Coffee Maker...

[kavm]

My wife are not really coffee drinkers. The only time we like to have coffee is to ward off drowsiness when we are driving for longer than 3-4 hours.

In Utah, the coffee shops are few and far between when one gets out of the city (due to religious restrictions). Furthermore, when driving back with Escape, getting coffee on the driving days became a bigger challenge as the drive throughs, small / busy malls and roadside outlets are not really made to accommodate the size of the TV + camper setup.

So, we are in the market to buy a decent coffee maker for this type of usage. Looking at the capsule coffee maker for convenience. I am looking at the following as an option -
https://www.amazon.com/Lavazza-Exper.../dp/B08J63ST2W

It is rated at 1250 watt power usage. We have the 1500 watt inverter option, so I am hoping to confirm that we ought to be able to use it to make coffee in the camper. [We have not needed to use the inverter so far.] Hopefully the answer is yes but figured I ought to confirm before ordering.

If someone has a better idea / advice or alternative that they use to address this type of need, I would welcome that as well.

Thanks again!

[gbaglo]

Better idea is to use an existing pot to heat water on your existing propane range and use the pour through system. You can buy filters and filter holders in one cup to six cup sizes.
Disposal of grounds is as simple as turning the filter holder over so that grounds and filter drop into the trash or compost.

[kavm]

Thank you! That's a thought. I will discuss with my wife. We have been thinking of espresso, cappuccino and latte...

[davidmurphy02]

We use a stove-top moka pot, no electricity needed. Easy to store, you can have it already loaded up and ready to go and have fresh coffee in just a few minutes during a rest stop. Here's one example on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Bialetti-11...%2C206&sr=1-17

They usually list the size of moka pots in tiny cups of espresso but they do a fine job with regular coffee as well. A large "12 cup" moka pot will do two mugs of coffee. We grind our own beans with a manual grinder - again, works in any camping situation and takes up minimal space - but lots of people prefer the convenience of ground coffee.

[camp4528]

Given you are not coffee drinkers have you considered keeping a supply of a instant coffee such as Starbucks VIA in a drawer for those times you need a hit? They aren’t bad (IMO) and you only need to make hot water.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by kavm

Thank you! That's a thought. I will discuss with my wife. We have been thinking of espresso, cappuccino and latte...

Cappuccino and latte would require a milk frother if you want to do it properly.
Moka pot will do the coffee part.

[kavm]

Thank you so much! These are very helpful ideas. Seems like I need to research / experiment more...

[gbaglo]

If you do Google search of this site, you will find thousands of posts on coffee.

[Janet H]

Another suggestion - something like this.



It's a silicon pour over that takes a number 4 filter. Drip it directly into your cups or car cups - it will make several nice sized mugs. Clean up is easy - throw out the used filter and swish out the silicon holder. Best of all it's collapsible - nice for trailer storage. There are a number of versions of these on the market.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

If you do Google search of this site, you will find thousands of posts on coffee.

Thanks! I did try the search function and used coffee as the search term. The results were all over the place...

Just saw the link in Janet's post. That's really helpful.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by Janet H

Another suggestion - something like this.

Attachment 56761

It's a silicon pour over that takes a number 4 filter. Drip it directly into your cups or car cups - it will make several nice sized mugs. Clean up is easy - throw out the used filter and swish out the silicon holder. Best of all it's collapsible - nice for trailer storage. There are a number of versions of these on the market.

Thanks a lot, Janet. Also, the Google Search function link is very helpful too! I did not know about that...

[Janet H]

Here's another pic of that little gadget with a mug and 2 car cups. it will make nice strong coffee for those 3 containers. we pack the dripper, the filters and ground coffee, use the existing tea kettle on the propane stove - it takes almost no extra space and makes great java. Not fancy but very functional.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by Janet H

Here's another pic of that little gadget with a mug and 2 car cups. it will make nice strong coffee for those 3 containers. we pack the dripper, the filters and ground coffee, use the existing tea kettle on the propane stove - it takes almost no extra space and makes great java. Not fancy but very functional.

Attachment 56764

Thanks a lot, Janet! That's what we are looking for as well.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

We use a stove-top moka pot, no electricity needed. Easy to store, you can have it already loaded up and ready to go and have fresh coffee in just a few minutes during a rest stop. Here's one example on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Bialetti-11...%2C206&sr=1-17

They usually list the size of moka pots in tiny cups of espresso but they do a fine job with regular coffee as well. A large "12 cup" moka pot will do two mugs of coffee. We grind our own beans with a manual grinder - again, works in any camping situation and takes up minimal space - but lots of people prefer the convenience of ground coffee.

David - How long does it take for you to make two mugs of coffee? My wife is concerned that we will be taking a long time to make coffee, which is not ideal on the long drive days.

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by kavm

David - How long does it take for you to make two mugs of coffee? My wife is concerned that we will be taking a long time to make coffee, which is not ideal on the long drive days.

The moka pot brews in about 7 minutes. We often load it with water and coffee grounds in advance, easy to just pop it on the stove and turn it on first thing in the morning or when we stop for a break on a long drive. And easy to wait and clean and refresh the pot later if you're in a hurry to get going.

[h2owmn]

Many places (restaurants, fast food, truck stops) will fill a thermos with coffee for you for a reasonable charge and it will stay hot for a long time (like hours and hours). As above, the starbucks via packets are not too bad, and if you filled a thermos with boiling water in the morning, you can make a cup anywhere, even while underway. Nothing but water, mug, and the packet is required. and a spoon.


I have that collapsable cone and it works great. I can premeasure the coffee amount and store it in small plastic containers. All you'd need to do was deploy the cone, add a filter, dump in the coffee, pour hot water from the thermos. I'd recommend a wide mouth mug and maybe even a small tray to steady it all if your passenger is making it while you are driving.

[kavm]

Thank you to all who responded. I showed the feedback on this thread to my wife. She made the executive decision in favor of the moka pot suggested by David. She has seen and used it before years ago while growing up and in her student days in Europe. So, I ordered one, along with a frother.

I am really glad that I asked the question here, and came away with a much better answer than I started with, thanks to the wonderful feedback. Many many thanks to everyone who responded!

[gbaglo]

I'll second the Starbucks VIA recommendation. I often take it with when staying in a hotel with wretched coffee packs and a Mr. Coffee. Makes a decent cup for instant.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by kavm

My wife are not really coffee drinkers. The only time we like to have coffee is to ward off drowsiness when we are driving for longer than 3-4 hours.

I know I am getting off track here, but if you are not really coffee drinkers there are caffeinated beverages that will jolt your drowsiness without having to purchase any coffee making apparatus or to purchase coffee, that if not used in a reasonable period of time, will go stale. Have you considered alternatives such as Mountain Dew, etc.?

[kernwig]

When camping, I heat up water in a tea kettle on the stove and use dehydrated coffee. (I'm not that fussy.) For a couple short trips, I've made a bottle of cold brew at home and stuck in in the 'fridge.

If you're just looking to stay awake on the road though, a caffeine pill may be a better choice. No fuss, and you won't need to pull over and hit the toilet an extra couple of times! Not so bad when pulling your own porta-potty, but this is certainly the choice I made on travel days before we got a camper!