Best Camping Coffee Makers 2024
If you’ve got your home coffee brewing experience down to a fine art so you get the perfect cup of coffee each and every time, the last thing you want to do is slum it with an average-tasting brew just because you’ve headed off on a camping trip for a few days. Your home espresso machine’s not going to fit in your backpack, and there’d be nowhere to plug it in even if it did, so what can you do to make sure the perfect camping trip is complemented by a delicious cup of coffee each morning? Fear not, I’ve got you covered. From French Presses to pour overs and espresso makers designed for campers and backpackers, I’m going to look at the best options for brewing coffee while enjoying the great outdoors.
My Top Camping Coffee Makers for 2024
If you want to make sure you can get a decent cup of coffee when you go camping or backpacking, the good news is there are plenty of options to make sure you can enjoy a great-tasting brew without getting weighed down with all sorts of additional equipment and supplies.
Perhaps you aren’t too fussy about replicating the exact coffee experience you have at home and would rather travel light, but still enjoy a decent brew in the morning. Alternatively, you might want the high-quality coffee you’re used to and don’t mind packing some extra kit to help you get it. Either way, I’ve picked out some of the best options for making sure your campground coffee is up to scratch.
Other contenders…
GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip
Stanley Adventure All-In-One
Wacaco Nanopresso
Faberware Yosemite
GSI Outdoors Mini Espresso Set
Choosing the Best Camping Coffee Maker For You
As I’ve already mentioned, if you want to have a decent cup of coffee on your camping trip, there are plenty of options, and it just depends how much kit you want to take with you on your trip. There are even some ‘good’ instant coffee and reusable/disposable coffee bags that won’t take up much room and give you a half-decent option to brew coffee while camping.
But if you want that authentic freshly-brewed coffee taste, you’re going to need to pack a decent coffee maker. I’ve recommended a few I really like above, but if you’re looking at all the other options, here are a few things to bear in mind to help you choose the one that’s right for you.
COFFEE TYPES
If you’re looking to limit the size and weight of your camping coffee maker, you might have to accept some limitations in terms of the type of coffee you’re going to be able to brew on your trip. The simplest, and most straightforward options are typically the pour-over/drip brewing options, which lend themselves quite well to the basic amenities and environment you might find yourself experiencing.
That’s not to say you can’t get a decent espresso while you’re enjoying the great outdoors, but you might need to take more/bigger/heavier kit with you to make it. If you’re particular about your type of brew, then narrow your focus to the best campaign coffee makers that can adequately deliver it.
SIZE
If you’re packing up the SUV to drive to the campground for a spot of car camping then you’re probably not too worried about about making sure your coffee maker is as small as possible; but if you’re going backpacking, then the smaller, and lighter, the better.
Whatever your preferred brew and however many you’re going to be making it for, pay attention to the size of the equipment you’ll need to take with you. There are plenty of innovative, space-saving designs made out of robust yet lighter materials which will mean you should find a maker that does the job and doesn’t make your camping kit too bulky.
CUPS
Are you camping alone or with friends? If there’s more than just you and your significant other, then you might want to think about your camp coffee options with this in mind. Having a compact grinder and coffee maker that will provide you with a cup of freshly brewed espresso sounds great, but you don’t want to be going through the process over and over again for all your campmates.
Check out how much coffee you’re likely to get from each of the different makers and, if you like more than a couple of cups or there’s likely to be a few of you around the campfire, you might want to opt for something that can easily keep you fuelled with as much coffee as you need.
PERFORMANCE
When I talk about performance, I’m talking about a couple of things mostly – how easy is it to use while you’re camping, and how good a cup of coffee can it create. It’s not much use having something that folds down to almost nothing, making it great to take with you when you go backpacking, if it’s too fiddly to set up and use, and the coffee you end up with is no better than a sachet of instant. Likewise, you can have something that makes the best-tasting cup of coffee, but it means you need to carry around a large piece of kit, or even extra kit like special grinders, filters, etc.
You can get a great-tasting cup of coffee when you’re camping or off on the trails, but the ideal performance may require a little bit of compromise depending on your trip, and striking a balance between the extra space and weight, and the coffee it’s capable of producing, as well as how easy it is too setup/use/break down.
ACCESSORIES
As well as considering what accessories come with your coffee maker, you also want to have a think about what else you might need to make your brew. Accessories like a handy travel case or cleaning kit for your coffee maker will be useful for when you take it camping, but if you want the freshest brews you might also need a coffee bean grinder, not to mention a bulkier bag of coffee beans, as well as filters or other necessary add-ons.
