Traveling with Coffee Machines

Hi Rick,
I use a cheap $15 electric grinder and a plunger for camping. You can get double-skinned metal plungers which don't break and pack well.
Gerry

Rick and Kerry,

We travel with a Breville Roma Coffee Machine and it is fine. We pack it in a green shopping bag and it rides on the floor under the table. It has travel 1000's of km without a problem. I buy ground coffee (espresso) for travelling otherwise I take a small grinder.

Can't go without my morning coffee.

Di

I have a light weight avanti brand stovetop esspresso which I bought from a camping store, no parts to break, and IMO tastes better than plunger. I just take preground coffee.

Hi Rick,
we use one of the stove top pressure coffee percolators - great as they are aluminum so they cant break - take ground coffee in a sealed container.

regards
Bryan

We also find a stove top espresso pot ideal for the van. It is easy to use, virtually unbreakable (we have the basic Italian one), takes up little space and makes excellent coffee.
When travelling we tend to use good quality preground coffee which is still a lot better than the coffee you get in most cafes around the country. We have tried taking a grinder but the little one with blades did not grind coffee well and we often camp without 240 power(demoted to a spice grinder at home) and the good burr grinder takes up too much space to be a good option for our van.
If you buy a stove top pot remember that the number of cups given for the size of pot refers to small Italian short black cups! If you like to have a mug of coffee get a six or eight cup size for two mugs and adjust the amount of coffee to suit your taste or add hot water or milk as you like. You won't look back! Lynne

Rick,
this coffee machine takes care of the two items in the same unit, you will need an inverter to run it from a 12v battery system

I've the previous model which has the grinder separate to the machine, I can assure you it's capable of making fantastic coffee, even when compared to any coffee shop when you know how to drive it


Breville Coffee machine/blender Image Could Not Be FoundMaîneÿ . . .

Hi Rick,

If you stay in powered sites most of the time, then you can't beat a Nespresso Essenza automatic machine for which you can buy a carrier and the pods it takes online. They have been on special at the big electrical retailers recently and sometimes have a cash back bonus, also always ask for the lowest price they will give you.The carriers are very sturdy and protect it when in transit and the pods come in a big range of strengths and flavours, also three different decaffeinated types.

They deliver within a couple of days to most parts of the country and make fantastic coffee.

I am currently travelling with one and just love it but of course they will only work with a 2kva generator if you are away from 240v power. We are selling our 1kva honda and buying a 2kva so we can use it for running appliances when we want to as we dont need it to charge the batteries now we have solar and battery power. May as well carry one whic is useful.

All this comes at a cost but if you love your coffee maybe like me you are prepared to pay for that. I know all this because I have one especially for the van.

I also have a Saeco fully automatic machine for home use which cost around 4 times as much and the coffee it makes is no better.

No affiliation with either brands but just a personal opinion from me.

Otherwise, you can try an espresso stove top job or I guess a plunger type but the coffee they make ( in my opinion) is nowhere near the quality. And the cost is nowhere near the same either of course.

Regards,
heather

Hell, I just use Instant coffee. 43 beans to every cup.


Bill.

Some manual options not requiring electricity.

http://pressoaustralia.com/

or

http://www.aeropress.com.au/

or

http://www.sorrentinacoffee.com/

Given that ground coffee has a shelf life of 3 minutes, you might be best to carry a grinder too. Something like this might be the go

http://www.coffeecompany.com.au/product-hardware.asp?CategoryID=73&ProductID=656

or a Zassenhaus.

If you want an electric espresso machine, then I'd skip all the thermoblock thumpers and head straight for a Lelit Combi (grinder and espresso machine in one - has a brass boiler, not a crappy thermoblock)....

http://www.talkcoffee.com.au/equipment/coffee-machine-lelit-combi.php

The suggestions about plunger and stovetop are good ones too.

I have a Bellman Cuppacino maker.
It is a gas stove top espresso maker and has an outlet to heat / froth milk.

Here is a review - Bellman Cuppacino maker

Not a bad device, once you get the hang of it...

Cheers
Shane

Fair "Drinkum" youse blokes....all ya need is the Nestle squeeze tube and some bushells tea bags.....sheeeeeash :-)

Crikey, what have I started?

One thing for sure I will have to do a bit more research before I decide. Thanks for all your response I will study it all a bit more before I part with any $$$.

Cheers Rick