of coffee has not. Indeed, she believes no good adventure ever starts without a strong cup of black coffee. Penney also boasts a long resume of outdoor pursuits, but her experience in the coffee world is even more impressive. With over 15 years working in the world of specialty coffee, you name it, and she's probably done it. From origin trips to coffee farms, sample roasting, barista competitions, and palate trainings, she knows every step of the coffee supply chain in detail. Between the two, Mary and Penney have subjected every camping coffee maker to rigorous testing in and out of the backcountry, with craft coffee from all over the U.S.

Analysis and Test Results

For many of us, coffee is the best part of our morning ritual and a critical catalyst to starting the day on the right foot. Coffee brewing is a personal process, and there are numerous options and resources for brewing types and methods. From dark roasts to light roasts, espressos to pour-overs, plastic to stainless steel… decisions abound, and each one will change your final cup's flavor and overall enjoyment. Read on to learn about some of the savviest brewers on the market, how easy (or not) they are to use and care for, how conducive (or not) each is for serving multiple people, and — most importantly — how deliciously they brew up that precious nectar of liquid black gold.

Value

Items in this review span a broad range in price — enough of a spread to warrant some time and consideration when deciding what to buy. We recommend reflecting on where you plan to brew coffee and how important flavor is to your coffee enjoyment experience. Is taste your number one priority? Do you prioritize weight and packability? Or do you need a brewer to prepare large volumes of coffee? Some brewers triangulate between flavor, lightweight, and packability, but it is rare for these same brewers to be great for large groups. Once you figure out which features and applicability work best for you, it will be easier to decide what you need.

We weighted each metric according to the most important elements of the average camping coffee drinker. If one of the metrics is more important to you, you can evaluate each category's least expensive brewers side-by-side. The Hario V60 is one of the highest performers — great taste, lightweight, and easy enough to use — and has one of the lowest prices of all our contenders, thus representing an outstanding value. Likewise, the Primula Brew Buddy and Melitta 1-Cup Pour-Over represent an excellent value for everything from ultralight backpacking missions to a cozy car camping weekend.

Taste

No surprise here; the taste is the factor we weighted the heaviest in our evaluation. If you don't care about taste and just want a caffeine jolt, you can skip the rest of this review and buy instant coffee. However, most coffee drinkers don't want to sacrifice delicious coffee while camping and recognize that instant coffee will never taste as good as the real thing, though Alpine Start Instant comes close. Most of us want a smooth, rich, clean flavor, whether lounging on our couch at home or slamming coffee on the trail during the wee morning hours. We can help you achieve that, even with a bare-bones backpacking or car-camping kitchen.

Recognizing the importance of this rating metric, we conducted several blind taste tests with like-minded coffee lovers to evaluate which products produced the best final result. All the brewers we reviewed made a good cup, but a few stood out for their ability to deliver an elevated flavor that was pleasing even to the pickiest coffee snob.

The AeroPress is the distinct taste winner, though the MiiR Pourigami, Hario V60, and Wacaco Nanopresso are close rivals. These impressive brewers are followed by the ESPRO Ultralight Travel Press and the Bialetti Musa. Some tasters did prefer the V60, Pourigami, and Nanopresso over the AeroPress. However, one taster began using the AeroPress at home every morning after the initial test because she loved it so much. The AeroPress brews a smooth, strong cup devoid of bitterness. By pushing water evenly through the grinds at high pressure, the result resembles espresso shots with a refined and clean flavor.

The Nanopresso scored well in our taste tests, producing a rich shot of espresso with a caramel crema to rival a shot at your favorite cafe. The Bialetti Musa also scored high in our taste tests. This stainless steel stove-top espresso maker provides flavorful coffee, as long as you remove it from the heat as soon as it finishes percolating.

The ESPRO press made the best-tasting cup from a French press. The double mesh filters are much finer than a traditional French press filter, and when coupled with a patented system that stops extraction once pressed, you get a tasty brew every time. The ESPRO also has special paper filters for use between the mesh filters for an even cleaner cup — the paper filter removes any remaining extra-fine particles and absorbs excess oils. You end up with a final product similar to the V60 or a Chemex. All of this exists inside an insulated, leakproof travel mug that, while on the heavy side, is highly durable and can go with you anywhere.