If weight and space are as important to you as your coffee look for a complete setup, coffee maker and all the accessories you will need, that isn’t going to weigh you down. If you are driving in and out of your camping trip, then you probably have a bit more scope to take the kind of kit that will provide you with your ideal coffee-making setup.
BUDGET
With the majority of camping coffee makers designed to be simple to use and easy to carry/pack away, this does mean that some of the best options are quite basic. That’s not to say that they aren’t capable of making a good cup of coffee, but it does mean that they don’t usually come with the big price tags you get with fancy home coffee machines.
The cheapest option on my list is around $10, and the most expensive is around $150, so while you might be watching your budget, a decent coffee maker for your camping trip isn’t going to break the bank. Remember, however, to factor in the costs of anything else you might need for your trip – a grinder, filters, etc.
GOOD TO KNOW
The above are all good things to bear in mind when you’re choosing the ideal coffee maker for your camping or backpacking trip, and while I’ve mentioned it a couple of times in passing, it certainly bears highlighting the ‘leave no trace’ principle, however you decide to make your favorite brew while you’re camping.
Adhering to the principles of keeping the great outdoors as great as you found it and leaving no trace of your visit is a fundamental group of principles you should certainly be aware of before you head off on your camping trip. Keep these principles in mind when you’re choosing your coffee maker, accessories, and consumables, to help make it as easy as possible to make sure the only thing you leave behind are footprints.
How green
The good news is that as well as camping and backpacking (when you do them right) being excellent ‘green’ activities that are great for the planet and also your health and well-being, the vast majority of camping coffee makers should be relatively eco-friendly.
They won’t need any electricity – at most the only fuel they will use is likely to be your campfire or gas stove – and as long as you pay attention to the materials your coffee maker is made from, you should be able to choose one that is easily recyclable once it’s reached the end of it’s life.
To be truly eco-friendly, the other thing to bear in mind is the consumables you take with you, so if you can opt for anything that is biodegradable or recyclable if you take it away with you after your trip, you can make sure you’re having minimal impact on the environment.
The Best Camping Coffee Makers
Your camping coffee maker doesn’t come much cheaper or more straightforward than the plastic version of the Hario V60 dripper.
This pour over coffee maker simply sits on top of your camping coffee mug and then with the addition of a filter, your coffee and poured over hot water, you should have a delicious coffee in no time at all.
To complete your set up you’ll need some suitable filters, and it goes without saying you want to pay attention to how you dispose of these and the grounds once you’re finished, but this simple setup is a an easy and inexpensive way to take great-tasting coffee with you ion your trip.
PROS
Easy to use
Small and light
Designed to maximise coffee taste
CONS
Really only single serve
Might not withstand rough treatment
The Jetboil Flag Java Kit is designed for camping and offers everything you need (apart from the coffee) to make a great-tasting French Press brew while you’re out in the wilds.
The silicon French Press is actually an add-on to the impressive Flash cooking system, enabling you to easily make coffee, and use the setup to easily boil water or other liquids.
From reliable ignition and fast-boiling (100 seconds!) for a speedy brewing process, to a color change heat indicator and a whole range of accessories as well as the coffee-making setup, some real thought has gone into this kit to make it a great all-round camping companion.
PROS
All-in-one coffee & cooking kit
Reliable & versatile
Quick set up/pack up
Light and compact
CONS
Bit more expensive
This slightly smaller version of the original and ever-popular Aeropress Original is the perfect camping companion for those who are fussy about great-tasting coffee, wherever they are.
Small enough for any backpack, you should still get up to 3 tasty shots of espressos from it, with the same Aeropress coffee quality as the bigger version.
What makes it perfect for camping, apart from making great-tasting coffee, is that everything you need is all in one easy-to-pack, compact package – your filters, scoop, and stirrer have all been designed to pack up into the coffee mug that comes with the press, to make your camping coffee routine simple and delicious.
PROS
Complete kit in one
Easy to clean up
Packs away nicely
Makes great coffee
CONS
Compact means small servings
It may not look like much, but the Ultralight Java Drip packs a great camping coffee maker into a small package and gives you everything you need for making tasty pour-over coffee on your trip.
While the kit is perfect for making a single brew, you can also clip the filter over a larger container, if you want to take your coffee with you or share it among a few of your campmates.
