Travel Coffee Kit (You CAN "Take It With You")
I just read this article in the NY Times (online) Magazine: Ristretto | You Can Take It With You, and wanted to share it.
If you're interested, but don't have a subscription to the digital online edition, here's the article, itself.
Ristretto | You Can Take It With You
Food By OLIVER STRAND July 30, 2012, 11:00 am10 Comments
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I was recently in Santa Cruz, where I had the geographical good fortune to stay a five-minute walk from Verve Coffee Roasters on Pacific Avenue. The days started with a shot of Elida Estate espresso, followed by a cup of whatever was on the brew bar and one of the creative, comforting pastries that Californians get to take for granted.
Waking up in an unfamiliar town isn’t always so easy. In fact, very few trips will land you within striking distance of coffee this caliber. Which is why I have a travel coffee kit. It’s easily the the nerdiest thing I own, and one of the most effective, high-quality pieces of gear, zipped up in a fearlessly unattractive nylon bag. No matter where I am, the mornings are a sure thing: as long I can heat up water — and as long as I have good beans, either brought from home or picked up on the road — I will have great coffee.
My travel coffee kit consists of: an AeroPress coffee maker with nylon zipper bag, Porlex “Mini” grinder, American Weigh one-kilogram capacity pocket scale, Able Brewing stainless steel Disk filter.
The kit is compact (it’s smaller than a pair of Vans), light (it weighs less than a pair of Vans) and durable (although maybe not as indestructible as a pair of Vans). Crucially, it won’t get you pulled aside at airport security — according to TSA regulations, you’re allowed tools under seven inches in length in your carry-on — although you might need to explain why you’re traveling with a pocket digital scale accurate up to 1/10 of a gram.
A number of coffee professionals travel with a version of this setup. Some prefer the paper filters that come with the AeroPress over the metal Disk; others favor different scales. A few pack the Hario “Slim” grinder instead of the more expensive — and more beautiful — Porlex “Mini.” I understand wanting to spend less, but the $65 Mini is worth it; an object that’s so elegant and feels so good in the hand that it turns the mundane task of grinding coffee beans into a sensual pleasure.
But if you decide against the AeroPress with the branded nylon bag, which costs about $2 more than the standard AeroPress, then the carrying case is up to you. Good luck finding anything that summons up 1981 so eloquently.
