Upgrade Your Camp Coffee Experience

Some of my friends call me as a coffee snob. I think that’s just a quicker way to say aficionado or connoisseur, right? 😉 One of the things I love about my little Teardrop camper is that the galley is always ready go, whether for whipping up a quick bite or making a fresh coffee at a scenic roadside stop.

Here are three simple ways to enjoy better coffee on your Teardrop trailer road trips, whether you’re at a roadside stop or gazing out from inside a Teardrop trailer at a rising morning sun.

Get a Coffee Grinder

manual hand grinder for coffee
My grinder threads onto a mason jar.

First, and absolutely foremost, a coffee grinder is the most direct route to a noticeably better cup of java. Pre-ground coffee can remain passable for a week or two after grinding or package opening, BUT you’ll get the best flavour within 20 minutes of grinding coffee. There are all kinds of small, handheld grinders to be found. Look for an established coffee equipment brand. It’s not worth buying a cheapo because the burrs (the parts of he grinder that grind) will be low quality and likely wear down more quickly.

Use Good Coffee Beans

Since you’ll have nice grinder, hey, use fresh beans. Perhaps along your Teardropping travels you may come across cafés with a roastery. Or you may pack coffee beans you got near home. Wherever you get ’em, keep your coffee beans in good condition. Store them somewhere that doesn’t get too hot, but not in your cooler, and in an airtight container.

Even better is a container that lets out the gas naturally occurring in roasted beans but does not let in any air which expedites staleness. Being a coffee geek, I cut out the one-way air valve from a coffee bag and glued it onto a mason jar lid with a hole drilled through it. (If you do this, be sure the valve is in the in-out orientation as it was on the bag or else you’ll be letting in air and not allowing gas out!)

Pour it into a Keep-Warm Cup

thermal stainless steel coffee mug
A thermal mug extends the glorious morning coffee time.

My third suggestion is to get a good quality thermal mug that will allow you to enjoy your coffee over a longer period, especially on cool mornings. Personally I stay away from anything plastic for hot (esp near-boiling) fluids. Getting a decent one means it will keep the contents warm even without he lid on, which means you will have a better coffee experience with lots of aroma instead of sipping out of a little hole in the lid.

I know there’s also the big question of what brew method to use. But that would be a blog post even longer than the one I wrote about power system batteries LOL. Mainly I use a press pot on road trips. Though sometimes I will pack filters and do pour-over. Others like the compact convenience of the aero-press. And if you’re even more of a coffee geek than me, there are even manual espresso makers where you push a lever to create the pressure.

Whatever you get up to with your Teardropping coffee, enjoy it muchly and have gratitude for whatever view you a looking at. There’s no reason (or excuse!) for crappy coffee on the road when you’re living the Teardrop Life.


So, that’s how I do things with my Teardrop Trailer but by no means the full story or the best way. What about you? Add your own methods, ideas and experiences using the comment box below for the benefit of all readers.

2 thoughts on “Upgrade Your Camp Coffee Experience

    1. Neil's avatar Neil

      Hi Debbie – The grinder I use… what is pictured above… is Hairo brand. A couple further details on this topic in the time since I posted that blog: I have down-sized my mason jar from 8oz to 4 oz to save a little space in my galley box, since I’m only grinding coffee for 1 or 2 people I never needed 8oz capacity. Also, instead of grinding coffee then using a scoop to measure it out of the jar, I finally got the brainwave (after a year lol but, hey, “better latte than never”) to draw lines on the jar for the volume of 2, 3, 4 & 6 scoops and thus cut out the scooping step. A tip on that one is to then cover the markings with clear packing tape… my first markings, even though done with sharpie marker, rubbed off within a few uses. Enjoy your java!!

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