This Four-Item Hack Is The Perfect Way For Travelers To Make Coffee Anywhere In Just 10 Minutes

No coffee, no talky: That's the morning rule. Coffee is such a critical, everyday item that it can't possibly be excluded from life even for a single day on vacation. So what are weary travelers to do about their morning brew? You 100% lock it down and ensure that not a single drop of your preferred brown liquid doesn't make its way down your throat. You don't rely on hotels, Airbnbs, guesthouses, or any uncontrolled shenanigans. You pack four items: ground coffee (maybe in a ziplock baggie), a kettle or burner (bulky but possible), a coffee scoop of your choice, and the crème de la crème of self-contained coffee-making tools: a French press, aka cafetière.

French presses might not be news to those whose taste buds remain sanctified from the dirty muck of auto-drip machines. But, you might not have thought to pack one for a trip. Thankfully, cafetières are super easy to use and even come in various sizes, from baby (12 ounces) to true devotee (51 ounces). Just pack well, maybe stick some socks inside the press to save space, and you should be good to go. And if you know that you'll be traveling through places that have proper electric kettles, rejoice, because you won't need to pack a kettle. You will, however, need water and cups, so if you don't have utensils and a tap where you are headed, walk through the steps before you pack to be sure you have what you need.

As for making the coffee: Heat up the water, scoop the (preferably course-ground) coffee into the press, pour the water inside, do a little stir, put the lid on (but not pressed), and let the coffee steep for four to five minutes. Then, push the press down, pour into a cup, sip, and savor existence. 

A French press is a perfect little buddy at breakfast or any other time of the day while traveling, like your own personal coffee pot, even if you don't have a human buddy with whom to share it. Cafetières work equally well while camping in the great outdoors — just use a fire or burner to heat up your water. Plus, coffee grounds apparently work as a mosquito repellent, especially if tossed in your fire. This is probably the most effective way to clean up a cafetière, because the soggy grounds can admittedly get a bit messy. But at least you won't have to settle for that horrible freeze-dried coffee crystal stuff in a hotel room, or use your room's potentially mildew-filled coffee machine. Overall, it's up to you, the traveler, to determine if having coffee of a known quality is worth the time, energy, and packing space. 

On the flip side of coffee experiences, you can just dive into whatever coffee culture exists where you're headed. You can forego your own personal method altogether, forget the morning cup of coffee in your lodgings, and have one out and about like a local. In Italy, this will typically entail a cappuccino while sitting at an al fresco cafe or standing at a counter, but not after 11 a.m. In Greece this may entail ordering a freddo, which is basically espresso blended with ice and sugar. Vienna, meanwhile, has its own distinct coffee culture that connects to Austria's famed Sacher-torte developed at Hotel Sacher. Every country has its own coffee quirks that you can — and arguably should — experience. Then again, you can always have a French press, too.