Coffee on the go is something necessary in today’s day in age. Even though most of the time there is a coffee shop around the corner (source) or at work.
What if you want to save a few bucks every day and make your own? What if you like a specific roast? Perhaps you’re going camping or the hotel room doesn’t have a coffee maker. Depending on your situation you want the best portable coffee maker when traveling.
Even if it’s not for you and you’re looking for the perfect gift for coffee lovers. You don’t want to blindly select a random portable coffee machine only to have it arrive and not work as promised.
Aeropress is the best portable coffee maker. It’s small enough to carry with you anywhere. It doesn’t require electricity and it’s super easy to clean. It also brews some of the best tasting coffee.
Buy an Aeropress from Amazon or read more below.
Still want to see what else is out there? Keep in mind there are a few things you should consider.
The considerations could go on ad nauseam.
Some things should be noticed about portable coffee makers. You can’t have the best of all worlds. Below are some key considerations you should take:
It’s our opinion that ultra portable coffee makers are not perfect yet to be your daily driver in every situation.
Should be noted that many of the portable coffee makers in this article work with reusable K-Cups or K-Cup type. The filter type is noted in the descriptions.
It’s our opinion that ultra portable coffee makers that are made for traveling are not perfect yet to be your daily driver in every situation.
Keep in mind that heating anything to 195° consumes a lot of energy. Think how fast a phone battery dies when it’s hot.
There are very few battery powered portable coffee makers available. Most are unavailable as of this writing.
Some were advertised as coffee makers, but it’s actually Americano coffee.
Many of the battery powered coffee makers that were touted as amazing in early 2020 are no longer available for whatever reason. Others are better off never to reach the market in the first place.
One of the travel coffee makers that is well received by owners. It heats up water in 12 minutes using a rechargeable lithium battery.
This portable espresso maker only takes genuine L’OR and Nespresso capsules.
Technically it makes espresso but you can add more hot water to make an Americano (What is an Americano wiki)
We call this the best L’OR capsules because it is a variety pack of 50. There are 5 boxes with 10 capsules in each box. They are compatible with Nespresso machines (excluding the Vertuo). Each capsule costs about .50 cents each.
If you’re new to the Nepresso Espresso game we suggest trying a variety pack to find the best Nespresso flavor for you. The 50 pack comes with 5 boxes of 10 capsules. Each capsule costs approximatly .70 cents each.
These are the best portable coffee makers. They are compact and affordable. They heat up your coffee and are easy to travel with.
The iMiGoo coffee maker is a great electric travel coffee maker. It makes coffee fast and since it only has one button, it’s pretty easy to use. You use your own coffee grounds as opposed to some sort of capsule/k-cup/pod.
You can do more than make coffee on the go with an iMiGoo. It can boil water, hot milk, tea and whatever else you can think of.
Weighing at 1.65 pounds and about 8.5” inches tall, it’s easy to take with you. Makes 8oz per serving.
Overall the reviews were very positive. It’s not meant to be your daily coffee maker. However, if you’re on the go then this is a great buy.
We highly recommend watching a YouTube video on how it works to avoid spilling boiling hot water on your hand when trying to open the lid or pouring.
This Keurig coffee is the smallest one one the market. There are 2 models the Keurig K-Mini and the Mini-Plus and they’re the same size.
You get more features with the Plus model, such as removable water reservoir, strong brew button, and able to store up to 9 K-Cups.
I mentioned durability because a small minority of people claimed they had problems after sometime.
Having owned a similar model 5 years ago. It started leaking after a few months of sparing use.
Manuel coffee makers are your best bet if you need coffee on the go. They require hot water to to be poured in and require you to physically extract coffee.
A fan favorite. This is a manual machine where you have to pump enough pressure to get a decent espresso.
It’s small and compact for easy travel. Remarkably it gets 18 bars of pressure (9 is all you need).
Once you practice enough with it you can dial in the coffee grinds and water temperature to get a decent cup.
The link below is the Wacaco Nanopress and Nespresso capsule accessory that comes with it.
Another Amazon’s Choice with an almost perfect 4.5 out of 5 rating on 1000+ reviews. The MyJo water reservoir is microwave safe.
It’s the best choice is you’re looking for a cost effective and convenient way to brew with K-Cups on the go.
Chances are you’ve heard of this device made by Alan Alder in the mid 90’s (wiki source). It’s the staple device in every coffee nerd’s arsenal.
You can read a comparative review of Delterpresser vs Aeropress here.
Makes a smooth cup of Joe using contained pressure and infusing the coffee. This reduces the oils, which in turn reduces bitterness.
The swiss army knife of coffee portable coffee makers. It grinds, it steeps, it keeps your coffee warm!
If you’re a stickler for freshly ground coffee on-the-go then this portable coffee maker is your best bet.
Before you move on to the next section you should keep in mind that heating anything around 180° consumes a lot of energy.
There were many battery powered espresso machines available. Some were advertised as coffee makers, but really it’s Americano coffee. You can catch the full review of battery operated portable espresso makers soon here.
There is nothing I hate more than buying a product that doesn’t work. The handheld battery operated coffee makers I found didn’t receive a good enough rating for me to recommend.
Many of the battery powered coffee makers that were touted as amazing in 2017 are no longer available for whatever reason. Others are better off never to reach the market in the first place.
A 16 ounce propane tank will help you make coffee for over 4 hours. Rest assured it doesn’t require matches, it uses a proprietary technology to push start. Comes with a removable filter basket to brew your coffee of choice.
The ideal use of this is for camping or working outdoors. Comes with a 3 year warranty.
The major issue was how long it took to get started. Doesn’t matter if you add boiling water in the machine, it’s going to take 20 minutes to get a cup.
**Many users complained that 10 cups isn’t really 10 cups. Others said they added water to it as it was percolating to make up for lost water.
Some users were concerned if it was safe because it gets hot, but throughout reviews users said they haven’t experienced any issues. One user reported it was used on a folding table with no problems.
Japanese manufacturer Makita makes plenty of heavy duty products that are well received by it’s users. It’s completely wireless, heavy-duty coffee maker that you can take fishhh…I mean to the job site.
9 inches tall, 8.6 inches in length and weighs in at 3 lbs, it’s smaller than other wired coffee makers on this list.
The removable water reservoir can hold up to 1 cup of water. It doesn’t come with a battery, but a lithium ion battery is robust.
Use any kind of ground coffee.
Although not a coffee maker per se, this is a super useful gadget if you’re on the road.
Plug it in to a 12V cigarette lighter and in about 10 minutes you have piping hot water.
It’s made of stainless steel & thermal insulated.
Having a portable kettle that uses DC12V is a great idea for some. You see other devices above that requires hot water and this is just the thing to get that for you.
You have to keep the kettle upright or it will leak. You should also leave room at the top to reduce the risk of spillage.
So you want to learn more about coffee? Don't want to spend eons in coffee college to get that perfect cup? Check out this article to learn how to easily make great coffee.
Thought about making your life a little easier? Have a look at our no nonsense guide on the best coffee makers for your situation.
Wondering what to get as a gift for that person who LOVES coffee? Check out this short list of the best gifts for coffee lovers.