What’s more, because it’s made by GSI Outdoors, who have been making outdoor equipment for nearly 4 decades, you know it’s been designed for camping and is not only light and compact enough to take anywhere, it’s also durable enough to survive the great outdoors.
PROS
Simple to use
Light and compact
Ultra durable
Made for the outdoors
CONS
Single serve cup
The Stanley Adventure is another easy-to-use, all-in-one package that can make up to 32oz of French Press coffee each time, which should be enough for a few cups for you and your party.
Just bring the water to the boil, add your ground coffee, and then slowly press the plunger down as you would with a normal Frech Press maker for a tasty brew without coffee grounds.
As you might expect from Stanley, it’s well-made and durable enough to survive in the great outdoors, with nice design features like the fold-flat handle. While it’s relatively compact, it might be a bit bigger than some backpackers might want, but it makes the perfect choice if you’re driving in and out of your camping trip.
PROS
Well-made & durable
Large 32oz capacity
Simple to use
Compact design
CONS
On the larger side
This might be one of the more expensive coffee makers on my list, but if you like your camping gadgets then you will love the Nanopresso.
Wacaco calls it a mini travel coffee machine and you can use it for camping or anywhere else when you’re away from home, you just need your favorite coffee grounds and some hot water.
It’s manually operated and can quickly and easily create a single espresso in no time at all. It’s easy to clean once you’re finished with it, and it comes with its own carry case, so you can pack it away and throw it in your backpack until the next time you need your caffeine pick me up.
PROS
Easy to use
Makes great espresso
Made for travel
Compact & with carry case
CONS
Bit more expensive
Single cup only
If you’re after a traditional-looking camping coffee pot for your camping trip then the Yosemite Percolator may be just what you need.
Once filled with your ground coffee and water, this stove top percolator can brew up to 12 cups of coffee – enough for even larger-sized camping parties.
While you would probably need to use it on a stove rather than an open fire, and the assembly and process for brewing can take a bit of practice, once you have that dialed in you should find it’s a great way to brew up a large batch of great-tasting coffee larger camping parties.
PROS
Durable construction
Large brew size
No filters required
Grounds free coffee
CONS
Bit fiddly to assemble/use
Not great for backpackers
Another appearance on my list for GSI Outdoors kit, as they do make some good camping gear. This time it’s an away-from-home espresso maker in the shape of their mini espresso kit.
Easy to use thanks to a good design that helps you get the right amount of water and coffee (and tasty espresso) every time.
This mini percolator coffee pot is well-made from stainless steel so it’s rugged enough for the outdoors and easy to clean once you’ve finished, despite its small size you should get 4 good shots of espresso from it. And once you’re done it packs away nicely in the case that comes with it, so you could even take it with you in your pack.
PROS
Nice and compact
Made for outdoors
Easy to use
Tasty espresso
CONS
Mug can get hot
The last drop
So there you have it, all the things you need to think about when you’re looking for the perfect camping coffee maker, to make sure you have the same great-tasting coffee you have at home while you’re off enjoying the great outdoors, as well as some of my top picks from the most popular camping coffee makers currently available to help narrow down your choices.
As you can see from my suggestions, there’s plenty of choice, whether you prefer a certain type of coffee, are partial to a particular brewing style, are backpacking on your own, or going camping with all your friends. So you don’t need to worry that you’ll be missing out on your favorite brew just because you’re heading off into the wilderness for some rest and relaxation – you’ll be able to find the perfect maker to ensure your trip doesn’t get spoiled by bad coffee.
Whether you don’t mind carrying a bit of extra kit to make sure you get the perfect brew, or you just need a decent cup of coffee and prefer to travel light, there are plenty of options for you to consider, and with my top tips on the things to keep in mind when you’re making your decision, you can be sure you make the right choice for your next camping or backpacking trip.
Latest COFFEE MAKER Advice & Info
How to Make Coffee While Camping
Going camping shouldn’t mean you have to forgo great coffee. But how do you make coffee while camping? Here are some ideas for great coffee outdoors.
The Best Way to Make Coffee at Home: A 2024 Guide for Coffee Lovers
Want to know how to make the best cup of coffee at home? Check out our guide on the best ways to make coffee.
Best Espresso Machine for Commercial Use: My Guide
Choosing the right commercial espresso machine is key to any coffee business that wants to wow customers and increase productivity. Whether you have a busy café or a boutique coffee shop, knowing the options and what they do can make all the difference. This will...