Making coffee in your campervan can be done over a stove, an open fire, or even from your kettle. It just sometimes requires a bit of creativity.
Coffee in your Campervan
Whether you’ve got an old T2 or a more modern T6, you’ll definitely have some ability to make coffee, although you may not be able to create your usual barista standard espressos.
The easiest methods to make coffee while on the road are:
- Cafetiere
- Stove top espresso maker (also called a Moka pot)
- AeroPress
- Pour over or V60
- Coffee bags
- Instant (If all else fails)
Cafetiere/French Press in your Campervan
The first thing to consider with a cafetiere is the material it’s made out of. A glass one with plastic edging is easily broken in transit and may not suit van lifers. It’s easier to get a metal cafetiere, as they’ll be less likely to break, are better suited for accidental drops or bumpy roads, and are often insulated.
Most supermarkets and department stores have them, and they often cost upwards of £20 brand new. However, places like charity shops and car boot sales often have them second-hand and much cheaper.
To use a cafetiere, you’ll need a kettle of semi-boiled water and a tablespoon of ground coffee per serving.
Boil the kettle, and you’ll burn the grounds! About a minute before the boil, take the kettle off the heat, and let it settle.
To make the ultimate cafetiere, you can ‘bloom’ the coffee beforehand. To do this, have the grounds in the bottom of the cafetiere and then pour the water in a circular motion over the grounds until they’re just covered. Then swirl it around and leave it for just under a minute.
After that, pour the water to the desired amount, and let it sit for about 3-4 minutes.
Then serve and enjoy!
Stove Top Espresso or Moka Pot in a Campervan
All moka pots, or stove top espresso makers, are stainless steel, and are a great way to easily make a good strong cup of coffee while on the road. You can put them on an open fire, or on a gas ring, and you can also get induction safe versions.
They’re super easy to use, you just need ground coffee and water!
While it can vary from pot to pot, largely, you just unscrew the top and remove the basket, before putting water in the bottom, to the amount you want, before filling the basket with ground coffee.
Then let it boil and it will fill the top half with lovely hot coffee!
AeroPress for Camping
An AeroPress has become popular with coffee makers over the past few years, giving coffee lovers a simple way to make one cup of fresh coffee. This method is best for single users, or those with more time on their hands as it does take longer for multiple people than other methods.
To use, push the plunger out of the main chamber, and put a filter in the filter cap before screwing it onto the chamber. Then, place the AeroPress on a sturdy mug of any size, and add one scoop into the chamber. Shake it, to level the coffee. Add hot water up to the number one on the side of it, and stir for 10 seconds, then insert the plunger and press gently, pausing each time you feel resistance until the plunger reaches the grounds.
Then you can add milk, more hot water, or drink it as an espresso! It’s a popular favourite with trekkers as it takes up such little space but provides a good hit of caffeine when needed.
Pour Over or V60 in a Campervan
A pour over or a V60 is similar to an AeroPress in the sense it’s one cup at a time. Plastic ones are easy to come by and tend to fit most standard mugs.
To use a V60, you will need to get filter papers, which you can either order online, or buy in larger supermarkets.
Then, you’ll also need ground coffee, and hot water!
To use, place the mug on a flat surface, add the V60 on top, and ‘rinse’ the filter by gently covering it in water. Then add in a tablespoon of coffee and pour the water in a circular motion over the grounds and let them ‘bloom’ for 30 seconds. Finally, add in the full amount of water needed (this is cup size dependent.)
Coffee Bags for your Campervan Mug
Much like a tea bag, a coffee bag works exactly the same, just add hot water and let brew. While it doesn’t pack as much of a punch as the other methods, it works quickly and creates a simple cup of coffee!
You can find these in most supermarkets, Taylors of Harrogate and Nescafe both offer fairly inexpensive options.
Instant Coffee
It’s cheap, it’s simple to use and it does the trick every now and then. We had to mention it, but we much prefer other methods for a delicious cup of coffee.
Transport your Coffee Around
Here at Just Kampers, we offer a wide range of parts for helping make coffee in campervans. Pete, our Product Director’s favourite part is our ash tray cup holder, which he created because, as he put it; “Shaun our sales director gets a cup of coffee every morning on his journey to work, driving a Bay he had nowhere to put his drink so used to place it between his legs and drive in. Often this would normally end up getting spilled on his legs he would come into the office moaning and of course to a load of ridicule.
After a few months of this, I decided to find a solution. A few hours in the fab shop, a couple of failed attempts and we had the first prototype. This was given to Shaun to use; from his feedback we made a couple of tweaks then put these into production. A simple solution but one that helped Shaun and was of benefit to our customers.”
We also have other coffee accessories, such as kettles and some lovely VW Campervan Travel Mugs,
