Nothing makes me feel more settled than making a cup of coffee in the morning. Without it, my whole day feels slightly off. For years, that was just something I accepted about traveling or camping – there might be coffee, but it wouldn’t quite ground me. It would be a compromise. A little off.
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That’s why I’ve spent the past few years perfecting my travel coffee setup: so I can make rich, comforting, homey coffee anywhere in the world, without trying to wedge an espresso machine into my carry-on. Here are the inexpensive tools that make it possible.
Aeropress + Fellow Prismo
Photograph: Jaina Rodríguez-Grey
This is the star of the show. The humble Aeropress is a remarkably versatile, durable little device that’s seen me through conferences, multi-state moves, and even a stretch of couch surfing between friends’ places. At its core, it’s just a simple plastic cylinder with a plunger. Add your coffee grounds, pour in hot water, give it a stir, and then plunge it like a giant syringe.
I made one key upgrade, though: instead of the standard cap and paper filters, I use the Fellow Prismo, a high-pressure cap with a reusable metal filter. This swap both eliminates the need for paper filters, and aerates the coffee as you press, giving it a touch of crema and a boost in both flavor and aroma.
Aeropress Original
$34.98 at Walmart
$39.99 at Amazon
Fellow Prismo
$24.95 at Fellow
$24.95 at Amazon
Local coffee beans
Photograph: Caffe Vita
When I’m staying in a hotel, I’ll usually track down a local cafe and pick up a bag of beans. Most spots are happy to grind them for you, and it’s worth it: those commercial-grade burr grinders give you an incredibly even grind, which makes a big difference in flavor.
Plus, it’s a great way to connect with the local coffee scene. You’re not just getting a caffeine fix — you’re tasting your travels, supporting a small business, and maybe discovering a roast you’ll end up ordering again once you’re back home. On trips to Seattle, I used to drop in to Caffe Vita for a bag of its rich and velvety Queen City blend, and Kuma Coffee for Momma Bear, a half-caf blend that makes my afternoons wonderfully buzzy without ruining my sleep schedule.
Queen City coffee
$20 at Queen City
Momma Bear coffee
$19.50 at Kuma Coffee
Coffee storage
Photograph: Jaina Rodríguez-Grey
Going to a cafe isn’t always an option though, especially if you’re miles deep in the wilderness. For those times, you’ll want to rely on either pre-ground or whole beans in an airtight container. I’ve had success using a small mason jar with an airtight lid. Durable, washable, reusable.
Some travel containers like the Fellow Atmos offer a vacuum-seal feature, but I’ve tested my mason jar against dozens of vacuum sealed containers, and honestly I can’t taste a difference unless I let the coffee sit for three to four days, unopened. As long as you open your mason jar every couple days, you shouldn’t get any flavor issues. So for our purposes here, I just find a mason jar to be the easiest, cheapest, and most versatile pick by far.
Ball 8 oz mason jars, 12-pack
$11.39 at Walmart
$11.39 at Target
Hario Skerton Plus Hand Grinder
Photograph: Hario Skerton
If you’re traveling with whole beans and want that fresh-ground flavor every time, you’ll need a grinder that’s compact and reliable. I recommend the Hario Skerton Plus. It’s the perfect size to pair with an Aeropress, and its ceramic burrs grind consistently without overheating your beans. It fits in your hand, packs easily and gets the job done, whether you’re camping or posted up in a hotel room.
Hario Skerton Plus Hand Grinder
$48.00 at Zoka Coffee
$48.00 at Haro Skerton
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle
Photograph: Jaina Rodríguez-Grey
If you’ll have access to power, the Fellow Stagg EKG is my go-to travel kettle. It’s sleek, quick-heating, and insulated well enough to keep your water hot for close to an hour. The gooseneck spout gives you precise control for brewing, and the compact body fits into a carry-on without issue. I often pack my Aeropress inside the kettle itself, then stash the whole bundle in my suitcase.
I’ve had mine for nearly five years. It’s a little scuffed from all the travel, but still runs perfectly – and I use it literally every day.
If you’re in the woods, the Filter US editor Nick Mokey recommends the Camp Chef Stryker 200, which runs on either compact isobutane canisters, or the ubiquitous green propane cylinders you can find at any gas station. It’s also crazy fast, boiling enough water for two cups of coffee in under two minutes.
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle
$165.00 at Crate & Barrel
$165.00 at Digs
CampChef Stryker 200
$76.99 at Acme Tools
$78.99 at Walmart
Jaina Rodríguez-Grey is a freelance journalist and coffee obsessive whose work has appeared in Wired, Vice, Westlaw and beyond. She’s covered everything from civil litigation to video games and sex tech. When she’s not testing espresso machines or coffee grinders, she’s either making her way through Seattle’s cafe scene – or remembering (finally) to update her newsletter
