10 Best Travel Coffee Makers for 2024
If you're a real coffee aficionado, then settling for subpar coffee in airports and hotels is a definite no-go. That said, lugging around your precious Nespresso® or moka pot isn't exactly part of the carefree travel lifestyle you have in mind. Instead, use a travel coffee maker to brew the high-quality coffee you crave, no matter where you are. These are the best picks for portable coffee makers for 2024.
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10 best portable coffee makers for travel
1. Best overall travel coffee maker: AeroPress
When it comes to brewing the perfect cup of Joe, you can't go wrong with the AeroPress. Invented by Stanford engineering lecturer, Alan Adler, the AeroPress is considered one of the best ways to get a high-quality brew—at home or on the go. The AeroPress is a cylindrical container with a plunger. Unlike a traditional French press, the airtight silicone seal on the plunger can deliver highly-concentrated coffee, all while reducing acidity and bitterness, to give you a strong, satisfying brew every time.
Price: starting at $32
2. Best lightweight portable coffee maker: Espro
The key requirement in a travel coffee maker (other than flavor) is weight. Whether you're checking a bag for a long vacay or boarding a flight with just a travel backpack, space is precious—and you don't want to weigh yourself down with extras. That's why we love the ESPRO P0 Ultralight French Press. Dubbed the lightest travel press on the market, this portable coffee maker is made of premium lightweight stainless steel. And with double-walled vacuum seal technology, you can always enjoy a cup of coffee that's piping hot.
Price: starting at $49
3. Best French Press portable coffee maker: FinalPress
When you take away all the bells and whistles, there's nothing like a good, old-fashioned French Press. This portable coffee maker from FinalPress lets you enjoy plunger-style coffee with minimal effort, anywhere you travel. Perfect for your carry-on suitcase, the FinalPress Coffee and Tea Maker's collapsible mechanism is small enough to fit in your pocket. Even better, there's no need for filters! Just add ground coffee or loose tea to the cylindrical filter with hot water, give it a stir, and plunge it into any mug. When you're done, easily store it in the carrying sleeve and keep on traveling!
Price: starting at $29
4. Best sustainable portable coffee maker: Huckberry
The problem with most coffee makers is the inevitable waste from countless pods and paper filters. Huckberry has set out to make your daily cup of java more sustainable with their Palmpress Portable Coffee Maker. Its zero-waste design features a stainless steel coffee filter, making it completely reusable so you can make endless cups without ever throwing out a paper filter. Even better, the unique design of this travel coffee maker ensures your coffee never comes into contact with plastic, so you can enjoy a fresh-tasting, delicious brew, guaranteed.
Price: starting at $49
5. Best capsule portable coffee maker: WACACO
If you simply can't get on board with pour-over or plunger-style coffee and you just need your espresso every day—we've got you. The Minipresso NS from WACACO lets you take your favorite coffee pods (including Nespresso®) with you on the go so you can sip your preferred brew, even when you're away from your espresso machine. It's simple: Pop in the capsule. Add hot water to the tank. And then give it a few pumps to pressurize and extract the espresso. That's barista-level quality in your pocket.
Price: starting at $54
6. Best controlled-brew portable coffee maker: Delter Coffee
Up and coming in the coffee world, the Delter Coffee Press is a hot competitor to the beloved Aeropress. But while the Aeropress features immersion-style brewing, Delter Coffee offers something different: injection brewing. With this portable coffee maker, you can control the specific volume, time, and pressure of your brew for a more customized cup. The Delter Coffee Press also gives you some room to share, allowing you to brew up to 250ml of coffee at a time.
Price: starting at $35
7. Best ground coffee and espresso portable coffee maker: CERA+
For a coffee lover who drinks it all, it can sometimes be hard to choose between traditional ground coffee or espresso. But with the Portable Electric Coffee Maker from CERA+, you can change up your daily brew as often as you'd like. It's compatible with Nespresso® pods as well as straight-up ground coffee so you can get your coffee fix any way you want it. Easy-breezy USB-C charging means you can charge up almost anywhere, with a single charge producing four to five cups of espresso or 100+ cups of filtered coffee.
Price: starting at $103
8. Best multi-purpose portable coffee maker: Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii
To add some variety to your daily caffeine fix, try the BruTrek Steel Toe Travel French Press from Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii. Designed to give you options, this portable coffee maker can brew hot coffee, tea, or overnight cold brew. Plus, it can even do double-duty as a happy hour beer stein. Its double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel means you can count on your coffee and tea to be hot and your cold brew and beer to be cold. And with a spill-proof locking lid, you can travel with no fear of spillage in your backpack.
Price: starting at $48
9. Best budget portable coffee maker: Egoou
Brewing up high-quality, fresh-tasting coffee on the go doesn't have to be expensive. If you're not ready to invest in a capsule-compatible device or a stainless steel mug, try this budget portable coffee maker from Egoou. With this collapsible silicone coffee filter, you can easily brew your favorite ground coffee in hostels, on camping trips, in coworking spaces, or anywhere else you can grab hot water and a mug. The silicone is BPA-free, non-toxic, and odorless so you can enjoy good-tasting coffee without any added nasties.
Price: starting at $12
10. Best portable coffee maker with built-in kettle: NAVNKA
There are a lot of great portable coffee makers to brew espresso, ground coffee, and even tea, but many of them require you to provide hot water separately. The portable coffee maker from NAVNKA, on the other hand, features a built-in electric kettle so you can brew your favorite coffee or tea wherever you are. All you have to do is add your grounds or leaves to the filter with some water and then wait a few minutes for the water to boil. Best of all, you can control the temperature so you get that oh-so-smooth taste whether you're sipping tea or coffee.
Price: starting at $59
Travel coffee maker - common FAQs
How do you travel with a coffee maker?
Traveling with a traditional coffee maker is cumbersome, risky, and complicated. Instead of worrying about your precious Nespresso® machine breaking mid-flight, opt for a portable coffee maker that's designed to brew barista-worthy coffee on the go.
Is anything better than the AeroPress?
The AeroPress is widely regarded as one of the best methods for brewing coffee—both at home and on the go. The Delter Coffee Press is an up-and-coming competitor that's fairly similar. The biggest difference between the AeroPress and the Delter Coffee Press is control: The Delter Coffee Press is a little more complicated to use, but it gives you more control of the brewing process.
Is it worth bringing a portable coffee maker when I travel?
If you're a coffee snob, then a portable coffee maker is a must-have for travel. Most options are lightweight and easy to pack—and they give you the home-sweet-home taste of your favorite brew, anywhere you go.
