Oh sweet elixir of life! If you’re an addict enthusiast like me, you pretty much can’t start the day without a nice hot cup of coffee. No joke, at home we have not one or two, but four different ways of making coffee. Well, five if you count cowboy coffee…but that is for emergency situations only. We’ve tried just as many ways of making coffee on the trail. Yes, even espresso (there’s a gadget for that)! Each method has its own benefits and drawbacks, so depending on the situation and how many you are making coffee for your needs could change. I’m going to go over the different methods we use and why so that you can decide for yourself! 

Instant Coffee: Winner for Most Convenient

Oh the dreaded instant coffee. Before you make judgements it’s not all that bad, and it sure is darn convenient! Before I get into what I like about instant coffee, I have a quick story for you. When my husband and I were in our first year of dating we decided to take a road trip across the Yucatan Peninsula. To say the least, it was rather stressful at times, making coffee even more necessary. Good coffee was surprisingly hard to find, and (as I mentioned earlier) a crucial component for converting from gargoyle to human each morning. After a full day of travel, a scary flight, and our realization about how bad our choice of hotel was, we were exhausted but still unable to sleep well. The next morning we walked to a nearby restaurant where we eagerly ordered un café. What arrived was met with bewilderment. Since we were at a restaurant we expected the server to arrive with a carafe of drip coffee several times over the course of our meal. Instead what arrived was some hot water and a plastic bin full of coffee crystals. There was silence for several moments. We thanked the server, stomached what we could of the noxious potion and set out to find an actual coffee shop after breakfast. Lesson learned.

Not all instant coffee is as bad as the stuff we choked down in Mexico. None of it is as good as a freshly brewed cup, but there are several that will give you that mmm coffee grin on a cold trailside morning. Starbucks Via is the most common variety, and the only instant coffee I’ve tried and liked. There are always new players to this world though, so if you find something interesting grab a packet and try it out. Could be the best thing ever! Also, if you have a sweet tooth, there are latte and chai mixes as well that sure are tasty!

It’s while backpacking or in areas where cleanup is a concern that instant coffee is an instant win. Not only is it fast, the only thing to wash is your coffee mug making it hands down the most convenient method.

French Press: Winner for Groups

When I moved out on my own it was exciting to stock my home with all kinds of new appliances, including my very own coffee maker. To be honest, I didn’t really start drinking coffee until after college, so I honestly didn’t know how to make it, but I knew I liked it strong. The coffee that came out of my little automatic coffee maker just wasn’t cutting it, so I devised a method that would hold the water in the basket, steeping the grounds for a few minutes before allowing anything to pass through the filter. It worked pretty well if I do say so myself! I thought it was fine until I made a batch in front of my dad one day. “What on earth are you doing?” he asked. The next time he saw me I received the gift of a French press. It changed my life.

French press is my go-to method of making good, strong coffee for more than one. It’s easy, delicious, and makes several cups quickly. I use a glass one at home, but on the road nothing beats an insulated French press for several cups of excellent coffee.

Pour Over: Winner for Best Single Cup

If it’s just you, pour over is great, especially if you get one that takes filters (rather than just a reusable mesh screen). The reusable mesh pour over actually makes a great cup of coffee if you have the water source needed to wash it out, but it always just seems like too much trouble to clean the grounds off the screen. For an RV or car camping setup, a standard pour over that you place filters in works perfectly and cleanup is a breeze! They can be a little bulky, which is why (as you’ll read below), I opt for another solution.

AeroPress: Best Overall

If you’re not interested in owning umpteen different devices for making coffee I suggest you get yourself an AeroPress. It looks like a bit of a complicated contraption, but it is quick, easy, and affordable. When I was originally told about the AeroPress it was explained to me as a way to make espresso without an espresso machine. It sounded intriguing, so I got one. The idea is that you place finely ground coffee in the inverted device, add water, and let steep for just a minute. Then you add the filter and cap, flip the whole mess over, and gently press the coffee into your cup, making sure there is a cushion of air between the top of the coffee and the plunger. It sounds complicated, but it is really very easy, and delicious! You don’t get the crema the that you would with an actual espresso machine, but it is a nice, clean, bold espresso.

Full disclosure. I do not use the AeroPress as intended. I like to drink a full 16 oz coffee in the morning, and I’m not a fan of Americanos. I essentially use the AeroPress as a pourover. I place the filter and cap on the bottom part of the press, dump the medium to medium-fine grounds in, and place it over my travel mug (I’ve found that thermos brand mugs will fit perfectly, not the case for many other insulated mugs). Add water a little at a time until your mug is almost full, then press the rest out with the plunger. To clean it out all you have to do is remove the filter cap and pop the grounds into the trash or compost bin. It makes life super easy and leaves you with a glorious cup of coffee.