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We've sipped and slurped delicious brews thanks to camping coffee makers from MiiR, AeroPress, Hario, GSI, and so many more to help you get caffeinated no matter where you wake up
The Nanopresso consistently produced some of the best-tasting coffee, let alone espresso, of any of the products in our review.
For nearly a decade, we've field-tested close to 30 different camping coffee makers. For this update, we purchased the 15 bestselling brewers and tested them head-to-head all over the backcountry. Whether waking up on the side of a mountain or in the comfort of your home, a cup of coffee is essential to your morning. Our team of coffee experts tested these coffee makers extensively to help you find the best one to get your fix while out in nature. Your days of sacrificing delicious coffee to sleep under the stars are over. Whether you're searching for a tasty instant or you crave a cup of rich espresso, our review will help you find the ideal setup for your next camping adventure.
The elegant and stylish MiiR Pourigami stole our hearts and the show. We love this cleverly designed and aptly named brewer because it is the most compact pour-over brewer that delivers gourmet-level flavor. It features three interlocking stainless steel panels that affix to each other to create a solid base for filtering your coffee. Though heavier than some other options, it is very compact, and we appreciate that it eliminates the need to pour hot water over plastic when making coffee in the backcountry. We happily award the Pourigami our coveted top spot for all these reasons.
While we love many aspects of this brewer for making excellent pour-overs at home or while camping, at 4.89 ounces for the dripper alone or 5.52 ounces for the dripper and the case, it is one of the heavier compact models we tested. Additionally, making consistently great coffee with a pour-over requires some technique and finesse, and this one is no different. Still, the Pourigami proves you can have form and function in a compact dripper with gourmet flavor ideal for car camping, van-living, or even cozy mornings at home. We also love the flavor produced by the AeroPress Coffee Maker, though the brewing process is a bit more involved.
Best-tasting coffee requires technique and finesse
Odd shape for travel
The Hario V60 Plastic Dripper delivers consistently delicious coffee at a fraction of the price of other brewers in our review. It should come as no surprise that the plastic version of the adored ceramic cone used by coffee nerds worldwide is also one of our favorite options for camping. The V60 makes delicious coffee and is straightforward to use once you've honed your pour-over technique. This little cone is lightweight, weighing 2.95 ounces (3.37 ounces with its measuring scoop). The AeroPress ranked slightly higher in our taste tests, but it is triple the price, more than double the weight, and a bit more complicated to use — especially when brewing for multiple people.
The downsides for the V60 are minimal and inconsequential. It may take more time and intention to finesse your technique than your average French press, and you will need to find V60-specific filters. You will want to use uniform, finely ground coffee for the best-tasting coffee, best achieved with a burr grinder. If you want to take your brewing game to another level, then you will also want to weigh your coffee and water and time your bloom and brew. Once you've mastered the pour-over process, this brewer will produce one of the cleanest and best-tasting coffees you can have, whether on the back of your tailgate, several miles into the backcountry, or on the kitchen counter in your home.
Must lift filter out of most cups to avoid over-steeping
Single serving not great for groups
Filter is a bit delicate
If you are searching for an economical and lightweight camping coffee maker for backpacking and thru-hiking, look no further than the Primula Coffee Brew Buddy. This tiny brewer is compact, durable, and weighs about as much as a stroopwafel. Pour after pour; the Brew Buddy provides a tasty cup of coffee without the fuss of paper filters. Other pour-over contenders require a precise pour, which is challenging with a JetBoil or camping pot, but the forgiving nature of this filter is much easier to master.
One of the few downsides to this brewer is that you must remove it from your cup promptly. If you forget, your coffee will continue to steep, leaving you with a bitter, over-extracted cup. Minimal drawbacks aside, the Brew Buddy is a lightweight and cheap option for brewing excellent coffee, making it an excellent option for backpacking on a budget. If you want the lightest weight option for backpacking, we recommend the instant packets from Alpine Start.
The AeroPress emerges as the consistent leader in our taste tests, year after year. With this fun and functional brewer, you can create smooth espresso-like shots and clean, satisfying americanos. We know a handful of folks who use this as their exclusive coffee maker, even at home, yet this press is portable enough for travel or making camp coffee. Cleaning is as fast as popping the puck of grinds out of the tube — the squeegee action of the plunger cleans effectively without using extra water.
