Camping French Press: 8 Best Brewers For The Great Outdoors
Coffee is a camping essential. With a French press, you can make a delicious backcountry brew without the hassle of paper filters, coffee pods, or miscellaneous accessories. All you need is coffee grounds and a way to boil water.
We’ve found the eight best brewers for the great outdoors to suit all your coffee needs on your next camping trip. Read on to discover the best camping French Press.
At A Glance:
- TOP PICK: Coffee Gator
- BUDGET PICK: Stanley Adventure
- LIGHTWEIGHT: Widesea Camping Coffee Pot
The 8 Best Camping French Press Brewers for Canada In 2023
Home Grounds has rounded up the eight best French press camping coffee makers this year. Read on for our top picks for enjoying your morning coffee curled up in your sleeping bag in a tent or outside facing the beaming sun.
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Coffee Gator |
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Stanley Adventure All-In-One Boil + Brew |
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SEE ON AMAZON
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Stanley Stay Hot French Press |
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see on amazon
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Bodum Travel Press |
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GSI Outdoors |
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WORBIC |
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A&R Artemis & Rhodes |
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Widesea Camping Coffee Pot |
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SEE ON AMAZON
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1. Coffee Gator – Best Overall
Specifications
Material: Stainless Steel
- Capacity: 1 L
- Filter Type: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 14 x 30 x 21.6 cm
The Coffee Gator French Press is a durable coffee maker that yields a full-bodied brew of high-quality coffee to keep you and your loved ones going on your camping trip. We love that it even comes with an airtight storage canister to transport ground or whole bean coffee.
This portable and well-insulated French Press has a stainless steel build with vacuum double-wall insulation that holds heat for far longer than a glass French press. The thicker premium build of this French press means it can take a beating on your next adventure. It’s drop-proof, shatter-proof, and rust-resistant to withstand any camping weather.
The reusable stainless steel filter has a spring-loaded design with a double screen to minimize sediment and maximize flavour for a tasty cup of coffee. Brew up to four servings of hot coffee, perfect for large groups wanting to get cosy around the campfire.
For a perfect cup, warm your French Press with hot water, add coffee grounds, pour hot water, steep for 5 minutes, press the plunger down slowly, and enjoy! In addition to making coffee, make tea while camping by following a similar brewing process.
2. Stanley Adventure All-in-One Boil + Brew – Budget Pick
Specifications
Material: Stainless Steel
- Capacity: 0.95 L
- Filter Type: BPA-Free Plastic
- Dimensions: 10.8 x 10.8 x 19.4 cm
The Stanley Adventure All-In-One is the ultimate affordable backpacking French press. It costs about as much as four fancy lattes that you’d get in a coffee drive-thru – except that with a lifetime guarantee, this brewer will last a lot longer (1).
You get great value for your money with this French press due to its longevity and versatility. The stainless steel brew chamber doubles as a pot for boiling water. So not only is it everything you need to make coffee, but it can also boil and cook meals like soup. This allows you to pack light and smart and saves you the cost of buying a separate pot.
The compact build includes a foldaway handle, so you can easily slip it into your backpack. And the leak-proof lid means it won’t spill over any of your valuables.
This Stanley camping French press has a BPA-free nylon filter system that effectively keeps coffee grounds out of your drinkable brewed coffee. The plastic filter keeps it light and affordable without sacrificing coffee quality.
Be careful when handling the Stanley Adventure All-In-One Boil + Brew French Press, as it heats up quickly with a heat source like a gas burner or campfire.
3. Stanley Stay Hot French Press – Most Durable
Specifications
Material: Stainless Steel
- Capacity: 1.4 L
- Filter Type: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 18.1 x 12.4 x 24.2 cm
The Stanley brand is known for durability and outdoor suitability. Worried about how a few bumps in the road on the drive to your campsite might hurt your Stanley Classic Stay Hot French Press? This product has survived category 5 hurricanes, 4000 ft drops, -56 degree Celsius wind chills, and speeding bullets (seriously). So, your coffee is in good, safe hands.
It is the most durable camping coffee maker thanks to its double-walled vacuum-insulated stainless steel design. This durability extends to the stainless steel filter system used to keep your coffee grounds at bay. If anything ever happens to your French Press, Stanley will always fix it or replace it for you.
The vacuum insulation will keep hot coffee hot for up to four hours and seal in the chill for cold coffees for up to nine hours. Adding ice to cold coffee extends that further, staying chilled for up to 24 hours.
This Stanley Camping French Press has a large capacity, the largest of all other presses on this list. So don’t be afraid to drink a second cup. There’s plenty of delicious black coffee to go around. It’s also far and away the heaviest travel coffee press on the list, so it’s better suited to car camping than backpacking.
