Coffee and travel go hand in hand for us. Whenever possible, we combine the two with our business — sometimes that means we're on the road internationally for months at a time. Good coffee can't fall by the wayside in the process. We choose our travel destinations with coffee in mind, but not everywhere we go has great specialty coffee on offer. For exactly these situations, we've developed our own strategies — and a product: our drip bags. Here we're sharing our best tips for good coffee on the road, plus everything you need to know to get optimal results with the drip bags.
Tips for better coffee while traveling
Water quality
Whenever possible, we go for still, low-mineral water instead of heavily chlorinated or hard tap water. If we're staying somewhere longer, we'll sometimes bring a water filter or specifically buy mineral water like Aqua Panna or Volvic with a more suitable hardness and magnesium-to-calcium ratio. Our recommendation: slightly more magnesium than calcium, and low water hardness.
Our to-go cup as a travel tool
Our insulated to-go cups are ideal for taking coffee brewed in your hotel room with you on the go — and happen to be exactly the right height for brewing drip bags directly in them.
Hot water is easier to find than you'd think
Many airports and train stations, especially in Asia, have dispensers with filtered, hot water — perfect for drip bags. Coffee chains will also almost always give you hot water and a cardboard cup or two for free if you ask nicely. But watch out when hiking: at altitude, water boils at a lower temperature — which often puts you automatically close to the ideal brewing temperature of 92–96°C. So once it's boiled, you don't need to wait extra, just pour directly.
Good cafés are rarely a matter of luck
We research before every trip using apps, forums, and Instagram, and ask around for tips. And once we've arrived at a good café on location, we're happy to ask the baristas for a few more addresses.
When booking a hotel, check for a kettle in the room
We know the rumors about them, but ignore them anyway. What we always do regardless: boil the water once and pour it out before brewing the actual coffee. Depending on the destination, we'll also reach for mineral water here.
Product recommendations
We've hauled gooseneck kettles and glass carafes along before (and will do it again) — but that's overkill for most people. Our recommendation for your next vacation: immersion brewing without a gooseneck, for example with an Aeropress or Hario Switch. The Aeropress also fits on most cups, doesn't need a carafe, and the small filters don't need to be rinsed beforehand. Add a compact hand grinder like the Timemore Nano 3 and the Timemore Black Mirror as a scale. For a hike, we simply recommend packing a few drip bags, a cup, and a thermos of hot water — or a camping stove in your backpack.
The classic
In a vacation rental with a kitchen, a Bialetti also works well and saves on gear — though for specialty coffee, it's not our personally preferred method.
Tips for better results with drip bags
Drip bags are the easiest way to enjoy good coffee on the go — perfect for layovers, travel days on the train or plane, and short weekend trips. For longer trips, we tend to favor one of the setups above, for cost and sustainability reasons. Over the years, we've also found a few strategies for getting the best flavor out of drip bags:
- Water: Let the water sit for about 30 seconds after boiling — it shouldn't still be bubbling.
- Bloom: When you pour the first time, fill the drip bag only halfway with water, but make sure the coffee is fully saturated, and really wait 30 seconds.
- Pour slowly, in circles: Instead of dumping the rest of the water in all at once, pour the remaining water in small, circular motions — as gently as your kettle allows. This leads to a more even extraction.
- Don't squeeze it out: Remove the drip bag right after brewing, instead of pressing it against the cup first.
- Use a tall enough cup: Make sure the drip bag isn't submerged in the water. If needed, an extra pair of hands can help here.
- Balance: The drip bag should hang reasonably level over the cup, even on a steep slope, so the coffee extracts evenly. Give the drip bag a little shake before brewing so the coffee distributes evenly.
Whether with an Aeropress, a Hario Switch, or just a few drip bags in your bag: good coffee on the road usually comes down to the beans and the prep, not luck. New varieties of our drip bags are landing in the shop all the time. They all have one thing in common: they're perfect for packing before your next trip — or for trying out beforehand.