There is a slight learning curve with the AeroPress, and it has more pieces than many other camping coffee makers in our review (though many of them are unnecessary). You will also need to make sure you have a wide enough cup to nest into for pressing properly, and it requires special round filters, available in paper, stainless steel, and even cotton. While not for everyone, coffee geeks will fall head-over-heels for this versatile brewer and its delicious results. This method only brews one cup at a time, though, so those who need to make a batch of coffee for a group should look to the 34 oz Planetary Designs BaseCamp Travel Press.
If going without delicious espresso is as horrifying as a life without adventure, the Bialetti Musa is a must-have. The folks at Bialetti have outdone themselves with the Musa, revamping their classic stove-top espresso maker for a 21st Century crowd. This stainless steel redux of the iconic Bialetti Moka Express brews a delicious cup of espresso in minutes. It is easy to clean and finesse, and it was a crowd favorite among nearly all of our taste testers. It delivers in terms of function but in form as well; this elegant brewer is the most stylish of the ones we tested. Indeed, one of our reviewers loved this brewer so much, it became her go-to coffee maker for daily brewing at home or the campsite.
The downsides with the Musa are few and far between. The plastic handle that lends to easy maneuverability and pouring makes it an odd shape for packing. Additionally, it is not an ideal candidate for accommodating a big crew, though Bialetti does make a 6-cup and 10-cup option. Despite this, it does make coffee quickly and with minimal fuss — in a pinch, it could power through several rounds of coffee before leaving camp. Finally, at almost 20 ounces, this brewer is too heavy for backpacking, though it proved to be an ideal companion for car camping and river trips. Bottom-line, the Musa is our favorite brewer for camp espresso.
If you came to this review looking to make coffee for all your friends or family on your next camping trip, you're in luck! The Planetary Designs BaseCamp is a durable French press available in 32 or 48 ounces to ensure you can make a righteous amount of coffee whenever you need to caffeinate your whole crew. The redesign of this press is even better than previous iterations. It boasts a more compact and stylish design to lend to better packability, and even the most discerning coffee snobs in our review team were impressed by the clean-tasting and well-balanced coffee it produced. The innovative filter stops the coffee extraction process when you submerge the press, and the vessel features double-wall insulation. These features merge to ensure your coffee will stay hot and sludge-free for hours (or minutes, depending on how quickly you like to drink your coffee).
While the BaseCamp is our go-to for large groups, it is one of our last picks for backpacking (see the Alpine Start instant packets or a lightweight pour-over device like the GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip if you're heading into the backcountry). The BaseCamp is rather hefty and large, proving too cumbersome for anything but car camping or living out of your van. Additionally, it can be somewhat challenging to screw and unscrew the lid. To make it less difficult to screw open, flip open the snap top lid to decrease pressure. Beyond these minimal drawbacks, we were impressed by this burly, innovative, and easy-to-use French press. It is sure to keep up with the caffeine needs of your whole crew on your next car camping adventure.
So you're going on a backpacking trip and want a lightweight coffee brewer that's easy to clean and produces tasty coffee? Then the MSR MugMate is your match. Weighing in at just under half an ounce, this steadfast, tried-and-true coffee maker gets the job done. All you need to do is add coffee grounds and hot water, steep for a few minutes, and voila. In a pinch, it cleans easily by tapping it into the trash, though for a more thorough cleaning, you will want to give it a quick rinse. This brewer can also double as a loose-leaf tea brewer, though you will want to thoroughly clean it to avoid tainting your tea with the flavor of the coffee.
While this coffee brewer scored well in our blind taste tests, it wasn't our go-to for gourmet flavor. Then again, producing a consistently good cup of coffee requires very little expertise. In contrast, most of our top-rated coffee brewers demand more finesse and technical skills for a gourmet taste. Given the rigid plastic frame of the MugMate, it does require some forethought to pack well, but our reviewers found that it nests perfectly in some mugs and most cooking pots. This isn't the ideal option for brewing coffee for more than one or two people, and you must lift the brewer out of your cup to prevent over-steeping, but beyond these minor complaints, this lightweight camping coffee maker is our top choice for backpacking.
