Hot take: my $12 portable coffee pour-over setup was the worst travel decision

Tbh I thought bringing a cheap ceramic pour-over cone and some filters to hostels in Prague would save me money on overpriced cafe lattes. But after I smashed the cone in my bag on day 2, I had to buy a mug and just dunk the grounds in hot water like a savage. The whole setup cost like $12 at a discount store and it was more hassle than it was worth. Has anyone else tried those travel brew kits and actually made them work without breaking?

2 comments

2 Comments

skylergrant3d ago

What kind of cheap ceramic cone did you even buy? I've been using the same $10 plastic Melitta brewer for like four years now across dozens of hostels and camping trips, never had it break or even crack. Plastic is way more durable than ceramic for travel, that's just common sense. You probably could have picked up a reusable metal filter too and skipped the paper ones entirely, then you'd just have one piece to keep track of. Plus dunking grounds in a mug makes pretty decent coffee if you let it steep long enough, French press style, so that's not really a loss either. Sounds like the issue was your gear choice and packing job, not the concept of traveling with a pour-over setup.

barnes.morgan2d ago

Yeah, "common sense" is right... I made the same mistake with a ceramic V60 once and it shattered in my bag before I even got to the hostel. Plastic Melitta's where it's at, I've had mine for years too and it's been through everything without a scratch.