The Pourigami rose above the ranks, proving itself top-notch in flavor. Along with the V60, it produces the best-tasting coffee of the pour-over drippers in our review. The Pourigami produces a rich, gourmet cup with a bright flavor and a clean mouthfeel. It is also the best-tasting brew method that doesn't involve pouring hot water over plastic. The V60 also brews a clean-tasting cup with vibrant flavors and less bitterness than other drippers. The special angle of the cone (60 degrees to be exact), and the fact that it causes everything to merge at one point, means that the ground coffee gets evenly saturated — flat-bottomed brewers are prone to over-saturation from water pooling at the edges, which can cause bitterness.

Most pour-over methods require careful pouring to get the best flavor. This is best done with a kettle like the Hario Gooseneck Kettle, but few people will choose to camp with such a specialized pouring apparatus. Though it doesn't score quite as high as the V60 or Pourigami, the Primula Brew Buddy and the MSR MugMate both deliver consistent tastes with the sloppy pour you often get from a pot or JetBoil while camping.

Special Note on Pour-Over Methods

Yes, you can use a pour-over with no real plan by placing a random amount of ground coffee into the device and dousing it with hot water. How you prepare and use your chosen pour-over dripper will dramatically alter the taste. There are many essential variables: quality of beans, freshness, the quantity used, grind size, water temperature, and how you pour the water. Videos abound online, offering tutorials and advice to hone your pour-over technique.

Ease of Use

If you are one of those people who doesn't wake up until after your first cup of caffeine, then the simpler the brewing process, the better. Resources are often limited while camping, so models with easy clean-up are preferable. Whether you want a second or third cup or prefer hitting the trail as quickly as possible, a complicated coffee brewing process shouldn't be the thing holding you back.

French presses are among the simplest camping coffee makers to use. They don't require filters, but they're a pain to clean. You have to flick and scoop out the messy wet grounds and then use water to rinse everything. If water is no issue where you'll be camping, then a French press might appeal to you. The ESPRO, BaseCamp, Stanley Adventure All-in-One, and the GSI Outdoors Personal Java Press all fit the bill for being straightforward to use without the need to hone your coffee-making skills. Beyond being easy to master, French presses are the best way to accommodate multiple people. However, if you're in a dry area with limited water access, another brew style that requires less water for clean-up will be ideal.

The AeroPress is a breeze to clean — simply remove the cap that holds the filter, then press the plunger to pop out the puck of coffee grounds. However, this device requires more know-how to use and has more parts to contend with. The Bialetti Musa is also among the easiest brewers to use and clean. Unscrew the reservoir from the base, pound the portafilter into the trash, and then wipe the coffee grounds out with your finger.

The various cone-shaped pour-over brewers we reviewed are easy to use once you've mastered your pour-over technique. And they are straightforward to clean — just lift out the filter and toss it in the trash (or compost). Do keep in mind that many of these drippers, such as the Pourigami and the V60, require special filters for optimum brewing, and all of the pour-over devices require some finesse to produce a great cup of coffee. As we discovered in the testing process, you can make almost any filter work with a little folding, finagling, and careful pouring, but it's less than ideal.

Filterless options involve more cleaning between uses. You can get 90% of the coffee out with a quick pour of a 1/4 cup of water. If you want your filter 100% clean, you will have to sacrifice quite a bit more water. Of all the filterless options, the Brew Buddy is the easiest to clean because of its shape and small surface area — turn the filter inside out, and voila, it's clean. The MugMate isn't far behind, though its rigid design makes it a tiny bit harder to rinse. For a quick and dirty clean-up, you can tap the MugMate to evacuate the grounds and clean it more thoroughly when you have access to a stream or water source. Both the MugMate and the Brew Buddy score well on this metric because they are simple to perfect, have minimal pieces to contend with, and are easy to clean.

