The weather is finally warming up upstate where we are, and I can only imagine — or hope — it’s the same for you, wherever you are. And the best part of nice weather is being able to get outside and enjoy nature with long hikes or camping trips. But being outdoors doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your favorite hobby: coffee and espresso making.
Whole Latte Love has put together a collection of portable products and pre-ground coffees that will make brewing the perfect cup an easy feat, even without electricity or a plumbed up reservoir. Find out a bit more about each item below.
Different brew methods
Moka Pot
I use a Moka Pot most mornings, whether indoors or out. The roar of flames under metal, the slow boil, and the sound of fresh coffee bubbling into the carafe is the definition of a gentle morning. What makes the Moka Pot even more special is its portability: stuff it into a backpack or suitcase, add a campfire or gas stove, and have a fresh cup wherever you are. Some of our favorites include the Bialetti Moka Express 3-Cup, the 6-Cup, 9-Cup, 12-Cup and the E&R Lab Classic Moka Pots in 1-Cup, 3-Cup, and 6-Cup.
Aeropress
Dreamed up by a Stanford engineering instructor, the Aeropress optimizes simplicity while still brewing coffee or espresso with low acidity and bitterness. With the Aeropress, you are part of the entire brewing experience, and can control all sorts of variables by changing how much you stir the grounds, to how long you take to push down on the plunger, to create a cup personalized to your taste. The company has since come out with AeroPress Go, which carries its own mug as a carrying case.
French Press
The Espro P1 Travel Press is almost too perfect. It will strain, press, and hold up to 15mL of coffee in a vacuum insulated stainless steel thermos. French press coffee is a fan-favorite, with a hearty backing. But the typical glass vessel you immediately associate with this brew method isn’t exactly “throw in a backpack while we go camping” friendly. But this version, which comes in white, stainless steel, and black, means you can enjoy the slow patience of a press coffee under the glow of a rising sun.
Pour Over
This one’s pretty self explanatory: grab a thermos (many of which we have at Whole Latte Love, more on that later), a kettle (for this we recommend the Hario V60 Buono Coffee Drip Kettle, which is safe to use over a campfire), and either a Espro Bloom Pour Over Coffee Brewer or the Hario V6 Metal Coffee Dripper. Pour over coffee is already an incredibly meditative process, what with the slow rhythmic pour of water over a blooming coffee bed. Combined with the outdoors, this setup is sure to be a favorite.
$39.99
$39.95
Grind options
Manual Coffee Grinders
We have two options for hand mills: the Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Mini Plus and the Hario Canister Ceramic Coffee Mill. Both of these, as seen in the name, use ceramic burrs that are adjustable for fine or coarse grinds. The Mini Plus is plastic and can hold two cups worth of coffee beans; the Canister bottom is glass and holds up to half a cup of ground coffee. Both are wonderful options for making coffee grinding portable, and those ceramic blades are such an added plus. It just, you know, takes some time. And a lot of cranking. But you will get there.
It’s really okay, you can do pre-ground coffee just this once. We promise.
Listen, I know it sounds sacrilegious but standards change in the great outdoors. And you will be able to handle pre-ground coffee for at least a few days. Really. And we have some great options on our website. Some favorites come from Lavazza, of course: the Crema E Gusto Espresso, a special blend of Indian and Brazilian beans for a rich dark roast, and the Qualita Oro, which is a 100% Arabica medium roast blend. There is also the Lavazzo Dek, a decaffeinated 100% Arabica. For even more ease of use, we offer the Barrie House Dark Mystery blend in premeasured 8 oz tubes that you can easily pack in your backpack and pop into your preferred brewing method.
$50.67
$5.29
Keep Temperatures Stable
The WLL Horizon Camp Mug
Whole Latte Love has our very own personalized Camelbak mug: the Whole Latte Love Horizon Camp Mug. Coming in white and black, the mug is double-walled and vacuum-insulated to retain cold drinks for six hours and hot drinks for four. If you’re not one for personalized objects but like the Horizon Camp mug, we offer other options in white, black, larkspur, and moss without the WLL logo.
Modern and chic
We have quite the beautiful collection of Fellow Carter Everywhere 12 oz or 16 oz mugs in matte black, matte white, matte grey, warm pink, and dusk blue. With a ceramic coating interior and stainless steel insulation, these tumblers retain heat for twelve hours and keep cold drinks stable up to 24 hours. These mugs can also be used to brew directly with the Espro dripper, Hario V60 dripper, or Aeropress mentioned above.
The traditional option
Perhaps the most recognizable of all Camelbak products is the tried and true Camelbak Horizon Tumbler. So, of course, it’s included on this list. Here at WLL, we carry 12 oz, 16 oz, and 20 oz, in white, black, moss, terracotta rose, and larkspur. A double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel tumbler that you can count on to keep your drink hot for up to seven hours or cold up to fourteen.
The traditional 2.0
The Camelbak MultiBev is the beverage multitasker you have been waiting for. The top is a 22 oz water bottle, the bottom a detachable 16 oz travel cup that is perfect for both solo and shared enjoyment — making it ideal for camping. Not to mention this bottle will keep beverages hot for sixteen hours and cold for 24. Pick your choice of moss, black, terracotta rose, and white.
$25.20
$18.00
$45.00
Summary
So there you have it: our non-inclusive list of portable coffee and espresso making products. If your coffee habit is the one excuse you had for sticking indoors, we’re sorry to take that one away from you by making it so easy to brew a great cup no matter where you are. To see more of our outdoors collection, click here. If you’re already planning a hiking or overnight trip, check out our blogpost on how to make coffee while camping here.
