- Coffee prep
A coffee machine to travel with? Really?
I’m counting down the days to my time out by the sea. A tiny little house, actually just a big kitchen with a veranda and a bedroom and bathroom at the back, but with: Watch out! View of the sea from the veranda. The idea of sitting there in the morning with my favorite coffee and just looking at it … sigh.
Babette Lichtenford
What to pack…
… let’s begin with the Portafilter machine. Not. Because it‘s, a) too heavy and b) certainly not the right size. If I could, I would take it though. After all, I don’t want to miss out on such great flavors as e.g. single origin espresso from Peru when I’m on vacation. So what to do? I do a quick search on the Internet for travel coffee machines and find: capsule machines. No way. With all due respect, I don’t think that’s acceptable. Hashtag garbage. Hashtag price.
French press, coffee pot, spoon.
These are my options. The French press, I have a steel one, conjures up a really good, intensely aromatic cup with the right coffee and the right grind (coarse). And you only need hot water – which is also very practical for the outdoors.
The second option for me is the classic coffee pot on the stove. There is a small stove in the vacation cottage, so it fits perfectly and the Peru espresso is also very good with it. Of course, it’s a little finer when prepared with the portafilter – but hey, let’s focus on the main things here.
That leaves me with the spoon. For hikers and all fit outdoorsy people, certainly the most convenient accessory for making a Mount Hagen organic coffee. Simply pack one of our Instants in your backpack (either as a stick or in a jar), add a spoon and stir. Off you go. Hot water is available in huts or by the campfire. That’s all it takes. By the way, this also applies to anyone staying in a hotel who wants to have a cup of good coffee in bed in the morning. So far. So far so good. And the coffee?
Travel buddy coffee.
We introduced our instant coffees before. We recommend a crema for the French press. It is roasted a little darker than a classic Arabica coffee, but not as long as an espresso.
The Mount Hagen Arabica Crema is a blend of the fruity depth of Papua New Guinea, the complex spice of Mexican coffees and the glamorous richness of Peruvian coffees – velvety, lush, chocolaty. The Barista Crema is also a blend, but from 4 different Arabicas. It is a little more complex and ambitious with its fine citrus acids. Both are only available as whole beans – so you might want to pack a small hand grinder so that you can grind the crema fresh. If you don’t want to do this, you can of course pre-grind it at home, but then make sure you pack it as airtight as possible. And pay attention to the grind. You can find more tips on preparing coffee in a French press here. It’s definitely worth having a quick look.
You can actually use any espresso for the coffee pot (we have 3 different ones in our range). Here, too, you should pay attention to the grind and know a few tips for preparation in the so-called caffettiera. Of course, we also have them for you.
All there is left to say:
