How can coffee be really good in a trailer?
For a really good coffee you always need three elements, and this also applies to the coffee in the trailer:
Fresh Roasted Beans
it is freshly ground only shortly before preparation and then
Prepare perfectly.
With this basic recipe, you can greatly improve the result in the cup - at least if you choose a caravan coffee machine that allows you to use fresh coffee beans.
Of course, this takes some effort. Those who shy away from this effort can look for pad machines and capsule machines for caravans.
Coffee machines for caravan
Which coffee machine is right for the caravan depends, first of all, on your taste. Espresso has a different flavor than filter coffee or French press coffee. Also, not all methods and coffee machines are equally suitable for caravans.
Basically, you can prepare coffee in the caravan with the following coffee machines and methods:
Filter coffee
french press
Mocha pot / bialetti cooker
Coffee machine
capsule machine
bumper machine
Espresso machine / portafilter machine
Which coffee machine is suitable for which mobile home?
When it comes to the eligibility of a coffee machine for the mobile home, it is primarily concerned
space coffee machine required,
as well as the question of whether it should work with or without electricity.
Coffee machines for mobile homes without shore power and small footprint
Filter coffee, French press and Bialetti cookers are ideal ways to drink coffee in the trailer if you want to live without electricity. These work perfectly with the gas stove in the caravan kitchen. This makes you flexible and independent, and you can rely on your morning coffee in the trailer even when you are free. In addition, these coffee machines take up little space.
Coffee machines for mobile homes with 230V and sufficient space
Do you just stand at the campsite and always get electricity from the shore? Then of course you can also put a fully automatic coffee machine, a pad machine or a capsule machine in your mobile home. Provided the space is available.
If you don't want to miss out on a comfortable, electrically powered coffee machine in your mobile home, you can also provide a 230V power supply with inverter and sufficient battery capacity.
Filter coffee in the trailer
Filter coffee was a bit outdated – before it was reinvented and is even more popular now. Hand-brewed filter coffee in particular can be excellent and has nothing to do with bitter brewing from a 5 liter thermos bottle in the past.
Filter coffee in the caravan certainly has its advantages:
The equipment needed for the perfect filter coffee in the caravan is inexpensive
You don't need a coffee machine in the caravan, you can also prepare the coffee manually.
method takes up little space
And the preparation is not difficult.
And this is how coffee with a filter is made:
With green beans you, fresh grind engine, you get ideal results.
When using filter coffee, make sure you are using the correct type of coffee . Filter roasts are generally lighter than espresso roasts.
You fill it in a big filter,
You pour hot water on the filter
Warning: It does not mean hot boiling, 92° -96° is ideal. You will feel it after a while, but you can also use a thermometer.
Always having the same amount of coffee will help you prepare it perfectly. The easiest way to achieve this is by weighing the coffee grounds. Alternatively, you can use measuring spoons.
Filter coffee machine for caravans without electricity
The advantages of handmade filter coffee are not only excellent taste, low cost and low space requirement. Hand brews also don't require any electrical appliances and so they can enjoy their coffee anywhere!
Of course, you need hot water for quality filter coffee. If necessary, a pot on the gas stove is sufficient. However, it is important to maintain a certain brewing temperature for a good result (depending on the bean type).
If you want to stick to the pot solution, we recommend a milk thermometer from the barista accessories.
Alternatively (and if you can find room for it in the caravan) you can use a kettle with integrated thermometer, which is of course more convenient to use.
Don't have a pot or place for a kettle? Then a collapsible camping kettle can be an alternative - you also need a separate thermometer here.
Of course, you may have a supporting machine here, but if quality comes first, the manual method is the first choice.
Filter coffee with electricity
Press stamp on the trailer can / French press
The French Press, or press-piston jug, is a fully manual coffee maker for caravans and a popular way to make coffee on the go. Here, coarsely ground coffee is mixed with water in a pitcher.
The process is simple:
pour coffee,
Pour water on it
To leave.