Weight: 0.13 oz for 1 packet, 1.62 oz for box of 8 | Brew Type: Instant
REASONS TO BUY
Ultralight
Surprisingly delicious
Fast and easy
Vegan/dairy-free options with coconut cream
Can brew with hot or cold water
REASONS TO AVOID
Pricey
Slight instant coffee flavor
Not good for groups
Best with less than the recommended 8oz of water
Thru-hikers, long-distance backpackers, and alpine climbers rejoice! The search for ultralight, ultra-fast, and ultra-delicious instant coffee is over. Alpine Start delivers a balanced and bright cup of tasty coffee that you almost can't tell is instant coffee. It comes in various flavors, from their Original Blend to a vegan Dirty Chai and a vegan Coffee + Creamer. You can also buy their instant in bulk to reduce waste and cost per cup. When space and weight are at a premium but you don't want to sacrifice for your morning coffee ritual, this instant is the way to go.
Instant coffee is not a gourmet pour-over, and even though Alpine Start retains some of that instant coffee flavor, it tastes and smells far better than most. Instants are great when you need a quick and light cup in the backcountry, but they aren't ideal for large groups unless you're feeling generous — because it is more expensive than freshly brewed coffee. Finally, we recommend brewing with 5-7 ounces of water for the best flavor rather than the recommended 8. But when you need a fast, lightweight, highly packable method for drinking tasty coffee deep in the backcountry, Alpine Start has you covered. If you'd rather use a pour over on your forays into the backcountry, take a look at the Primula Coffee Brew Buddy or GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip, either of which only add around an ounce to your pack (coffee not included).
The bar of entry for a cup of coffee is so low, that even the most sleep deprived or mentally fried among us can handle ripping into the packet and adding water to the grounds.
Weight: 12.35 oz with all accessories | Brew Type: Espresso
REASONS TO BUY
Tastiest espresso with impressive crema
Compact
Fairly straightforward
REASONS TO AVOID
Spendy
Lots of little parts
Somewhat difficult to clean
Time-consuming to produce more than one shot of espresso
Historically, heading into the backcountry has meant that coffee lovers must leave behind the caramel crema of their dream espresso. Not any longer. The Wacaco Nanopresso produces expert-level espresso with a crema to rival the “Guinness Effect” on a freshly pulled shot at your favorite cafe. The Nanopresso performed favorably in every blind taste test, almost edging out the AeroPress. Brewing with the Nanopresso is straightforward, requiring minimal expertise to produce an excellent shot of espresso — once you learn how all the parts work together. Fill the mini-portafilter with finely ground coffee, tamp it down with the provided scoop, add hot water to the reservoir, and pump it like a bike pump — voila, a fantastic shot of espresso.
While the Nanopresso delivers delicious coffee and near-perfect crema, it has a few drawbacks that kept it from earning a higher mark in our review. The steep price tag is hardly a deterrent for die-hard espresso lovers, but it will set you back a noticeable amount. And, even though it is fairly straightforward to make excellent espresso, this device comes with many small parts that are difficult to clean and easy to lose. Using the Nanopresso while camping could prove challenging without access to water or a drying rack; thus it is a more ideal coffee maker for van-lifers than backpackers or casual car-campers. Despite these drawbacks, it stole our hearts by producing cafe-quality espresso with a beautiful crema.
If you can pump up a bike tire, you can make espresso with the Nanopresso.
Credit: Dana Prosser
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Camping should never mean sacrificing delicious coffee.
Credit: Fumie Hiromitsu
How We Test Camping Coffee
We took these devices everywhere to ensure that each coffee brewer was tested thoroughly and in a broad range of situations. From car-camping and van-living to multi-day backpacking trips and alpine bivvies, we assessed the strengths and weaknesses of each brew method specific to its potential camping applications. We sourced high-quality coffee beans with a consistent flavor profile to level the playing field and eliminate flavor variability. This allowed us to evaluate taste differences between brew methods accurately and reliably. We elaborate further on our testing process in our How We Test article.
