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.
These travel percolators are popular and are available at popular stores such as Walmart & Target, however, Amazon typically has the lowest price we found and available.
AeroPress is The Best Portable Coffee Maker for Traveling
Aeropress is the best portable coffee maker. It’s compact 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.
You don’t want to blindly select a random portable coffee machine only to have it arrive and not work as promised.
Still want to see what else is out there? Keep in mind there are a few things you should consider.
- Do you have power?
- Do you have access to hot water?
- How much space do you have?
- How much coffee do you need to make?
- Are you adding cream or sugar?
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:
- Electrical or Manual
- Small/Compact = Not enough power but portable. Either won't reach the desired heat or take time to reach. Especially difficult if you're in high altitude or cold climates.
- Bigger = More power but not portable. Where does it get energy?
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.
Car Coffee Maker
All these coffee makers are portable and compact. Some more than others. Many of them simply need hot water. Most of them can be mobile coffee makers that you can take on the go in your car.
With most of the powered ones you’re going to need a adapter of some sort to connect to your car’s power source (cigarette lighter jack?).
Click here to drop down to the bottom of the article we listed a 12v water heater.
Battery Powered Coffee Makers
You can make Americano coffee with these portable espresso makers
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 2021 are no longer available for whatever reason. Others are better off never to reach the market in the first place.
CONQUECO Portable Espresso Maker
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).
PROS
- Lithium battery
- Easy to clean
- Light & compact - 3" x 10"
CONS
- Only makes espresso
- 12 minutes to brew
CONQUECO Capsules
Best L'OR Espresso Capsules for CONQUECO
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.
- Onyx (intense, strong)
- Ristretto (powerful, expressive)
- Absolu (strong, spicy)
- Colombia (complex, tangy)
- Profondo Lungo (intense, spicy)
Best L'OR Espresso Capsules for CONQUECO
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 approximately .70 cents each.
- Capriccio
- Ispirazione Roma
- Ispirazione Genova Livanto
- Ispirazione Firenze Arpeggio
- Ispirazione Ristretto
Click below to learn about the 3 main places to buy coffee and the pros & cons of each
Portable Electric Single-Cup Coffee Makers
These are the best electric portable coffee makers. They are compact and affordable. They heat up your coffee and are easy to travel with.
The Kuerig needs to be plugged in.
iMiGoo Single Serve Coffee Maker
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.
PROS
- 1-Button operation
- Stainless Steel
- 4 Options - boiling water, brewing tea, brew coffee & keeping warm
- Temperture Control
CONS
- Takes 7 minutes to make coffee
- Some users complained of burning their hand due to the lid - Make sure you carefully read instructions before using
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.
Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker
This Keurig coffee maker is one of the most compact. If you really need a Keurig at the hotel or keep it in the camper then this could work.
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.
PROS
- Brews fast in normal conditions
- Keurig simplicity
- Auto-Shutoff
CONS
- Brew times are longer if you're in high altitude or cold areas
- Standard Keurig reliability issues
- Needs to be plugged in
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.
Portable Manual Coffee & Espresso Makers
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.
Wacaco Nanopresso
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.
PROS
- Compact & feels well-built
- Easy to clean
- Light & compact - 3" x 10"
CONS
- Need to buy accessories to get more than 1 shot of espresso
- Needs extra parts to use Nespresso type capsules
- A lot of parts
- Learning Curve
Wacaco Pipamoka
Wacaco seems to come up with innovative ways to brew coffee on the go. The Wacaco Pipamoka is no different.
Weighing in at about a pound and 7.16” tall, it’s a small coffee maker. Makes 8oz of coffee and holds 16g of ground coffee.
The Wacaco is a manual, vacuum sealed coffee press that’s insulated in a stainless steel container.
It works like a french press, pressing hot water through the coffee grounds, except this does it in a vacuum sealed container which means more pressure. Once you get the hang of it you can make a cup in less than 3 minutes.
Presto MyJo Review
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.
PROS
- Compact, durable & lightweight
- Parts are Dishwater safe – brews straight to the cup
CONS
- In rare cases the pump doesn’t work you have to open the slit in the valve.
- Messy & coffee tends to get in the slit
AeroPress Coffee Maker
As mentioned before Aeropress is the best portable coffee maker. 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.
PROS
- Compact, durable & lightweight
- Parts are Dishwater safe – brews straight to the cup
- Use your own coffee grounds
CONS
- Uses special filters
- Slight learning curve for consistant coffee
Cafflano Klassic - Portable All-in-One Pour Over Coffee Maker
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.
PROS
- Adjustable grind size
- Quality product - solidly built
CONS
- Should watch video to understand how it works
- Forced to pour slow
- Luxury pricing
Alternative Powered Coffee Makers
Checkout or list of the best gifts that won’t break the bank.
Coleman QuikPot Propane Coffee Maker
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.
PROS
- Durable & lightweight
- Easy to clean
- Can brew 10 cups
- Consistently brews great coffee
CONS
- Take at least 18 minutes to get started
- Bigger than other options
- Holding water**
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.
MAKITA Coffee Maker
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.
Use any kind of ground coffee. Find out what coffee is best for you.
All these coffee makers are portable. Many of them simply need hot water. Mobile coffee maker that you can take on the go in your car. They connect to your car’s power source (cigarette lighter jack?). They are the best portable coffee makers for your car.
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.
PROS
- Uses DC12v
- Sturdy Design
- Thermal Insulated
CONS
- Not a sip cup
- Potential hazard while driving
- Takes 15-20 minutes to boil
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.