Then the "stamp" is pressed down and filters out the floating parts. Head immediately to prevent further undesired withdrawal of coffee grounds.
It is recommended to transfer it to a bowl (or coffee cups).
For this you need several accessories:
Hot water that you can prepare on the gas stove, for example
a french press
Freshly ground ground coffee ideally with your grinder.
The French press is one of the most convenient ways to prepare coffee in the trailer. Available in numerous variants. Below is, for example, an isolated version as well as the well-known Bodum version:
The product was not found.
For the connoisseurs: The Aeropress is a modern modification of the French Press. In principle, it works in the opposite way: instead of filtering the coffee grounds from the liquid, the liquid is pressed by air pressure from a cylinder.
Mocha / stove / bialetti in the trailer
Who doesn't know him? Neither the classic Italian family's breakfast table nor the camper's home would be unthinkable without it: The Stovepot, often referred to simply by the name of the well-known manufacturer: Bialetti. It is an excellent camper coffee maker as it works perfectly on a camper gas stove. Strictly speaking, it does not make espresso (pressure is not enough), but it is often referred to as an "espresso pot" or "espresso machine".
Making coffee with the "espresso machine" is easy:
Water is coming to the bottom of the jug,
ground coffee at the top.
The water is now boiled, the resulting water vapor flows through the coffee grounds and is collected at the top of the appliance.
Today stove pots are available in all variants from many manufacturers. The original version of this stove is available in many versions (e.g. as an electric travel version), but it has lost its reputation due to its material (aluminium). There are many alternatives now and to be on the safe side we used to use a stainless steel version (now also available from Bialetti itself).
Making coffee on the go is also quick with Bialetti.
Fully automatic coffee machines in the caravan
Want freshly ground coffee beans but don't make the effort? Want to make your coffee in the trailer at the push of a button? Then you're probably thinking of a fully automatic coffee machine as a coffee machine in a trailer.
Fully automatic coffee machines grind and then prepare each portion of coffee freshly. Due to the (plastic) components used, they cannot produce high pressure and cannot produce a true espresso. But they have many fans and can easily produce a wide variety of coffee drinks at the push of a button.
But be careful: Many devices have high power consumption, putting the protection of campsite connections to their limits.
Personally, we have a very good experience with De'Longhi appliances, as the spare parts supply is still in good shape even after years of purchase. The brew group can be replaced for around thirty euros and the machine then runs like new.
Espresso in a caravan without electricity
Espresso is my preferred method of making coffee. For a real espresso, approximately 25 ml of beverage is produced by pressing approximately 9 bar pressure in approximately 25 seconds with approximately 7-9 g of coffee grounds. A portafilter machine is required for this. Fully automatic machines or stoves do not create the necessary pressure, and although the term espresso is often used there, it is at most an espresso-like beverage.
The above parameters are largely determined by the degree of coffee grind, so a grinder is always needed to prepare espresso.
Making espresso in the trailer is not that easy. First of all, there is the space requirement. Official portafilters and grinders are not well suited as coffee makers for caravans and are more than one size large for box vans and most campers. Also, cables (and campsite fuses) are not designed for thousands of watts of heating power. However, there are options for espresso fans:
Mypressi Twist: Unfortunately, this exciting espresso machine powered by gas pressure cartridges (as is known from cream production) is no longer in production. Here, excellent results are achieved completely without electricity.
Flair Espresso: A Kickstarter project currently in production. Here you will find a currentless prying machine that can be packed for travel and should produce good results. Here, too, hot water is heated on the gas stove. However, the space requirements for the installed machine should not be underestimated - so if you have space outdoors, it's more of a fair-weather device.
Pad machines for espresso in electric trailer
Preparing espresso without electricity takes a lot of time, are you looking for a suitable solution? Do you have electricity? Then you should take a closer look at the ESE system. It is an open standard for coffee capsules containing pre-ground and pressed coffee grounds. There are many pods from different roasters and you produce less waste than, for example, Nespresso, which of course should not be forgotten.
