Espresso while on vacation

[HB]

If I'm traveling on business, the choices for espresso are limited. Typically I go without, try something different besides coffee like tea, or venture to a cafe if there's a reputable one in the area. But if it's vacation and the destination will be reached by car, I like to pack up my espresso travel kit. My kit is composed of a Elektra Microcasa a Leva, Mazzer Mini, and French press (*).

With the Microcasa, Mini, and some great coffees, I look forward to mornings like this:


WBC Blend by Coffee Klatch Roasting

Previous threads like Coffee on the road quandary and An Espresso Travel Kit discuss options, but I'm curious what a poll may reveal. So, assuming that you're road tripping to your destination, what's your "espresso while on vacation" strategy?

(*) I even sprung for the custom Elektra travel case, which weighs at least as much as the Microcasa itself. My lovely wife used to roll her eyes as I packed it into the van. Nowadays she doesn't give the burgeoning space it demands a moment's notice. If that's not true love, I don't know what is.

[RapidCoffee]

* Bring travel kit
* Visit local cafes
* Go without espresso
* Enjoy alternative drinks (e.g., tea, presspot)
* Other (explain)

How about "all of the above"? When traveling, I start with promising cafes. After the near-inevitable disappointment sets in, I stop ordering espresso drinks and switch to drip coffee. In places where tea is likely to be superior (China, India), that's what I'll drink. I'd much rather have good tea than bad coffee! When backpacking, I take preground coffee (I know, I know, but it's still far better than instant) and either an AeroPress or a one-cup filter device.

Love the idea of a espresso travel kit, but I prefer to travel light...

[Randy G.]

It depends on how long I am gone. Circumstances make it difficult for us to be away from home for very long together, so most holidays (that "vacation" in metric) are for three or four days when we are lucky. For ease of use we pack an Aeropress and a Baratza Virtuoso. I also bring enough home roast to last. If we ever get lucky enough to go for some longer trips, I will pack the Krups 863 and a Hottop!

[another_jim]

I want a guaranteed decent morning cup; and even if a town has great espresso, they are unlikely to be next to the bed I roll out in the morning. For the rest of the day, I'll try cafes. So I have a Lux Grinder I always take. If there's space or weight constraints, I'll take a strainer (steep the coffee like for a press pot, then strain). Otherwise a Europiccolo (around 8 pounds) and frothing pitcher. Lever machines are nice in that they'll do the morning cappa just as fast as an HX.

Obviously, if I'm visiting other coffee people, this is completely unnecessary

[Jepy]

I usually risk trying local places. Maybe this already exists, but how about a simple database with quality shops experienced by members of HB. I know regular cities around US are sometimes easy to read about, but what about some out of the way places like vacation spots. I was surprised to find a great cafe for straight shots steps from the beach called Honolulu Coffee Company adjacent to the Sheraton Moana Surfrider on Waikiki. Very upscale cafe, they use a Kees Mistral at this location, but also use Synessos at other locations near by

[Beezer]

I usually bring a travel espresso kit, consisting of a Gaggia Coffee espresso machine and Gaggia MDF grinder. This is much better than most shops I'm likely to find wherever I'm going. Last week, my wife and I went to Mammoth Lakes to go mountain biking, and I actually brought the Quickmill Anita and Macap M4 grinder. Maybe it was overkill, but it sure was nice to have a good machine ready whenever I wanted a shot. Pulling shots at 8,000 feet was a bit challenging though. Water boils at a much lower temperature at that elevation.

[espressme]

Travel kit= LaPeppina, Sputnik Moka, Zass Mocha mill, Butane stove if I'm not flying.
richard
PS. Then I try the local spots!

[woodchuck]

I spend most of my travels in small countries that have great diving and lousy espresso. The funny thing is many grow great coffee - Indonesia (Bali and Sumatra), New Guinea, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Hawaii. When I'm in the US I still enjoy getting out and searching for a good cup. More often than not I am disappointed with the coffee but still enjoy the hunt.

Ian

[HB]

Maybe this already exists, but how about a simple database with quality shops experienced by members of HB.

CoffeeGeek has regional and cafe review forums worth checking out. The easy to navigate espressomap has over 100 vetted choices in the USA.

[cannonfodder]

I spend most of my travels in small countries that have great diving and lousy espresso. The funny thing is many grow great coffee - Indonesia (Bali and Sumatra), New Guinea, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Hawaii.

Ian

Most countries that produce good coffee only have c grade swill. The good beans are exported since they produce a premium price and the poor grade coffee that is culled out, and the triage coffee (broken bits and pieces) are kept for in country consumption.

[doleeo]

I'll usually bring a homeroasted SO, a presspot, and my trusty hand mill.

My sister who lives in Chicago, lives 30 seconds away from the Intelly Broadway store. So when I visit her, there is no need for any sort of coffee brewing stuff.