We tested each camping coffee maker using five performance metrics:
Taste (40% of overall score weighting)
Ease of Use (25% weighting)
Group Cooking (15% weighting)
Portability (10% weighting)
Weight (10% weighting)
Why Trust GearLab
Our camping coffee review is spearheaded by Mary Witlacil and Penney Garrett, both life-long lovers of coffee and outdoor enthusiasts. Mary has over fifteen years of backcountry experience riding bikes, hiking, backpacking, and climbing rocks, ice, and mountains. While her outdoor sport preferences have changed over the years, her love of coffee has not. Indeed, she believes no good adventure ever starts without a strong cup of black coffee. Penney also boasts a long resume of outdoor pursuits, but her experience in the coffee world is even more impressive. With over 15 years working in the world of specialty coffee, you name it, and she's probably done it. From origin trips to coffee farms, sample roasting, barista competitions, and palate trainings, she knows every step of the coffee supply chain in detail. Between the two, Mary and Penney have subjected every camping coffee maker to rigorous testing in and out of the backcountry, with craft coffee from all over the U.S.
The Musa makes delicious coffee, so you can start your camp morning off right!
Even the most discerning taste testers were impressed by the absence of sludge in their cups. If you prefer clean coffee but need to make loads of it to caffeinate your whole squad, then this brewer is bound to impress.
Rolling out of bed to test coffee in style!
Analysis and Test Results
For many of us, coffee is the best part of our morning ritual and a critical catalyst to starting the day on the right foot. Coffee brewing is a personal process, and there are numerous options and resources for brewing types and methods. From dark roasts to light roasts, espressos to pour-overs, plastic to stainless steel… decisions abound, and each one will change your final cup's flavor and overall enjoyment. Read on to learn about some of the savviest brewers on the market, how easy (or not) they are to use and care for, how conducive (or not) each is for serving multiple people, and — most importantly — how deliciously they brew up that precious nectar of liquid black gold.
Value
Items in this review span a broad range in price — enough of a spread to warrant some time and consideration when deciding what to buy. We recommend reflecting on where you plan to brew coffee and how important flavor is to your coffee enjoyment experience. Is taste your number one priority? Do you prioritize weight and packability? Or do you need a brewer to prepare large volumes of coffee? Some brewers triangulate between flavor, lightweight, and packability, but it is rare for these same brewers to be great for large groups. Once you figure out which features and applicability work best for you, it will be easier to decide what you need.
We weighted each metric according to the most important elements of the average camping coffee drinker. If one of the metrics is more important to you, you can evaluate each category's least expensive brewers side-by-side. The Hario V60 is one of the highest performers — great taste, lightweight, and easy enough to use — and has one of the lowest prices of all our contenders, thus representing an outstanding value. Likewise, the Primula Brew Buddy and Melitta 1-Cup Pour-Over represent an excellent value for everything from ultralight backpacking missions to a cozy car camping weekend.
Shown here are a few of the pour over options we tested: the Primula Brew Buddy, GSI Ultralight Java Drip, and Hario V60.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Taste
No surprise here; the taste is the factor we weighted the heaviest in our evaluation. If you don't care about taste and just want a caffeine jolt, you can skip the rest of this review and buy instant coffee. However, most coffee drinkers don't want to sacrifice delicious coffee while camping and recognize that instant coffee will never taste as good as the real thing, though Alpine Start Instant comes close. Most of us want a smooth, rich, clean flavor, whether lounging on our couch at home or slamming coffee on the trail during the wee morning hours. We can help you achieve that, even with a bare-bones backpacking or car-camping kitchen.
Recognizing the importance of this rating metric, we conducted several blind taste tests with like-minded coffee lovers to evaluate which products produced the best final result. All the brewers we reviewed made a good cup, but a few stood out for their ability to deliver an elevated flavor that was pleasing even to the pickiest coffee snob.
The AeroPress is the distinct taste winner, though the MiiR Pourigami, Hario V60, and Wacaco Nanopresso are close rivals. These impressive brewers are followed by the ESPRO Ultralight Travel Press and the Bialetti Musa. Some tasters did prefer the V60, Pourigami, and Nanopresso over the AeroPress. However, one taster began using the AeroPress at home every morning after the initial test because she loved it so much. The AeroPress brews a smooth, strong cup devoid of bitterness. By pushing water evenly through the grinds at high pressure, the result resembles espresso shots with a refined and clean flavor.
