We recently stayed at the Nellie Belle camper at Blackberry Blossom Farm on our trip to the Meet the Mountains festival in Johnson City. I like my coffee, so when I saw that the camper had a French Press coffee maker, I had to see if it would be a good option for camping and travel.

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What is a French Press Coffee Maker?

French Press coffee makers work differently from electric coffee makers. It doesn’t heat the water and pour it over the coffee grounds. You do that manually. You only need coffee and hot water.

The process I followed is just a few simple steps:

1. Heat your water and pour it into your coffee pot and cups to get them hot. Pour the water back out.
2. Place 8 tablespoons of coarse coffee grounds in the bottom of the French Press coffee maker.
3. Pour almost boiling water over the coffee grounds to just under an inch from the top of the coffee maker.
4. Stir the coffee grounds and water together.
5. Place the lid on top of the coffee maker with the pour opening covered.
6. Let the coffee brew for 4 minutes.
7. Press the handle downward, compressing the coffee grounds.
8. Turn the lid until you see the opening.
9. Pour the coffee into your cups.
10. Let the coffee pot cool before cleaning.

French Press Coffee Amount and Quality

Following this process, I got two fairly large cups of coffee. The flavor was as good as anything I’ve had. My only complaint was it had the finely ground coffee left in the bottom of the cup. You’ll want to drink it slowly once you get to the bottom so you can avoid the coffee grounds.

I used coarse-ground Eight O’clock Columbia whole bean coffee that I ground at the grocery store. A coffee grinder might be a better choice. The Nellie Belle had coffee in the refrigerator, so I didn’t actually need to buy it, but now I have the excuse that I need to buy a French Press to use the rest of my coarsely ground coffee. You can’t have too many ways to make coffee.

Do I recommend a French Press Coffee Maker for Travel and Camping?

For a camper, yes. I wouldn’t use the glass coffee maker for hiking. I made coffee twice and it was easy and tasted great both times. The coffee maker was small enough to carry. You only need a way to heat water, coffee, a spoon, and a couple of coffee cups. This makes it easy to use in campers, cabins, and hotel rooms.

If you’re interested in a French Press coffee maker, check out these on Amazon.

Have you tried a French Press coffee maker for travel or camping? Let us know about your favorite coffee maker and share your tips in the comments.