4. Bodum Travel Press – Best French Press Travel Mug
Specifications
Material: Stainless Steel
- Capacity: 0.4 L
- Filter Type: Silicone
- Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 21 cm
The Bodum Camping French Press is the best all-in-one design that combines both a French press and travel mug. With the Bodum Travel Press coffee maker, you can brew and drink a great cup of coffee or tea on the go – no need to pack an extra mug. The stainless steel brewing chamber/mug is well-insulated, so your brew will stay hot or cold for hours.
The coffee yield is smaller than the other French presses and camping coffee makers on the list; it is designed to brew a single serving. The silicone and mesh filter design effectively keeps your brew free of sediment for a flavourful, clean cup.
This is the best travel French press we’ve encountered, clearly designed to be taken on the move. It has an ergonomic handle, a non-skid rubber base, a non-slip grip, and a spill-resistant lid. It looks stylish to boot, with a colourful silicone band available in black, white, green, or red.
5. GSI Outdoors – Most Portable
Specifications
Material: BPA-Free Plastic
- Capacity: 0.9 L
- Filter Type: Silicone
- Dimensions: 11.2 x 11.2 x 19.6 cm
A regular French Press is too bulky to be anywhere other than resting on your kitchen counter, but this French press from GSI Outdoors is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. GSI Outdoors was created in 1985 by three siblings for coffee-loving outdoor enthusiasts. Their products are portable for travel, convenient for handling, and suitable for camping.
This 4-cup camping French press coffee maker comes fitted with a nylon cloth sleeve and a handle, both of which are resistant to water and keep your hands cool while maintaining the coffee hot. The handle is collapsable to optimize the space in your backpack.
When the coffee is ready, gently press the silicone-ringed plunger with the base of the French press in the palm of your hand and pour with the pour-through lid. Its BPA-free plastic build may not be as durable as the stainless steel models, but it is much lighter and resilient enough to be shatter-proof.
6. WORBIC – Best Filtration System
Specifications
Material: Stainless Steel
- Capacity: 1 L
- Filter Type: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 10.2 x 17.8 x 21.1 cm
The WORBIC French Press is known for its exceptional filtration system. It has three filter levels: an ultra-fine mesh stainless steel material that features a thickened plate, a fine mesh, and a spiral plate. The entire filter disassembles for easy cleaning.
If you want the convenience of a French press with a clean cup closer to a filter coffee, this is the model for you.
The design of this French press is just as impressive as its filtration system. The stainless steel body is resistant to rust and dust. It has a special U-shaped pour spout to ensure the smoothest, drip-free pouring experience. And it is cool to touch when handling to avoid burns.
The WORBIC French press comes in three sizes. There is the standard 1-litre model, which serves four, a 0.5-litre option for serving one or two people, and a large-capacity 1.5-litre press that brews enough coffee for parties of six.
7. A&R Artemis & Rhodes – Best Camping Kit
Specifications
Material: Stainless Steel
- Capacity: 1 L
- Filter Type: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 33 x 25.4 x 12.7 cm
The A&R Artemis & Rhodes French Press is a wonderful gift idea for the camping and coffee lover in your life. Though at over $200, it’s a bit of a splurge.
The A&R Artemis & Rhodes French Press is an eye-catching beauty with a gold-coloured titanium coating. It comes packaged in a vegan leather case for easy portability, perfect for camping, road trips, or compartmentalizing the limited space in your kitchen.
The kit includes a quality brushed stainless steel coffee grinder with Acacia wood handles, a coffee scoop, and a cleaning brush. Though the included cleaning brush may not be as helpful as you’d like when camping (2).
French presses . . . require a lot of water to clean properly, which might [be challenging] if you don’t have access to a sink or a source of clean fresh water.
This French Press is plenty durable enough for your off-road travels. It is well insulated with double walls and a lockable lid that seals in heat. Pouring is a mess-free breeze with a helpful ergonomic wooden handle, a wide-mouth spout, and a safety lock pouring button, just in case.
8. Widesea Camping Coffee Pot – Most Lightweight
Specifications
Material: Aluminium
- Capacity: 0.9 L, makes 0.75 L coffee
- Filter Type: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.6 x 12.8 cm
The Widesea Camping Coffee Pot was designed with the serious camper in mind. When you’re carrying your entire setup on your back, you know that every gram of extra weight makes a difference. So you’ll be pleased to hear that this French press weighs a mere 225 grams.
The light weight is achieved by using aluminium for the outer pot, though the plunger and filter are constructed of stainless steel.
It’s designed to be an all-in-one kettle and coffee maker – heat the water in the pot, then add the ground coffee and plunger. It should only be heated over a butane stove, so if you’re cooking over an open fire, you’ll need to heat the water in a more suitable pot.