We love the AeroPress for the excellent flavor it produces (the best of all the camp coffee makers we tested). It's also durable and requires minimal water to clean.
Credit: Penney Garrett
The Nanopresso scored well in our taste tests, producing a rich shot of espresso with a caramel crema to rival a shot at your favorite cafe. The Bialetti Musa also scored high in our taste tests. This stainless steel stove-top espresso maker provides flavorful coffee, as long as you remove it from the heat as soon as it finishes percolating.
The Nanopresso was one of the top scorers in our blind taste tests.
Credit: Dana Prosser
The ESPRO press made the best-tasting cup from a French press. The double mesh filters are much finer than a traditional French press filter, and when coupled with a patented system that stops extraction once pressed, you get a tasty brew every time. The ESPRO also has special paper filters for use between the mesh filters for an even cleaner cup — the paper filter removes any remaining extra-fine particles and absorbs excess oils. You end up with a final product similar to the V60 or a Chemex. All of this exists inside an insulated, leakproof travel mug that, while on the heavy side, is highly durable and can go with you anywhere.
With two interlocking micro filters, the ESPRO Ultralight effectively reduces the muddiness typically present in your average French press.
Credit: Jared Ross
Some people like the viscosity and mouthfeel of a French press. By not removing the oils, you get a thicker mouthfeel and a different depth of flavor. To enjoy a press without abundant sediment or a bitter, over-extracted flavor, be sure to time your brew (we recommend about 4-5 minutes) and remove all liquid immediately after pressing. Alternatively, you can look for a press like the Planetary Designs BaseCamp that double filters and stops extraction upon pressing, much like the ESPRO Ultralight.
The Pourigami rose above the ranks, proving itself top-notch in flavor. Along with the V60, it produces the best-tasting coffee of the pour-over drippers in our review. The Pourigami produces a rich, gourmet cup with a bright flavor and a clean mouthfeel. It is also the best-tasting brew method that doesn't involve pouring hot water over plastic. The V60 also brews a clean-tasting cup with vibrant flavors and less bitterness than other drippers. The special angle of the cone (60 degrees to be exact), and the fact that it causes everything to merge at one point, means that the ground coffee gets evenly saturated — flat-bottomed brewers are prone to over-saturation from water pooling at the edges, which can cause bitterness.
The Pourigami produced some of the best tasting coffee of the brewers in our review.
Credit: Jared Ross
Most pour-over methods require careful pouring to get the best flavor. This is best done with a kettle like the Hario Gooseneck Kettle, but few people will choose to camp with such a specialized pouring apparatus. Though it doesn't score quite as high as the V60 or Pourigami, the Primula Brew Buddy and the MSR MugMate both deliver consistent tastes with the sloppy pour you often get from a pot or JetBoil while camping.
Don't want to pre-grind?
There's no doubt that fresh ground coffee is the gold standard. If you want to grind your beans right before brewing, there are many hand grinder options on the market.
Special Note on Pour-Over Methods
Yes, you can use a pour-over with no real plan by placing a random amount of ground coffee into the device and dousing it with hot water. How you prepare and use your chosen pour-over dripper will dramatically alter the taste. There are many essential variables: quality of beans, freshness, the quantity used, grind size, water temperature, and how you pour the water. Videos abound online, offering tutorials and advice to hone your pour-over technique.
Ease of Use
If you are one of those people who doesn't wake up until after your first cup of caffeine, then the simpler the brewing process, the better. Resources are often limited while camping, so models with easy clean-up are preferable. Whether you want a second or third cup or prefer hitting the trail as quickly as possible, a complicated coffee brewing process shouldn't be the thing holding you back.
French presses are among the simplest camping coffee makers to use. They don't require filters, but they're a pain to clean. You have to flick and scoop out the messy wet grounds and then use water to rinse everything. If water is no issue where you'll be camping, then a French press might appeal to you. The ESPRO, BaseCamp, Stanley Adventure All-in-One, and the GSI Outdoors Personal Java Press all fit the bill for being straightforward to use without the need to hone your coffee-making skills. Beyond being easy to master, French presses are the best way to accommodate multiple people. However, if you're in a dry area with limited water access, another brew style that requires less water for clean-up will be ideal.
