There is no feeling quite like the anticipation and excitement of a good ole road trip. Are you a list maker, or the hop in the car we will figure it out when we get there type of traveler? Either way, adventure awaits! One thing that should not be complicated is that first cup of coffee in the morning. Road trip coffee is easy, but having a small travel coffee kit is a must. Filtered water, our favorite beans, and we are good. A simple pour over or aero press is perfect for travel.
We typically use this Snow Peak Stove available at Rusted Moon Outfitters to heat our filtered water. The Gigapower stoves are fast, and way cooler than waiting in a drive through line! I heat the water in this Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium cook pot, which is light weight and compact. Be sure to use a wind screen for maximum fuel efficiency and speed. These stoves do use a special fuel mix that comes in a pressurized can, but they can be found at any outdoors store and are increasingly common at hardware stores.
Since we pack whole bean coffee, we opt for a hand grinder by VSSL. These grinders produce an amazingly consistent grind, they are fast, require no electricity, and very compact. This ensures the coffee is fresh every brew. All you have to do to create the perfect grind for your road trip coffee is dial in the grind size, fill er up with coffee beans, and get a little exercise.
Our favorite travel coffee right now is our Haitian Blue™ AA. I love this coffee for its cup after cup drinkability. Dark roasted, this coffee is sweet, full-bodied, and packed with flavor notes of chocolate and peanut butter. Another go to is our Rwanda, it's very sweet and when I roast it I can smell the notes of cane sugar.
It's no surprise that I normally travel with multiple coffee makers. My go to choices are this X-Brew pourover dripper from Sea To Summit, and the Aeropress. When I use the X-Brew I remove the stainless filter and use a paper one (personal preference and it works better). I also prefer paper filters in the Aeropress. I've had the same Aeropress for about a decade now, that thing is a workhorse. It's simple, light weight, and produces an incredible cup of coffee. There is even a competition dedicated to Aeropress recipes, it's called the World Aeropress Championship!
All of these components lend to the one ingredient we have found to be the most essential- time. Road trip coffee doesn't have to be complicated, so ditch the cruddy hotel K-Cup or the $8 latte, be present and enjoy that time.