[miKe mcKoffee]

Happen to be spending the week in Long Beach WA for the Washington State International Kite Festival. Drinking first cup of the morning Americano of a mason jar vac sealed Kona brewed with Audrey, Rocky and water from the 5 gallon home filtered brought for the cottage. (Another 5 gallons drinking water in the Jeep) Use Bodum Ibis for heating water for Americanos.

[ntwkgestapo]

As, for the near future, our "vacation" trips are going to be to Myrtle Beach, SC (yeah, some folk are gonna say "WOW" some are gonna say "Oh Crap!") due to purchasing a "travel trailer" last year which I keep in storage @ a campground in MB (it's 6700lbs empty and 9000lbs gross weight, which is a tad more than my Nissan Frontier Mini-Pickup will tow! ). I took one of my "I shouldn't have purchased this" espresso machines, a Krups 4000, and just left it in the trailer. I bring fresh coffee down and use a hand grinder (not one of the nice Zassenhaus ones, but the little black plastic one made in Croatia) and grind for espresso, americanos and drip using that! I keep a Milita #2 cone filter around for the drip!
We, over the years, have been big on camping (we honeymooned in a pup tent!) so I started with a backpack camping stove and a mocha pot. Over the years, the camping has gotten less like camping and more like mobile living (two different "pop-up" campers and now the 31 foot trailer. Still have the second "pop-up"/folding trailer).
The camping trailer took my "new espresso machine" money (and then some!), which is actually OK, as I WAS leaning toward a Brewtus II and now am looking seriously at a VBM Domobar Super.... Gotta keep the wife happy! Oh well, c'est la vie!

[Psyd]

CoffeeGeek has regional and cafe review forums worth checking out. The easy to navigate espressomap has over 100 vetted choices in the USA.

I've still found too many places that I've traveled and not had anyone, either at CG (no one really checks their home region to brag about it, while I always make it my first stop at CG to see if anyone is looking for a good cuppa in my neighborhood) or on the espressomap*, who could tell me that there was any good 'spro in the neighborhood.
Like many others, the answer is 'It depends'. If I'm touring traveling for work, and a truck will be taking gear to the work site, Silvia and Rocky. If I'm flying and there is no accompanying truck, I tend to try to research locally, or the plasti-travelkit (Krups 963 and the mini Krups burr grinder). I've taken that kit out into the boonies (anyone ever see 'U-turn'?) and run it from the generator used to recharge camera batteries.
Usually when I travel, I like to have my cuppa in the room, and then have my second in the local indie places. Occasionally, I have to rely on the big chains because there is no other option. In the airport, the kit is either on the truck, or already on the plane (and I'm sure they'd be happy about you pulling the kit out and plugging it into the vacuum outlet if it weren't!) so since I'm gonna be there for a couple hours, and it is usually really early, I'll find the nearest faux Starbucks and just pinch my nose and get a milk thing.


*I finally just e-mailed Eric and asked how to add a location to the espressomap. I think that we could come up with a system of having the locals in one place or another be agents of espresso, and suggest additions without bias.

[coffeeprince]

When ever we're outback, we take the PRESSO and a Zassenhaus grinder. We always have the portable gas burner in the van so I can even warm milk for the missus, although there is no chance of microfoam west of Tamworth.....

[PavoniBunny]

I favour coffee shops... or just not drinking coffee! Someone recently suggested that you can get a pretty good 'instant' espresso these days *gasp* I didn't know how to react so I remained diplomatically quiet.

I have a feeling that once my Europiccola arrives (roll on Friday, hopefully!) I will be drinking less and less coffee when I'm away from the house!

[Cathi]

This year I brought the Solis SL-70 and the Kitchen Aid Pro Grinder. On its very finest setting, I got pretty decent pulls with the non-pressurized baskets. Next year, maybe the cremina and a hand grinder, dunno. Depends on how big our crew will be. With up to 7 people, that could translate to A LOT of hand grinding.

[Psyd]

Depends on how big our crew will be. With up to 7 people, that could translate to A LOT of hand grinding.

I think that anyone that isn't ready to take a turn at the yoke isn't really in need of coffee!

[Cathi]

I think that anyone that isn't ready to take a turn at the yoke isn't really in need of coffee!

LOL! Too true! Without my AM cuppa, I'm the crankiest one of all and can just see sitting there turning, turning until I grind enough for the first pot. Good idea to put the troops to work.

[old442]

On a recent 5 day mini vacation I took my Europiccola, Rocky, Chemex and a percolator (used with a timer for hot water for the Chemex). My wife said she knew I would pack some equipment...

Every day we started with some great drip coffee. When we got back from the beach I'd fix her an iced latte and a shot or two for myself. SHE can't imagine going on vacation without my travel kit.

BTW, I did order an espresso at a cafe. I was drawn in by the Intelligentsia sign. I noticed they had a 2 group linea and decided to give it a shot. If I had gotten a 2 ounce double it probably would have been OK, but at 5 ounces it didn't quite cut it. When we got back to the house the Europiccola was immediately turned on.