Some handy features include embossed measurements on the inside of the pot, and cool-touch handles that fold away to save you more room in your pack. The lid of the French press includes a drinking hole, so you can sip as you walk the trail.
How To Choose The Best French Press For Camping in Canada
This buyer’s guide will help you choose the best French Press camp coffee maker. While they may all seem similar, differences in material, capacity, and filtration mean that one is likely best for you. Let’s find it!
Material Matters: Stainless Steel Or Plastic?
There are pros and cons to both materials, depending on your needs. Stainless steel French presses are more durable and offer superior heat retention, especially if they are double-walled. They are a great choice for an RV or a drive-in campsite.
French presses made from BPA-free plastic, on the other hand, are much lighter. They also cool down a lot faster after use, a key feature if you need to pack up and get on the move right away. If you’re on a backpacking trip or you have to hike to your campsite, a lightweight plastic French press is a better option.
How Much Coffee Do You Drink While Camping?
A cup of joe for one? Or a round of brews for the campfire? These French Presses range in capacity from 0.5 litres to 1.5 litres.
The smallest makes about 2 cups of coffee, perfect for solo adventures or camping with a partner. The standard 1-litre model makes 4 cups, enough for the whole family – or two very tired and thirsty hikers. The largest size makes 6 cups to serve a whole crew.
Choose the capacity of your French press carefully. Too large, you’ll waste time and water boiling and brewing more camp coffee than you need. Too small, you’ll waste energy using a too-small brewer to please a crowd.
Don’t Forget About The Size Of Your Pack
A smaller capacity French Press will fit more easily with the rest of your packed belongings. If you’re hiking or backpacking, it may be worth choosing a smaller and lighter option, even if you need to brew coffee twice. Or look for collapsable or disassemblable designs to optimize your space most effectively.
Does Filter Type Make A Difference?
The type of filtration system makes a difference in the taste profile and amount of residual sediment that ends up in your French Press brew (3).
Many factors can influence your results, including grind size, water temperature, choice of filter, water quality, and the ratio of coffee to water. Playing around with one or more of these elements will change how your coffee tastes.
Stainless steel filters come with double screens or triple levels of ultra-fine mesh. These add extra layers of protection to hold back coarse coffee grounds efficiently. They’re a bit harder to clean, but they let the coffee oils in, so your brew will burst with nuanced flavours.
Food-grade silicone filters work about as well as stainless steel filters. They are easier to clean and dishwasher-safe, but they don’t work as well if you use water with high mineral content.
BPA-Free nylon plastic filters are used to save on cost rather than to enhance coffee quality or improve user experience. They get the job done, but not quite as well. They are commonly found in more budget-friendly French presses.
The Verdict
Home Grounds’ pick as the best overall camping French press is the stainless steel design from Coffee Gator. This French Press coffee maker is durable, heat-retaining, and brews a delightful sediment-free cup. Its capacity is perfect for brewing a lot of quality camp coffee to enjoy leisurely as a group. It is compact enough to pack with you and strong enough to withstand whatever comes your way.
If this French Press coffee maker doesn’t seem to be the one for you, check out our other best brewers for the great outdoors. You can’t go wrong with any of these alternatives.
FAQs
A French press is better for camping if you prefer a quick coffee and experimenting with nuanced flavour profiles. It is easy to clean, but it usually requires a separate way to boil water. A percolator is an all-one design that both boils and brews. But it burns coffee easily, and it is not as complex in taste. When choosing a French press vs percolator for camping, it’s a matter of personal preference.
A French press is a healthy way to make coffee as long as you are not drinking more than four cups of it a day. Because a French press uses a metal filter, French press coffee contains more coffee oils than a paper-filtered brew. These oils have diterpenes, chemicals that may raise your LDL cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease (4).
No, there is no Coleman camping coffee press. Despite the brand’s popularity in the outdoor space, they have yet to release a French press-style camping coffee maker. However, the Coleman Camp Coffee Maker is a 10-cup drip coffee machine designed for use on a portable propane burner or campfire. It’s a heavy beast, but it’s a great way to caffeinate a whole crowd.
References
- Stanley. (n.d.). About Stanley. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://www.stanley1913.com/pages/about-stanley
- Mott, J. (2021, August 24). Enjoying great coffee while you’re travelling. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2021/08/enjoying-great-coffee-while-youre-travelling/
- Otero, M. (2020, August 13). Improving Your French Press Coffee Brewing. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2020/08/improving-your-french-press-coffee-brewing/
- Beabout, L. (2021, May 18). Is French Press Coffee Bad for You? Retrieved February 10, 2023, from https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/why-french-press-coffee-is-bad-for-you/