With ESE you can do without a separate grinder.
La piccola piccola is small enough even for a mobile home and a travel pillow maker as well as a coffee maker find space in the van
With low heating power, it is designed for use in mobile homes - and this is rarely found.
In my opinion, this is the best small coffee machine (electric).
I cannot recommend another pad machine. The saggy pads in the supermarket do not produce an acceptable result for me.
Capsule machine as coffee machine in mobile home
When you think of capsules, of course, Nespresso comes to mind.
After all, with Nespresso capsules you get a consistently good result.
The machines are very suitable for caravans, mostly due to their very compact size.
It is convenient to use
To counter the problem of aluminum capsules, there are now "degradable", biodegradable capsules. These are definitely a step in the right direction, but they also have their issues and are ultimately still a product to be taken.
Fresh coffee beans in the trailer
Be it whole beans, ground coffee, or capsules: Many people are completely unfamiliar with the fact that after roasting, supermarket coffee usually takes several months before it takes it off the shelf. The problem with that: Coffee has over a thousand aromatic compounds found as essential oils. However, these evaporate within the first few weeks after roasting.
A very simple way to instantly improve your coffee in the trailer is to buy fresh, lightly roasted beans from small roasters. Serious little roasters will print a roast date on the packaging so you know exactly how old your coffee is. Do not buy in large quantities as you need during your trip (or for about 4 weeks) ! Long-term travelers should take care of themselves on the go if possible - roasters can be found almost everywhere in Europe.
Freshly ground coffee in the trailer
As soon as you have ground coffee, aroma evaporation proceeds faster (this applies to ground coffee as well as capsules and pods). It is therefore advantageous to grind the coffee just before preparing it . The coffee grinder required for this is easily available in a form suitable for caravans. The prerequisite is, of course, that you use a preparation method with ground coffee. Capsule and pad systems should give up this advantage.
Electric coffee grinders for caravans
If you're mostly camping, you might want to consider an electric coffee grinder (if that's technically possible). Very inexpensive devices work with blades and chop the coffee beans, which leads to a very inhomogeneous result and is not recommended . Coffee grinders with high-quality grinders are more expensive, if you want them to be able to grind espresso fine, you need to factor in at least 120 € (almost no upper limit). A high-quality grinder is also important for filter coffee. It is true that the grind is less fine than espresso, but for a good result you need a grind that is as even as possible, without the so-called "fine".
The Rommelsbacher grinder is suitable for filter coffee, French press and Aeropress.
hand grinders for mobile home
If you need a grinder that works without electricity, a hand grinder is recommended. There are also hand grinders of different quality levels and here you will also find a wide range of prices: Recommended hand grinders (eg most hand grinders are very compact and therefore ideal for camping.
Attention: Please always choose your preparation method before deciding on a grinder! Different mills have different strengths and weaknesses.
Milk foam in the trailer
Pouring cold milk into coffee isn't a particularly good idea, but it causes sour flavors. If comfort is important and electricity is available, there are a variety of electric frothers that can be useful here.
However, my personal favorite on the go is much simpler: A simple, small printed can is ideal for lathering. Here's how it works:
Gas stove until hot milk (approx. 60 ° C, but not more than 70 ° C)
About half-press piston cup with milk filling
Sometimes the pump. The first 3 pump strokes lift the plunger from the milk to mix in the new air. Then just crush the bubbles in the milk.
This creates a finely porous, creamy milk froth ideal for cappuccino / flat white. If you also prepare the coffee with a press jug, you save yourself another container - but you only need to wash it once when preparing the coffee.
If you prefer to use electric assist, you'll find a variety of electric milk frothers besides the aforementioned Bialetti variant.
The product was not found.
Conclusion about the coffee in the trailer
Making good coffee in the trailer is possible, but requires some work on the subject. With any type of coffee preparation, with or without capsules, you'll get the biggest boost if you use fresh coffee and grind it fresh.