Of course, with regard to ease of use, instant coffee will always be king. Nothing is easier than opening a packet and pouring water (hot or cold) to mix with the grounds. No mess, no fancy filters or kettles, no clean-up except for your mug and the bit of trash the packet creates. You will sacrifice some flavor for this convenience, though with modern instant coffees like Alpine Start some people barely notice the difference; just make sure to add less water than the packet suggests, unless you want bean-tea.

Group Cooking

If you are planning a camping trip with multiple devout coffee drinkers, it is worth looking for a method that can brew for more than one person and still deliver excellent flavor.

The BaseCamp is a big press able to accommodate a large crew of caffeine-fiending campers. We tested the 32-ounce version, but it's also available in a larger 48-ounce version. This insulated press is the easiest and best-tasting way to satisfy a group quickly.

While pour-over drippers are best for 1-2 people, you can always fill them with more grounds if you need to accommodate a small group. Just remember that this will affect extraction and the final flavor. Of our tested models, the GSI Collapsible Java Drip has the greatest capacity, and if you're willing to test the limits, it can brew for 4 or more. The Stanley Adventure All-in-One and the GSI Personal Java Press are great if you're in a party of two. Both of these presses brew around 20 ounces, so there's plenty to get two people started. The Java Press comes with its own mug that nests inside the press — a nice feature if you don't already have a camp cup or need an extra one for your buddy.

Portability

Portability refers to how easy each item is to pack and carry. No surprise, the instant coffee from Alpine Start scores the highest. We include instant coffee in our review for all you gram-counters and alpine-starters. Sometimes you need to shave every gram possible, even if it means sacrificing a little flavor. However, with instant coffees as good as this, you won't be grimacing your way through caffeination.

Instant aside, it was neck-and-neck between several of our contenders. The GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip is incredibly compact — it folds to fit under a fuel canister and weighs just over an ounce. Another stellar option is the Brew Buddy, which weighs the same but is considerably more durable. It also requires less coffee to produce a flavorful result, further cutting down on weight.

Another ultralight and durable option is the MugMate. While it doesn't collapse down flat, it can nest inside your mug for travel and weighs less than an ounce. If a few more ounces are okay, we like the GSI Collapsible Java Drip and the MiiR Pourigami. The former is made out of silicone, and the latter is made out of stainless steel. They are both portable and durable. The Pourigami is a clear winner in terms of flavor, but it weighs quite a bit more than the other top options in this metric. That said, if you're searching for a compact stainless steel brewer with gourmet flavor, and don't mind a few extra ounces, then we can easily recommend this one.

Weight

None of the brewing devices tested can compete with the featherweight of a single instant coffee packet at less than a quarter of an ounce. However, they can be reused indefinitely, making them more cost-effective in the long run.

Instant coffee packets, like the Alpine Start we tested, are ideal for backcountry missions where you don't want to add more weight and bulk to heavy pack already weighed down with gear. However, for long-distance backpacking or through-hiking, instant coffee can get pretty dang spendy, so unless you can afford it, we recommend saving some money and carrying a reusable option that will produce far more delicious coffee for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the weight.

Our review team weighed each brewer on a kitchen scale, determining the MugMate was the lightest, weighing just a single ounce with the optional lid/coaster and 0.7 ounces without it. The Brew Buddy and GSI Ultralight are just a smidge heavier at 1.1 ounces, and the Melitta weighs in at just 2.01 ounces. None of these brewers — except for the Melitta — require filters, which is an additional weight savings.

The V60 is another lightweight option, hovering right around 3 ounces. That doesn't include the weight of the filters, although they are generally lightweight. Next up are the GSI Collapsible Java Drip and the MiiR Pourigami at 4.76 and 4.89 ounces, respectively. Both of these require filters, but their collapsible nature makes transport easier than a rigid cone shape.

Conclusion

With so many choices out there, we know it can be challenging to select the right camping coffee maker (or home coffee maker) for your needs. We hope you find our ratings and tests helpful in narrowing down the plethora of options so you can hone in on the perfect brewer for your sacred morning ritual.