Best portable coffee makers to buy in 2022

Whether you want to warm up after a wild swim somewhere beautiful, or you're the first one awake on a campsite by a crackling fire, a cup of fresh coffee can revive both mind and soul.

Portable coffee makers come in a range of models to offer a variety of different coffees, depending on what you're after. From espresso shots to cold brew, there are portable machines that cover all of it now – even ones with their own grinders.

Most of them require you to pour boiling water in, so it's important to check whether you'll need a separate stove or kettle if you're going outdoors. Plus, to upgrade your brewing, you could invest in a milk frother. This means any espresso machine will be able to make milky coffees like lattes, cappuccinos or flat whites.

Best portable coffee makers to take your brew outdoors

AeroPress Go

Type of coffee: Americano, Espresso, Cold Brew

How it works: Add coffee, pour in water, push plunger

Powered by: Hand-powered

One of the best-reviewed portable coffee makers out there, the AeroPress Go is a convenient choice for brewing your coffee anywhere. In under a minute, you can make one to three cups of coffee or cold brew.

The AeroPress Go has a different design to many other coffee makers. To brew your cup, simply pour the water in and let the plunger mechanism take care of the rest. Use 80°C water for a hot coffee or room temperature water for cold brew.

• Buy the AeroPress Go from Amazon

WACACO Nanopresso

Type of coffee: Espresso

How it works: Pour in coffee and hot water, push pump

Powered by: Hand-powered

No electricity is needed to power this portable espresso machine from WACACO. It's a compact design with a handy protective case that can pour coffee into the built-in cup. Each component of the coffee maker can be separated, too, to make cleaning it a bit more straightforward.

Combine the ingredients in the Nanopresso and pump from the top to allow warm espresso to flow out of the bottom. WACACO claim that this is their easiest-to-pump portable coffee maker yet!

• Buy the WACACO Nanopresso from Amazon

Bialetti Moka Express Hob Espresso Maker

Type of coffee: Espresso

How it works: Add water and ground coffee, attach sections, heat Moka

Powered by: Stove or other heat source

The famously Italian Moka Express was invented in 1933 as a stove-top espresso maker that allowed people to brew coffees in their own home - a luxury that, until then, had mostly stayed exclusive to cafes and restaurants.

The Bialetti Moka Express can bring this experience into your home. Once you're familiar with the different sections and how to use them, it can be a relatively straightforward way to use your stove to produce a warming cup of espresso.

• Buy the Bialetti Moka Express from John Lewis
• If you'd rather have one without logos or branding, this is a solid alternative from John Lewis.

Cafe Du Chateau Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Type of coffee: Cold Brew

How it works: Add coffee, pour water, push filter then refrigerate

Powered by: Hand-powered & refrigerate

Cold brew is a popular choice among coffee drinkers thanks to its natural flavours that are less bitter and acidic than hot coffee. Even compared to iced coffee, it's a smoother, more flavourful taste with a higher caffeine count that's supposedly easier on the stomach.

The Cafe Du Chateau coffee maker contains airtight silicone seals to keep the coffee fresh for up to 10 days. Pushing the filter should be an easy enough process and, with a maximum capacity of 1000ml, this should provide you with more than enough cold brew.

• Buy the Cafe Du Chateau coffee maker from Amazon

Barista & Co Twist Press Espresso Coffee Maker

Type of coffee: Espresso

How it works: Twist to press coffee into the cup

Powered by: Hand-powered

Producing a single, espresso-style shot of coffee - this coffee maker should be one of the easiest-to-use choices out there. Once the filter is in place and the chamber is filled with coffee, leave it to brew for your desired time then twist and press the handles to produce a coffee shot within.

The 100 filters included are said to create a clean coffee that's free from sediments. It should be easy to rinse through and it's also dishwasher-safe!

• Buy the Barista & Co Twist Press from Lakeland

BODUM Home & To-Go Double-Walled French Press Coffee Maker

Type of coffee: Americano & Cold Brew

How it works: French Press

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This nifty coffee maker is a French press and a travel mug all in one. The French press can be used to make a load of different beverages - tea, coffee, cold brew and even infused water - that you can drink straight from it.

The mug is said to be spill-proof thanks to its closable lid, but make sure it stays upright as it isn't fully leak-proof.

• Buy the BODUM French Press from John Lewis

Cafflano Klassic All-in-One Coffee Maker

Type of coffee: Espresso, Americano

How it works: Grind your own coffee beans to infuse with water for a coffee of your choice

Powered by: Hand-powered grinder and drip filter

The Cafflano Klassic started as a Kickstarter project to create an all-in-one coffee maker that's fully portable. What's included is a coffee grinder, a rare feature for a portable maker, as well as a drip filter tray to make espresso coffee. Plus, it doubles up as a sealable travel mug, so you really can take it anywhere.

There are quantity markers inside so you can easily measure how many coffee beans you're putting in. It produces an espresso-style shot of coffee that can be topped up with water for a milder taste.

• Buy the Cafflano Klassic from Cafflano

Delter Coffee Press

Type of coffee: Espresso

How it works: Injection brewing

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Delter is supposedly the first coffee maker to use a technique called injection brewing. The approach involves applying pressure to infuse the hot water with coffee in a way that's said to improve control and consistency.

The process can cause unwanted agitation if not done accurately, so the Delter Coffee Press uses a jet seal to separate the water and coffee until the point of infusion. Simply raise then push the plunger to combine freshly ground coffee beans with boiling water.