7 Ways to Make Coffee in a Caravan [Powered and Unpowered]

Here you’ll find the best options for making coffee in a caravan.

We’ll cover pros and cons based on:

Need for power.

Size and space.

And most importantly:

How easy it is to make a good coffee!

Let’s get started:

1. Pod Machines: The easiest way to consistently get a decent coffee in your caravan

We used a pod machine when we started caravanning around Australia…

…but ended up ditching it 2 months into our trip

The coffee was okay, but it didn’t suit our caravanning lifestyle:

Pros:

• Clean and easy to use
• Easy to have variety between cups
• Consistently okay coffee

Cons:

• The cost of pods adds up very quickly
• Need access to power
• They create a lot of waste
• Access to pods is limited in some places
• Bigger and heavier than other options

Who is this option best suited for?

You want a decent cup of coffee, and you want it now. Your caravanning is limited to powered sites and you’re not straying too far from major cities.

HINT: If you’re going with pods, then we recommend buying from Urban Brew… fairtrade coffee that’s packed in biodegradable pods… which are compatible with both Nespresso and Aldi machines

2. DeLonghi Dedica Pump Espresso: The best coffee machine for caravans

Love coffee?

Have access to power?

Then you can’t beat the DeLonghi Dedica as the best coffee machine for a caravan.

Pros:

• Makes quality espresso coffee
• Built in milk frother
• Heats up in 40 seconds
• Small, compact design
• Programmable shot size and temperature
• Can also take pods

Cons:

• Need access to power
• They’re not cheap!

2021 UPDATE: When we hit the road at the beginning of 2018 these were about $400…

… now they’re close to half that price here on Amazon

Who is this option best suited for?

The DeLonghi Delica is the best option for anyone who has access to power and wants to be able to make great coffee in their caravan

[There doesn’t appear to be anything else on the market that packs all of these features into such a compact design]

3. Wacaco MiniPresso: Cafe quality coffee without power in your caravan

The MiniPresso uses hand power to create the pressure needed to pump out a shot of espresso

And it’s good.

Very good.

Pros:

• Quality espresso
• No power required
• Small and compact
• Comes in both ground coffee (GR) and pod (NS) models

Cons:

• Produces a small amount of coffee
• A bit of work to use

Who is this option best suited for?

The Wacaco MiniPresso is great for people who’s approach to coffee is: quality over quantity.

It’s best for caravanners that drink short blacks, like single-shot coffees, and don’t drink several cups of coffee at once.

If this is you, then the best place to get is here on Amazon

But if you’re a triple-shot, multiple cup-of-coffee person… then this may be your thing:

4. AeroPress Coffee Maker: The best option when you drink a lot of coffee and don’t have power in your caravan

Love coffee?

Don’t have access to power to run a machine?

Then you can’t beat having an AeroPress for your caravan.

[They’re one of the 33 Most Popular Caravan Accessories for Travelling Australia]

“If I were a robot, the AeroPress would be my arm”

Pros:

• Makes great coffee
• No power required
• Small and light weight

Cons:

• Takes a few goes to get the mix right
• Uses filters so can get a bit messy
• You need to plan ahead so you always have filters

Who is this option best suited for?

The AeroPress is great for when you don’t have power, you love drinking coffee… but don’t want to sacrifice quality for quantity.

They’re around $50 and have a 5.0 star rating here on Amazon

5. Stove Top Percolator: The best low-fuss way to make good coffee in your caravan without power

This is what we ended up using the most:

We love coffee…

…but we also have 3 small children

The appeal for this one is it’s simplicity:

1. Fill with water
2. Add coffee, tamp down
3. Put on the caravan gas stovetop
4. Done

Pros:

• Good, strong coffee
• Makes multiple cups in one go
• Simple and easy to use
• No power needed
• Takes up almost no space

Cons:

• Harder to get the mix right for a single cup… so you end up making a full pot each time. So it’s either a waste, or you end up drinking A LOT of coffee

[We just drink a lot of coffee!]

Who is this option best suited for?

You love coffee, have no power, and there’s a lot going on in your caravan.

Simple and effective: the easiest option when you have 3 kids in a caravan.

We bought our most recent one from Kmart… but: Check price on Amazon

6. Jetboil Flash: The best way to boil water for your coffee (that doubles as a plunger)

There’s times when you don’t want to use your caravan’s gas burner:

• You’re trying to cool down your van
• The kids are asleep
• You’re packing up
• You just want to be out in nature!

The Jetboil Flash has pretty much cornered the outdoors market when it comes to portable gas cookers

Why?

They boil water in 100 seconds and use half the gas.

[The built-in igniter is pretty cool too]

I have a Jetboil and absolutely love it (it was a Christmas present that I helped choose)

Jetboil: I’d recommend getting the Jetboil Flash as it has a built in Piezo igniter… and best place I’ve found is here on eBay

So the Jetboil is a great option for boiling water if you use either an AeroPress or MiniPresso

But if you use a percolator?

Then you’ll need a Jetboil Pot Support (less than $20 here on eBay)

And if plunger coffee is your thing?

There’s the Jetboil Coffee Press Attachment

(also around $20 here on eBay)

7. Makita 12V Max – 18V Coffee Machine: The most rugged way to make coffee in your caravan!

To be honest:

I haven’t used one of these.

But they look cool…

So these are features I’ve found online (and aren’t from personal experience):

• Powered by either 12V Max or 18V batteries
• Only 1.4 kg
• Dedicated cup perfectly fits with the unit
• Lid allows coffee to drip in, whilst keeping coffee warm and dust out
• Boil dry protection (auto turns off)

Cheapest place I’ve found them is here on eBay

Summary: Making coffee in a caravan

So here’s a summary of the best options for making coffee in a caravan:

1. Pod machine: Okay coffee, lots of waste.
2. DeLonghi Dedica: The best coffee machine for caravanning.
3. MiniPresso: Quality over quantity.
4. AeroPress: Quality and quantity.
5. Stove Top Percolator: Simple and effective.
6. Jetboil Flash: Boil water for the MiniPresso, AeroPress, or Percolator… or just use it as your Plunger.
7. Makita Coffee Machine: Rugged. But untested.

Your turn:

What’s your favourite way to make coffee in a caravan?