Coffee equipment for on the go: These tools ensure really good coffee on the go

The day starts early. No café for miles around. For many, this is the point at which the morning fails before it has really started. It doesn't have to be. With the right equipment, you can enjoy a delicious coffee even on multi-day bikepacking trips or on an extended gravel ride.

Here are the classics and a few exciting newcomers, sorted from "serious barista setup in the handlebar bag" to "fits in the bike jersey pocket".

1. serious barista setup: When coffee is a ritual

If you don't want to miss out on real coffee enjoyment on the trail, invest in equipment that you can also enjoy at home. Yes, it's more expensive and heavier than a coffee bag. But anyone who has ever enjoyed a home-ground espresso from the Nanopresso on a foggy morning by the lake knows that sometimes the diversions is the reward.

Mobile espresso machines

The principle: hot water in the top, coffee powder in the portafilter, pump, enjoy. No electricity required, just a little manual labour.

Wacaco Nanopresso The classic among mobile espresso machines. 336 grams, just under 16 cm high, 80 ml water tank, max. 18 bar pressure. All you need is boiling water and finely ground coffee, then you can pump an espresso with real crema into the supplied cup in ten to 15 shots. It takes a little time to familiarise yourself with the grind, but once it's right, it's right.

Wacaco Pixapresso - The big, electric sister. 755 grams, 18.1 cm high, 120 ml water tank. It heats the water itself to a selectable 88, 92 or 96 °C in around three minutes - depending on the roast. According to the manufacturer, you can brew up to five espressos per charge with the 9,000 mAh battery (3 × 3,000 mAh), which takes around 2.5 hours to charge via USB-C. Compatible with ground coffee and NS capsules. For travelling by bike: put it in your hand luggage, not in your checked luggage, because of the battery.

Decision support: Nanopresso for all those who want to be pure and without battery dependency when travelling. Pixapresso for trips with Basecamp, for the hut or the hotel room during a stage race. Neither of them replaces a real portafilter machine - but both should come pretty close.

Coffee grinders

To be honest, the best brewing system won't do you any good if you start with pre-ground supermarket coffee. Grinding just before preparation makes a huge difference to the flavour.

Porlex Mini II - The Japanese cult grinder. 249 grams, 13 cm high, 20 g capacity, ceramic grinder in stainless steel housing. Each click adjusts the grind by 37 micrometres, according to the manufacturer it covers everything from espresso (1-8 clicks) to filter (8-13) to French press (14-15). It even fits into an AeroPress - if that's not an argument. Price-performance winner for years and absolutely rightly so. A small personal side note: I've been using my Porlex, the larger version, almost every day since 2017 - especially at home. In eight years of continuous use, it has never broken down and is so small that it fits just as well in a bikepacking bag as it does in the kitchen drawer. Well, I did drop it once and the ceramic grinder broke. But everything is available as a spare part.

Wacaco Exagrind - The heavier, more robust alternative. 464 grams, 14.3 cm high, 20 g capacity, 38 mm stainless steel disc grinder with 60 click steps of 33 microns each. Aluminium unibody, silicone cover for better grip, removable and space-saving stowable handle. Thanks to the double bearings, it runs pleasantly smoothly - even with the finest espresso settings. Particularly practical: the collection container fits directly into the portafilter of the Nano, Pico or Pixapresso.

Decision support: Porlex, if every gram counts and you primarily brew filter or AeroPress. Exagrind, if you're going for espresso and want a more robust grinder - especially as a supplement to a Wacaco machine. If you want something more sophisticated, you can also use a Comandante grinder; the X25 Trailmaster is made for outdoor use. Personally, I'm still dreaming of one, but my Porlex is still doing a good job.

2. pressing and filtering: the pragmatic classics

Less effort, no nine bar, but still really good coffee. This is the category for all those who take the coffee moment seriously when travelling, but don't want to lug a barista set around.

AeroPress / AeroPress Go The secret star among mobile brewers. Basically a combination of French press and espresso machine: pour in the coffee, add hot water, stir briefly and press through. The result is full-bodied, mild and surprisingly clean in flavour - somewhere between filter and espresso. The AeroPress Go is the more compact travelling version with an integrated drinking cup. Bonus: The Porlex Mini fits in perfectly if you want to pack both together. Small hack for bikepackers: At just under 200 grams, it's a class act in terms of weight/flavour ratio.

Sea to Summit Frontier UL Collapsible Pour Over Foldable pour-over attachment made of silicone, BPA-free, with a tiny pack size. Holds one portion of coffee and can be folded flat afterwards. Requires standard filter paper, but delivers real filter coffee style wherever you are.

Decision support: AeroPress for solo enjoyment with character. Sea to Summit for minimal weight.

3. quick & easy: when it really has to be quick

Let's be honest: sometimes the inside of the tent is cold, your fingers are clammy from the dew and the start of the day's stage is 20 minutes away. You're not in the mood for grinding, pumping and setting up filters - you want caffeine, and you want it now.

Good instant or drip-bag coffee has made a quantum leap in recent years. It's no longer the brown slop from the hostel buffet, but serious coffee - just in portions. In any case, there are manufacturers who offer really drinkable varieties.

Blæk Speciality Instant Coffee - The Berliners have nailed it: speciality-grade Arabica beans, gently freeze-dried, in tiny sticks or in refill jars. The NØ.1 (Blonde Roast, Colombia) tastes of caramel and bergamot with a mild acidity, the NØ.2 (Medium Roast, Peru) is certified organic, the NØ.3 goes in the direction of espresso with notes of dark chocolate. There is even a decaffeinated version (NØ.4, CO₂-decaffeinated). A stick weighs just a few grams, fits in any jersey pocket and needs just that: hot water. That's it.

MyCoffeebag - The drip bag alternative to instant. Basically a filter bag with 10 g of real, freshly ground speciality coffee inside, which can be hung on each cup with paper handles. Pour hot water over it, let it steep, done. The difference to instant: the coffee is actually brewed here - so you can still taste the nuances of the respective roast. The bags are filled by Reinholz Kaffeerösterei Fulda ("Best roastery in Hesse 2025" according to Feinschmecker) and others. Weighs practically nothing, but is more complex to handle than instant, because a few minutes of brewing time are added.

Decision support: Admittedly, you don't really need any help deciding here - try both options. Something like MyCoffeebag is also often available from speciality roasters. Remember when you're out and about: leave no trace - take your rubbish with you.

The main thing is that the cup steams

Do you have to lug all that around? Of course not. But when you're on your bike in the morning at a campsite or at a viewpoint in northern Italy, the sun is rising and you're brewing an espresso that you've ground yourself - then you know why the 336 grams of Nanopresso have their place in your saddlebag. And on the other days? Just tear open a stick of Blæk or a MyCoffeebag and drink your coffee in peace.