Tastes so good when it hits your lips.
With the explosion of high-quality coffee places and roasters all over Los Angeles — Intelligentsia, Handsome Coffee Roasters, LAMILL, Dripp and Brew Coffee Bar — there’s bound to be a growing dependence and, let’s face it, addiction to that fine cup of Joe. For super picky coffee drinkers, workplace K-Cups and the regular drip just won’t do anymore.
Believe me, I understand. I am an admitted coffee snob. Here’s the basic setup that I bring everywhere with me, from the office to the road. Affordable and simple, and great for those just starting out.
- Hario Mini Hand Grinder ($28+)
- Clever Coffee Dripper ($15)
- #4 brown or white Melitta filters ($5) — Trader Joe’s sells them
- Coffee Tin with de-gas valve ($4.65) – to keep the beans fresh
- iPhone coffee brew timer — I use Intelligentsia’s free app which offers a variety of brew process options
What I like about this setup is it’s so simple and all I need is hot water but I can pretty much make coffee wherever; and I do. Now if only someone invented a coffee travel bag so I wouldn’t have to lug this stuff around in my reusable Fresh & Easy shopping bag.
Since I was curious about taking my coffee obsession to the next level, I asked renowned coffee geeks 2010 U.S. and World Barista Champion Michael Phillips of Handsome Coffee and Scoops Westside proprietor Matt Kang (Mattatouille) for what their suggestions for travelling java junkies who want to be able to make their black gold anywhere, especially with the holidays coming up. (My mom and pop make horrible coffee. Horrible! Sorry, M&D!)
Even restaurants, like Akasha, are getting in the pourover act.
The Handsome Coffee Geek Travel Kit
Michael started by telling me what’s in his own coffee travel kit.
“My standard super travel kit that goes on pretty much every flight with me (TSA friendly):
- Aeropress
- Porlux hand grinder
- Tiny digital scale (goes to .1gram and has a 1000 g capacity)
- 8 oz ceramic mug
- Black towel
- Paper filters
- Slim bullet thermos (the silver type with a screw off cap)
- iPhone overpriced timer and brew calculator
“This allows for a super accurate nerd brew to be made at 3,500 feet and all fits into my Patagonia midsize shoulder bag [could he be talking about this Daily Grind bag? heh] with my laptop, notepad, books and other travel goods. The thermos fits in the outside pouch designed for water bottles, the Porlux slides into the Aeropress, your towel and filters can cram into the mug, the scale and coffee are on their own.
“This can be budgeted by dropping items in the following order with the following consequences:
- Drop scale – you can use the Aeropress reasonably accurately without a scale but as your travel coffee ages and elevations/pressure changes it is difficult to really “nail it.”
- Drop mug – you can almost always find a paper cup that will work but you have to be careful (the whole method of the aeropress involves pressing down on the receptacle) and if you’re going to the effort of making a fresh cup, don’t you want to drink it out of something nice?!?
- Drop slim bullet thermos – you can get hot water from a flight attendant/airport coffee shop/misc kettle in your travels but the nice pour that these guys have works great with the tiny mouth of the Aeropress. It is also way more safe when you are stuck in an economy seat on U.S. air to have something so well sealed…
- Drop hand grinder – you can totally pre-grind your coffee for travel. You could also just use Via, you savage…”
And for those going home for the holidays who don’t mind checking luggage, hit the jump for Michael’s more serious setup.
