Portable Coffee Makers – Top 5 by Design

Bringing you the “Top 5 Portable Coffee Makers by Design”, we want to make sure that you get the best, no matter whether on the road or on a hiking trip, our everyday morning coffee is something we just can’t do without. But, what to do when you’re away from your favourite café, when there’s no NOC coffee shop in sight, or when your 15 pound professional home brewer is sitting comfortably in your kitchen while you’re thousands of miles away? You could settle for a local coffee shop if you’re on the road, but if you’re in the middle of the jungle, a hundred miles from the nearest inkling of civilisation, that’s not really an option. In today’s post, you’ll meet some of the most stylish, functional and well-designed portable coffee makers for the go, that’ll let you enjoy your favourite drink no matter where you are. From espresso makers, to pour-over variants, to portable French presses, today’s designers are covering every corner of the market, and we bring you our favourite options in this curated Top-5 list:

#1 The STARESSO Portable Espresso Maker

If you’re looking for beautiful design coupled with high quality and functionality, then the Staresso Portable Espresso Maker is the perfect choice. This hand-operated, award winning coffee maker isn’t only a treat for the eyes, it also delivers a perfect shot of espresso effortlessly thanks to a hand-operated pump that can produce pressures of 15 to 20 bars. The overall size and weight are also good for hiking or backpacking, since you can carry it anywhere you can carry a water bottle. It can work with popular coffee pods, but if brewing your own cup of Joe is what you’re into, then you can still use this coffee maker with regular ground coffee as well. Having said that, even though it is high on this list, it may be excessively stylish for the more rugged and outdoorsy types.

#2 The HANDPRESSO

Does going camping imply sacrificing your morning espresso? Will you have to settle for a cup of pour-over coffee? Not that there’s anything wrong with pour-over coffee, but some of us like our coffee strong, highly aromatic, and thick with crema… the Italian way. You may have a preconceived image of an espresso machine as one of those big, bulky contraptions that push hot water through coffee grounds. However, today, products like the Handpresso prove that it doesn’t take sheer size to make an excellent cup of coffee. Of all the different portable espresso maker designs, none is as compact, rugged and easy to use as the Handpresso. Smaller than most of its counterparts, lighter as well, and a lot easier to carry with you, this is the perfect design for camping, while remaining a good choice for the city. The hand operated pump will reach over 15 bars. If you decide to give it a try, you’ll see that it’ll extract every balsamic, cherry and syrup note of NOC’s single origin El Salvador red bourbon natural.

#3 The Soulhand All-In-One Travel Coffee Machine

Perhaps you’re not a big espresso fan, and you prefer pour over coffee brewed from freshly ground beans, like the single origin Kenya washed beans from NOC. If this is the case, no other portable coffee maker will enable the entire process, from roasted bean to brew, like the Soulhand all-in-one travel coffee machine. What is special about this design is that it integrates a hand-cranked coffee grinder with a pour over coffee maker and an insulated thermal mug into one neat and compact package. If you want to get all the plum, blackcurrant and grapefruit notes out of every Kenyan bean, without having to pack a separate grinder and coffee cup, and without having to worry about spare filters, then the Soulhand is the best choice for you.

#4 The ARAM® Portable Espresso Maker

Returning once again to travel espresso makers, the portable version of the Aram, with its noble wood body, stainless steel parts and hand operated screw pump, is probably one of the most attractive alternatives for you to take your espressos with you. We honored its Brazilian heritage by trying it out with NOC’s house blend No. 18, which includes Brazil naturals in its composition, and the resulting espresso showed a nice and thick crema, a full-bodied brew along with all the nutty and chocolate notes that blend is famous for. It’s needless to say that the materials and construction of this elegant espresso shooter make it particularly sturdy and wear resistant, making it last for a lifetime.

#5 The Espro Travel Coffee Press

After seeing so many portable espresso makers, you’ll be relieved to find out that there are also travel coffee makers available that cater to those who prefer the French press brewing method. With a simple yet sleek design, the Espro travel coffee press is indistinguishable from a regular thermos when looked at from afar. On a closer inspection, you’ll realize that it has all the basic components of a good quality French press, bundled into one compact presentation. A double micro filter helps separate the grounds from the brewed coffee while the double walled stainless steel mug helps keep it nice and warm for hours.

The Runner Ups

Apart from the five options presented above, other portable coffee makers almost made the Top-5, but were not included for various reasons. The first one is the AeroPress, which is the one that started it all, and which is still a very relevant product, even if its simple plastic design is somewhat dated. Another example is the Wacaco Minipresso, which is indeed very stylish, but comes short when compared to the Aram, the Staresso and the Handpresso. Finally, there are also a number of battery-operated coffee makers that are also a good alternative when on the road, but since those aren’t very useful for outdoor camping and hiking, we included only non-electric options in this list.
As you can see, there are many different coffee making machines in the market that you can take along with you on your every trip. Choosing the right one for you and your lifestyle boils down to how you travel, what your favorite brewing method is and how much you value design.