# Which 'Portable' Brew Device ?



## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Hi all,

Thinking ahead to my holiday, I am considering how I will get my coffee fix in the morning short of taking my espresso machine with me.

I thought it would be a great idea to pack a brew type device and use that for coffees when away.

I have only used a filter coffee machine and French Press in the past so not really familiar with the differences between the variety of devices.

Ideally, I would like to be able to make up to 2 Americanos at a time but if I will get significantly better results making them individually, then that is fine too.

So, looking around, it seems the most travel friendly options are:


French Press

Hario V60

Kalita Wave

Aeropress


Which one would get me the closest to an Americano pulled from an Espresso machine ?

Thanks


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Aeropress...maybe something close-ish with a French press (70-80g/l), but it will take a while & take more care than Aeropress to keep silt down. French press would be my preferred method, but I don't mind waiting 20-30min for a brew.


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Thanks. 20-30m for a French Press ? I thought it only takes around 5-6 minutes for a French Press, at least that is how long I brew it for before plunging


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

You can leave it as long short as you like, but the longer you leave it the sweeter, more developed the flavour & the more time silt has to sink.

Temperature in a French press declines from the off, probably never much above 90C to start with, so you don't need to brew short times to avoid over-extraction. Grind in the region of fine drip too, not coarse/very coarse.


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## James811 (May 10, 2014)

Although the brew father has given his advice already. I'd suggest aeropress, because among other things they're indestructible. I prefer not having to worry about silt in my cup which is the reason I'd go with that over French press


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## Asgross (Jun 14, 2015)

I think the espro travel press comes close to what you need


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

Is there a particular reason you want to emulate an Americano?


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

risky said:


> Is there a particular reason you want to emulate an Americano?


I'm going to make a wild out of the box, off the wall guess here and say - because he likes Americano "type" drinks?

There could obviously be an endless debate about what an Americano "is" but...................................


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

The point I was getting at was why not try embracing brewed coffee as a brew rather than trying to replicate an espresso based drink.


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

risky said:


> The point I was getting at was why not try embracing brewed coffee as a brew rather than trying to replicate an espresso based drink.


If he manages to make something Americano-ish that he likes then I guess he can go from there....

tbh I would only read Americano(-ish) to be a long black coffee rather than anything specific


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## PPapa (Oct 24, 2015)

Obvious choice... Used Kalita before, but it has one problem which is filter storage. Also, you can get away without scales with the Aeropress, not like many pour overs. I got a 3.5" (pretty sure it is, double check that) tin that fits 50+ filters. You could even use metal filter if you want.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Drewster said:



> If he manages to make something Americano-ish that he likes then I guess he can go from there....
> 
> tbh I would only read Americano(-ish) to be a long black coffee rather than anything specific


I'd expect an Americano to have a heavier mouthfeel than typical paper filtered drip, probably be stronger than it is easy to brew drip at too. Maybe @Spy could tell us what dose & how much water he adds to an Americano?


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

PPapa said:


> Obvious choice... Used Kalita before, but it has one problem which is filter storage. Also, you can get away without scales with the Aeropress, not like many pour overs. I got a 3.5" (pretty sure it is, double check that) tin that fits 50+ filters. You could even use metal filter if you want.


PPapa - how do you find the weighing spoon? I find mine is not big enough to hold 16g of beans


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## PPapa (Oct 24, 2015)

Daren said:


> PPapa - how do you find the weighing spoon? I find mine is not big enough to hold 16g of beans


Yeah I need to weigh twice as it holds about 12g. I still love it as you don't need a flat hard surface for it to work.

There is also the hold function that keeps the first reading which helps with maths.


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## mfsl (Jun 22, 2016)

+1 for Aero


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Thanks guys.

I said Americano a that is my preferred coffee which I normally make and drink with my Sage DTP.

Yes, it has a stronger coffee taste for me although I am not averse to brewed but looking to closely emulate the espresso based flavours.

I had not thought of the weighing problem with FP or brew.

Does the Aeropress not require weighing, ie if you fill it, then that is the correct amount ?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Spy said:


> Does the Aeropress not require weighing, ie if you fill it, then that is the correct amount ?


Immersion brews require weighing mostly from the aspect of coffee strength/intensity. For a given grind size, extraction will be similar for a method (AP or FP), strength will relate to coffee vs water ratio.

If you're going to add more hot water to taste, after brewing (like with an Americano), then aim strong & tweak dilution afterwards.

How would the Aeropress know it had a certain amount of water or coffee in it? It doesn't have fine graduations.


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## birchgra (Jun 28, 2016)

We use an aeropress in the Caravan for our early morning shot


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