Like other French presses, the ESPRO Ultralight is ridiculously easy to use for brewing coffee. Add, mix, wait, press - that's all there is to it. Clean-up, on the other hand, is where presses can be a bit more cantankerous.
Credit: Jared Ross
The AeroPress is a breeze to clean — simply remove the cap that holds the filter, then press the plunger to pop out the puck of coffee grounds. However, this device requires more know-how to use and has more parts to contend with. The Bialetti Musa is also among the easiest brewers to use and clean. Unscrew the reservoir from the base, pound the portafilter into the trash, and then wipe the coffee grounds out with your finger.
The Musa has three main components and is fairly simple to clean.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
The various cone-shaped pour-over brewers we reviewed are easy to use once you've mastered your pour-over technique. And they are straightforward to clean — just lift out the filter and toss it in the trash (or compost). Do keep in mind that many of these drippers, such as the Pourigami and the V60, require special filters for optimum brewing, and all of the pour-over devices require some finesse to produce a great cup of coffee. As we discovered in the testing process, you can make almost any filter work with a little folding, finagling, and careful pouring, but it's less than ideal.
While the Pourigami requires a filter, it is ridiculously easy to clean in the field, simply lift out the filter and while down each of the interlocking panels, and you're good to go.
Credit: Jared Ross
Filterless options involve more cleaning between uses. You can get 90% of the coffee out with a quick pour of a 1/4 cup of water. If you want your filter 100% clean, you will have to sacrifice quite a bit more water. Of all the filterless options, the Brew Buddy is the easiest to clean because of its shape and small surface area — turn the filter inside out, and voila, it's clean. The MugMate isn't far behind, though its rigid design makes it a tiny bit harder to rinse. For a quick and dirty clean-up, you can tap the MugMate to evacuate the grounds and clean it more thoroughly when you have access to a stream or water source. Both the MugMate and the Brew Buddy score well on this metric because they are simple to perfect, have minimal pieces to contend with, and are easy to clean.
The Brew Buddy is easy to clean; just flip the filter inside out and pour water through it.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Run out of filters?
No problem. Using a carefully folded paper towel is almost as effective as a coffee filter. We recommend pouring water through to make sure you don't get any paper towel flavor, but this should be done with any coffee-specific paper filter as well. You can also use a folded cloth handkerchief if you're in a bind. Again, pour water through it first so that it's saturated and ready to go.
Of course, with regard to ease of use, instant coffee will always be king. Nothing is easier than opening a packet and pouring water (hot or cold) to mix with the grounds. No mess, no fancy filters or kettles, no clean-up except for your mug and the bit of trash the packet creates. You will sacrifice some flavor for this convenience, though with modern instant coffees like Alpine Start some people barely notice the difference; just make sure to add less water than the packet suggests, unless you want bean-tea.
Instant coffee is the easiest to use and easiest to clean. To clean up after making a cup of instant, simply drink all your coffee, rinse (or don't) your mug, and you're ready to go.
Credit: Jared Ross
Group Cooking
If you are planning a camping trip with multiple devout coffee drinkers, it is worth looking for a method that can brew for more than one person and still deliver excellent flavor.
The BaseCamp is a big press able to accommodate a large crew of caffeine-fiending campers. We tested the 32-ounce version, but it's also available in a larger 48-ounce version. This insulated press is the easiest and best-tasting way to satisfy a group quickly.
Our favorite way to make a French press involves a medium grind and shorter brewing time. If you're willing to use a timer, place your coffee in the press, add water to fill about 1/3 of the way full, let bloom for 1 minute (fresh coffee will bubble and off-gas — this is called the "bloom"), stir, fill with water to the top, place lid on the press, and steep for an additional 3-4 minutes. Press and serve at 4 or 5 minutes.
