Overlanding is a fun and exciting way to travel, but can also be challenging. Most of the challenges are minor ones that can be easily overlooked, but they do come up at times. One of the biggest challenges you will face is how to get the coffee you need in the morning.
We took a look at three types of portable coffee makers and believe that the Aeropress is the way to go when overlanding for an extended period of time. It is highly portable, sets up quickly, and brews your coffee fast. It also has other adjustments to make tea and hot chocolate easily.
Typically, the best way to grind your coffee will depend on your preference and what is available at the time. Whether you choose the Aeropress, Crank Grinder, or the Gator French Press, all have their distinct benefits and limitations.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the three different coffee grinders, analyzing their benefits and limitations.
Best for Overlanding? Gator French press, Crank grinder, or Aeropress?
When you are Overlanding, you will most likely be camping. That means that your main method of making coffee will not necessarily be on your truck. If you plan to camp for long, you will need to consider the options and make an informed decision about the best method for you.
The options are simple: French press, Aeropress, or crank grinder. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but a combination of methods is the best way to go in many cases.
If you plan to be out for several days, it may make more sense to grind your beans and make your coffee.
Gator French Press
A Gator French Press is an excellent method of making coffee on the move. You can find these in any camping store, and they work quite well. However, the brewing process is slow, which means that brewed coffee will lose its potency to expand over time. It also means that you have to brew coffee before leaving home, then wait until you get to your destination before enjoying it – as good as it is in its fresh state.
It is easy to grind your coffee beans by using the built-in grinding system. It does not have any electric parts and thus is widely used in small cafes and restaurants.
The grinder uses an old-fashioned drip coffee system instead of an electric one. It takes about 4 minutes to make a cup of coffee with this method and saves a huge amount of money compared to the other methods. You can also use a French press for espresso and other drinks, like lattes and cappuccinos, by simply filling the filter with ground coffee instead of water.
Pros of French Gator Press
- Boils coffee faster with less waiting time
- It does not require any grinding and pour over method
- It allows you to remove the grounds from your cup quickly
- Fast pouring using just a one-handed operation
- Spoon provided for scooping coffee into your cup
- Small in size compared to other types of pots
Cons of French Gator Press
- The built-in burrs may break easily, so some people prefer to use a Bodum.
- It is not as fast as an electric one.
- You need to use it with hot water to brew your cup of coffee.
Portability Of French Gator Press
The Gator is a good option if you’re looking for portability and simplicity. It is a stainless-steel grinder with a lock-top lid that can be opened easily. That helps save time and energy in grinding beans, mixing the water, and adding them to the basket. The Gator French Press is a great option for overlanders due to its compact design. Its weight is only 2 pounds, and the dimensions are only 13 x 13.8 x 9.0 inches in size, so you can easily keep it in your truck.
Crank Grinder
The Crank Grinder method is fast, convenient, and requires no special equipment. Simply put your grounds in the hopper and crank the handle to grind them. The cranking action will also perform other neat tricks such as spitting out grounds that get stuck in the grinder or cleaning the machine if it gets dirty.
You may also find it handy for making espresso-based coffee beverages since you can turn it into a drip machine by using some fine ground coffee instead of whole beans.
It is another effective tool for grinding coffee beans to get the perfect grinds. If you are looking for a good-quality grinder that is easy to handle, a crank coffee grinder is a lucrative choice.
Grinding coffee is one of the best ways to get the desired flavor. The process of grinding slowly also helps extract more oils and flavor from the beans. Crank Coffee Grinder has been designed to easily grind its beans into particles that have uniform size and shape. That makes sure that all the flavors are preserved and there is no bitter taste left behind in your cup of coffee.
The grinder allows you to adjust the burrs’ tension as required.
Pros of Crank Coffee Grinder
- Easy to use and store – The crank grinder has a compact design. It requires very less space.
- Cheap price – The cheapest one in the market costs around $30.
- It has a stainless-steel burr, making it durable and lasting longer than other grinders.
- Its burrs can be adjusted by twisting the handle towards you, although each one of these burrs lasts for about 250 times of grinding coffee beans.
Cons of Crank Grinder
- Very loud compared to other grinders – Its sound is very loud compared to other grinders.
- Only one burr can be sharpened and easily changed.
- It is not built to last because of its cheap price.
- One Machine can’t grind the same amount of beans at a time, but the grinder itself will grind around 250 times before it needs sharpening.
Portability of the Crank Grinder
The grinder is light in weight, and the handle will help you grip the handle with ease, especially if you have small hands.
It can also be taken with you when you travel as it will not take too much space in your suitcase. The grinder is made from stainless steel, which is 8 inches long and 5 inches in width, with a thickness of 0.7 inches, and weighs about 1.7 pounds.
Aeropress
The Aeropress grinder has some definite advantages over the French press. The brewing process is faster, including setup, so making good-tasting coffee quickly becomes easier and more convenient.
You can brew coffee before leaving home, and then when you arrive at your destination, throw the Aeropress in the dishwasher. It can also be made without grinding beans by using an Aerosol coffee brewing pump.
This grinder is also a high-quality grinder. The Aeropress is perfect for preparing espresso grinds as it gives you precision and personalization.
This machine pulverizes the beans by using a conical burr, which is placed in the middle of the device. The conical burr is manually rotated while rotating your hand to give you a great taste of coffee or other beverages.
Pros of Aeropress grinder
- It is compact and easy to carry in your bag.
- It has a fully polished stainless-steel housing that makes it rust-proof, water-proof, and very durable. The steel housing allows the grinding chamber to be burr-mounted on the device itself, making it easy to clean if fingerprints are left on it during the grinding process.
- Adjustments for the grind are made by adjusting the volume of coffee ground through your hand’s weight alone, giving you ultimate control over how much coffee you want to add to your cup.
- Aeropress is made from stainless steel and aluminum, which is corrosion-resistant and environmentally friendly; this grinder can be used for various beverages like coffee or espresso, mochas, teas, etc. With this grinder, you can even make hot chocolate easily, unlike other hand grinders that do not have an adjustable setting.
Cons of Aeropress Grinder
- Expensive compared to other grinders
- Noisy
- It can’t be used for grinding spices and herbs, which can be easily done with the help of other hand grinders.
- It’s not an automatic grinder; the user needs to add more coffee beans to it; the manual grinding process needs to be continued until a fine powder is obtained, while with other hand grinders, this has already been done automatically, once you have got your preferred consistency to add more beans in it and let the grinder continue grinding them until you get your desired texture.
Portability of Aeropress
In terms of portability, Aeropress comes in its merit as it fits nicely in the palm of your hand and can be carried around wherever you go. The grinder attachment is also easy to carry around and can be used by anybody. You don’t even need to hold it or grip it with your hands. Aeropress comes with a handle that allows you to control the power of grind that is going on.
Aeropress grinder weighs around 200 gms; you don’t even feel its weight while grinding. It beats other hand grinders and electric ones in terms of portability as it’s just a small device that can serve up to several cups of coffee at a time. Its dimensions are 4.75 inches x 4.25 inches by 0.8 inches, making it very compact.
Verdict
Choosing between a French gator press, Aeropress, and crank grinder should not be hard. However, the final decision will depend on your personal preferences and usage pattern. All three of these coffee-making devices have their pros and cons.
But if we had to go for one, it would be the Aeropress based on its huge popularity and portability.
