# Coffee Machine For Touring Caravan?



## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

So on Monday my husband and I fulfiled a longstanding ambition and put down a deposit on a touring caravan! Yesterday we insured it, and today we arranged for it to be sited in the coastal village where he goes diving. The idea being we can be at the van whilst he splashes around being all manly with his underwater chums thusly avoiding him getting into terrible trouble for stranding me at home with no car on weekends.

So next on the list:Coffee so that I don't go on a murdering spree.

All potential issues with the electrical hook up aside - what's a good machine that I could stow under the van benches when not in use? Gaggia Classic?? Anything else? Must be able to produce passable flat white. I love camping, but there are limits to the deprivation which I'll happily suffer with 2 small kids in tow.

I'm also going to have to source a small but wonderful grinder. How I hate myself for selling my Breville 800 and my Sunbeam burr grinder before I left Aus. The set up only cost me $67. What was I thinking?!


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Probably Gaggia Classic and a hand grinder or Eureka Mignon if you want to keep the footprint small. IIRC the Graef is similar to a Sunbeam? Might be worth considering too?

You say electrical hookup aside but will there always be ~230v wherever you end up? Aeropress and hand grinder is significantly cheaper, but no flat whites


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

Flat whites are a must have, I just don't get the same jazz up off the aeropress stuff. Although my friend has one, I might ask him for a go on it. I have a porlex hand grinder but to be honest I find it incredibly labour intensive. Yes, the Graef and the sunbeam are pretty much the same thing rebadged for a different market. I could possibly get someone in Aus to source another for me and pop it in the post. They are easily gotten for about £25 over there.

Think there should be 230-v just that some sites have dodgy connections that can't cope with terribly much load! Hopefully our chosen site isn't one of them lol


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

In hindsight you would have been better buying a grinder and espresso machine, then buying the caravan that fits around it


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

h1udd said:


> In hindsight you would have been better buying a grinder and espresso machine, then buying the caravan that fits around it


If I had the budget for that, I absolutely would have done it - my husband gave me "the look" when we were examining our purchase and I said "oh look, room for a small coffee machine". Given how much he just spent on a dry suit for his diving, his negotiating position is very weak indeed!


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

As mentioned test your hook up, if you have a decent iron that should be about 2kw, plug it in and see if it handles it ok.

You dont really want to buy a machine and find out the hook up trips at 1kw!


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

froggystyle said:


> As mentioned test your hook up, if you have a decent iron that should be about 2kw, plug it in and see if it handles it ok.
> 
> You dont really want to buy a machine and find out the hook up trips at 1kw!


Great, was wondering what I should test it with - thanks for that!


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## espressotechno (Apr 11, 2011)

Or a big electric kettle - usually around 2kw.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

elonii said:


> So on Monday my husband and I fulfiled a longstanding ambition and put down a deposit on a touring caravan! Yesterday we insured it, and today we arranged for it to be sited in the coastal village where he goes diving. The idea being we can be at the van whilst he splashes around being all manly with his underwater chums thusly avoiding him getting into terrible trouble for stranding me at home with no car on weekends.
> 
> So next on the list:Coffee so that I don't go on a murdering spree.
> 
> ...


Well done getting the tourer! That's one of my ambitions. Re the coffee machine......why don't you try an aeropress? Portable, quick & doesn't need plugging into power either.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Ramrod said:


> Well done getting the tourer! That's one of my ambitions. Re the coffee machine......why don't you try an aeropress? Portable, quick & doesn't need plugging into power either.


See post #3! When a woman's gotta spro, a woman's gotta spro! Flat white or bust! Quite right too.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

Doh! Sorry, of course


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

hotmetal said:


> See post #3! When a woman's gotta spro, a woman's gotta spro! Flat white or bust! Quite right too.


I'm thinking there's a very strong chance a decal will appear that says that on the back of the van. Beats "adventure before dementia" or "sorry for any delay". Either that or I am going for "Screw you, you'll get there when you get there."

hehehehe


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Ha ha ha!


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## Brewer in training (Feb 7, 2015)

If its just a milk issue, have you considered one of these

https://www.dualit.com/products/milk-frother

Aeropress, one of these plus grinder still have space.......

Or build a box on the bàck and plumb in a 2 group commercial machine and charge his chums for decent caffeine based beverages????


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## TomBurtonArt (Jan 18, 2015)

Slayer?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

TomBurtonArt said:


> Slayer?


Only if she has to sit in the van with 2 kids and no flat whites for hours - normally I believe she's quite peaceful.


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## Yes Row (Jan 23, 2013)

I think I would go Nepresso and a milk frother, for your requirement. My choice would be a clever coffee dipper or brazen and drop the milk.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

That's not as bad an idea as it sounds given the constraints. A little Nespresso Citiz n Milk would be an easy and clean way to make something approaching a flat white. Not the ultimate in ritual, hands-on engagement and rewarding speciality coffee but easy, efficient on space and electricity, and the size of drink would be small enough that you could have several.


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

1. Nespresso for no-fuss drinkable espresso

2. Sage Duo Temp and Feldgrind for a whole bean option (a lot less fuss than the Classic - but will probably cost more as it will be new)

3. Drive to local coffee shop


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

nespresso and sign up for Maxwell's pod information?

Or could be worth trying something like a ROK espresso maker with a handgrinder or basic electric one? They aren't brilliant but you can get a fairly decent coffee from it and it has a milk frother thing with it (check the vids for info). One is for sale at the moment and I've been thinking of selling mine as well, I have no camper based requirements so it's gone unused.


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

@elonii

This looks a pretty good option

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?28954-2011-Gaggia-Classic-and-Lido-3-reduced-to-£220-00/page2


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

Some great suggestions here, thanks all. I will need to wait until I can test my electric hook up before I buy anything, also if I can't bring in something that'll make me a decent flat white with properly textured milk I won't be able to tolerate an "almost there" or "somewhat like it" option. I'm incredibly precious about it. I'd probably be better using it as an opportunity to develop a taste for something else like the Aeropress or a french press etc. I do like the idea of a set up built into the boot of the caravan, I think that would be wonderful. Well, I can dream!


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

I bought a europiccola as I fancied trying a lever a while back .... I love this machine to bits now, 1kw element, no pump, small enough that I now throw it in the boot of a car with a lido3 hand grinder when I go on holiday.

i use it most nights as it heats up in 7mins, good steamer fits in a cupboard


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

h1udd said:


> I bought a europiccola as I fancied trying a lever a while back .... I love this machine to bits now, 1kw element, no pump, small enough that I now throw it in the boot of a car with a lido3 hand grinder when I go on holiday.
> 
> i use it most nights as it heats up in 7mins, good steamer fits in a cupboard


Oh, I've got one of those sitting - who doesn't? LOL. I might take that and leave it at the van - could work. But I like it in my room of coffee (utility room) Hmm. I wonder if this is why my husband gave me a "look" when I mentioned needing another machine?!


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