Some of the French presses from our camping coffee testing.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
While pour-over drippers are best for 1-2 people, you can always fill them with more grounds if you need to accommodate a small group. Just remember that this will affect extraction and the final flavor. Of our tested models, the GSI Collapsible Java Drip has the greatest capacity, and if you're willing to test the limits, it can brew for 4 or more. The Stanley Adventure All-in-One and the GSI Personal Java Press are great if you're in a party of two. Both of these presses brew around 20 ounces, so there's plenty to get two people started. The Java Press comes with its own mug that nests inside the press — a nice feature if you don't already have a camp cup or need an extra one for your buddy.
The GSI Collapsible is large enough that it can be loaded up with a lot of grounds for a decently sizable crew.
Credit: Scott Sinor
Portability
Portability refers to how easy each item is to pack and carry. No surprise, the instant coffee from Alpine Start scores the highest. We include instant coffee in our review for all you gram-counters and alpine-starters. Sometimes you need to shave every gram possible, even if it means sacrificing a little flavor. However, with instant coffees as good as this, you won't be grimacing your way through caffeination.
Instant aside, it was neck-and-neck between several of our contenders. The GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip is incredibly compact — it folds to fit under a fuel canister and weighs just over an ounce. Another stellar option is the Brew Buddy, which weighs the same but is considerably more durable. It also requires less coffee to produce a flavorful result, further cutting down on weight.
The Ultralight Java Drip's legs fold up to make this one of the most portable options we tested.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Another ultralight and durable option is the MugMate. While it doesn't collapse down flat, it can nest inside your mug for travel and weighs less than an ounce. If a few more ounces are okay, we like the GSI Collapsible Java Drip and the MiiR Pourigami. The former is made out of silicone, and the latter is made out of stainless steel. They are both portable and durable. The Pourigami is a clear winner in terms of flavor, but it weighs quite a bit more than the other top options in this metric. That said, if you're searching for a compact stainless steel brewer with gourmet flavor, and don't mind a few extra ounces, then we can easily recommend this one.
The Pourigami folds down to a super slim package for easy packability.
Credit: Jared Ross
Weight
None of the brewing devices tested can compete with the featherweight of a single instant coffee packet at less than a quarter of an ounce. However, they can be reused indefinitely, making them more cost-effective in the long run.
Instant coffee packets, like the Alpine Start we tested, are ideal for backcountry missions where you don't want to add more weight and bulk to heavy pack already weighed down with gear. However, for long-distance backpacking or through-hiking, instant coffee can get pretty dang spendy, so unless you can afford it, we recommend saving some money and carrying a reusable option that will produce far more delicious coffee for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the weight.
Alpine Start is one of the best-tasting instant coffees we've tested.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
Our review team weighed each brewer on a kitchen scale, determining the MugMate was the lightest, weighing just a single ounce with the optional lid/coaster and 0.7 ounces without it. The Brew Buddy and GSI Ultralight are just a smidge heavier at 1.1 ounces, and the Melitta weighs in at just 2.01 ounces. None of these brewers — except for the Melitta — require filters, which is an additional weight savings.
Lightweight and packable, the Brew Buddy puts out a totally decent cup of coffee.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The V60 is another lightweight option, hovering right around 3 ounces. That doesn't include the weight of the filters, although they are generally lightweight. Next up are the GSI Collapsible Java Drip and the MiiR Pourigami at 4.76 and 4.89 ounces, respectively. Both of these require filters, but their collapsible nature makes transport easier than a rigid cone shape.
While the Pourigami isn't as weightless as other models in our review, at only 4.89 oz it is light enough that you're unlikely to notice its heft unless you're thru-hiking or cutting weight on your backpacking kit.
Credit: Jared Ross
Consider switching to tea for no mess and less weight
While it may be blasphemy to write this, switching to tea while camping or backpacking saves a lot of weight and clean-up. Some of our testers find instant coffee acceptable, but others want nothing to do with it. For those folks, tea may be a nice option.
A whole arsenal of coffee makers lined up and ready to be put to the ultimate test: reviving sleepy campers!
Credit: Penney Garrett
Conclusion
With so many choices out there, we know it can be challenging to select the right camping coffee maker (or home coffee maker) for your needs. We hope you find our ratings and tests helpful in narrowing down the plethora of options so you can hone in on the perfect brewer for your sacred morning ritual.
