Your daily coffee fix no longer needs to be reliant on a café visit. In this ‘Coffee on the Go’ showcase, we put two portable brewers to the test – each designed to bring a proper caffeine hit wherever the journey leads. At one end of the scale is a compact, lightweight unit built for hikers, campers and solo travellers who want great coffee without the bulk. At the other, a larger-capacity system steps in for group adventures and for delivering multiple cups with ease when sharing the moment matters. Different sizes, same goal: barista-style coffee wherever the road, track or campsite takes you. Ben Groom test drives.
Wacaco Nanopress
The Wacaco Nanopress, from Gearshop NZ, is supremely portable and lightweight – a valuable adventuring accessory that makes great coffee on the go, whether you’re on top of a mountain or down at the beach. It’s compact, hand-powered, and capable of producing proper espresso with a good crema, which is impressive for something this small (just 15cm tall and weighing in at a mere 336g). The Nanopress holds around 80ml of water and uses a small amount of ground coffee, so it’s efficient as well. Plus, it conveniently packs down into its own durable travel case. No more caffeine withdrawals on your hikes – now you can enjoy a rich espresso whenever you feel like it. Be warned, however, whilst it’s certainly quick and simple to use, if other people see you using it, you’ll end up with a line of keen new friends. (Make sure you pack a large flask of hot water for those extra brews.)
Ninja Cafe Luxe Premier
Become your own best barista with this Ninja Cafe Luxe Premier Espresso Machine. Admittedly, it’s extremely next level when it comes to having a machine that you can enjoy daily at home, as well as taking on camping trips and RV adventures. Prepare to be the most popular pop-in if you’re travelling with a group. I took it on our annual golf trip to Taupō with 15 mates and thoroughly put it through its paces – and it didn’t disappoint. Plus, we all saved a fortune on trips to buy café coffees, with this unit working hard all weekend to meet our coffee cravings. I was able to make café-quality coffees quickly and consistently. A few of the boys had a go themselves and were instantly hooked. It’s got a built-in grinder, smart dosing, and automatic milk frothing, so it takes a lot of the guesswork out of making good coffee. You can go from espresso to standard coffee or even cold brew, all in one machine. And once the holiday’s over, it looks stylish on the counter at home. Since setting it up, we’ve used it every single day and haven’t bought a takeaway coffee since. Fair to say it punches well above its weight.
