10 Best Portable and Travel Coffee Mugs 2019

Lightweight and simple to use, this is the perfect companion for any trips or travelling, but the coffee it produces tastes so good that there’s nothing to stop you using it at home too.

It simply uses gentle air pressure to produce a smooth, consistent brew in under 30 seconds. Unlike pour on/drip coffee makers which may miss some of the flavours by only concentrating on extracting the central grounds, the extraction from the AeroPress is uniform. There is no over-brewing or overheating to damage the taste, either.

Just put a paper filter into the little holder, put this in the chamber and pop your grounds in. Place over a cup or mug, and add hot water to the chamber. Then press down, and the water will go through the coffee grounds and into your cup. Easy, pretty foolproof and no mess created.

Because of the quickness, there is no bitterness caused by it sitting for too long. You don’t have to wait for it to warm up as you pour already heated water into the chamber, and it diffuses as you push so you don’t have to sit and wait for it to mix by itself.

It does use paper filters, which may put some people off due to the fact they aren’t reusable, and you throw them away. But there are some compatible metal filters out there if you want something a bit more permanent you can care for and reuse.

It takes a bit of experimentation to get just right too. The recommended coffee use is one spoonful, but if you prefer something with a bit more kick, then two may be better. Finer ground coffee is also recommended, but you may prefer the taste of coarser. The good news is, it is open to your choice.

The Wacaco Minipresso has long been a firm favourite for anyone who loves to have coffee on the go, and it has now been given a modern upgrade.

The Nanopresso is an upgraded version of the original Minipresso, needing 15% less force to pump and being smaller and lighter yet higher capacity.

The original version of this model was used solely with coffee grounds, and the pre-heated water would mix with the grounds with a few presses of the piston on the side of the tube. This version comes with an adaptor which can house Nespresso coffee pods instead, so you have the choice of both or have a back up if you run out of one.

There are also versions available which only take grounds or only pods, but we think this option is the best value for every eventuality. With plenty of accessories also available, such as carry cases and barista kits offering larger capacities, you can truly make it your own.

It is one of the smallest, lightest and toughest portable coffee makers on the market, so great for anyone who might be burdened if they were to carry around a large mug or cafetière to do their coffee mixing.

The coffee it makes tastes great, too. With a possible 18 bars of pressure, it is delivered at a coffee-shop-standard level, without the fancy steam and unnecessary waiting times.

You don’t have to be going travelling to make use of this machine. It has so many fans who purely use it at home, as it helps them avoid bulky coffee machines in tiny kitchens or adding money to electricity bills. We agreed that we’d certainly be happy having our daily morning brews served up by the Nanopresso.

For anybody going camping and taking a little stove with them, this espresso set complete with two cups is the perfect choice of coffee companion.

It works in the same way as a traditional Moka/Stovetop espresso maker, using heat to mix the boiling water up into the coffee granules. The fact that two cups can be made at the same time and pour straight into the little mugs is really handy and requires little effort from you. Just fill with water and granules.

Coffee doesn’t take long to make at all, only a matter of minutes over the right heat, and the coffee stays warm in the cup for long enough to enjoy the drink fully.

It is available in three colours – red, orange and black – if you want to match it alongside any of your other camping or cooking equipment or pick something that will stand out on site.

It can’t be used as a single espresso maker, as both taps work at the same time, but there is nothing to stop both espressos being poured into one cup. As a plus, however, this makes preparing large coffees such as lattes or cappuccinos a lot easier and less time-consuming. Made from aluminium, it is durable and won’t be damaged easily wither in use or transit.

There are other versions of this model available on the market, some of which are cheaper, but having tested this one we don’t think the quality and coffee could be beaten.

The vast majority of manual espresso makers require the addition of pre-boiled water, which seems like an effortless step but can add so much time to your brewing process if you only have a camp stove or need to carry a thermal flask with you.

The CISNO is a product for those who want a true all-in-one product which will boil, brew and pour on their behalf. The electricity comes from a rechargeable 12V lithium battery which you can top up either via the mains, in your car or with a battery pack. No need to carry around a massive packet of disposable ones with you.

What you will need to carry for the coffee, however, is original Nespresso pods. It won’t work with compatible, similar pods as it won’t pierce the foil, but it certainly sounds a lot easier than carrying around packets of ground coffee.

The water will heat up to 90°C, which is seen as the ideal temperature for a coffee. Anything any closer to boiling point, and it will damage the taste. Anything colder, and you may find it hard to stomach.

With the machine comes the battery pack, car charger, and adaptor. It can make coffee if plugged into the car charger, so is great for truck drivers or those on the road constantly. As it uses pods, it is easy to clean as there is no mess to clear out bar the used capsule.

It does take a while to boil, but there is nothing to stop you just adding boiled water. Also, remember that the Nespresso range of pods is wide so you can make tea, hot chocolates and other variants with this machine too.

With the function of a cafetière but in a handy transportable mug, the Zyliss Hot Mug is the perfect little coffee accompaniment for camping trips and picnics.

Just put in the ground coffee, pour on hot water and allow to infuse for a couple of minutes. Then, press down the mesh filter to separate the coffee from the sediment, and it is ready to drink. The lid will keep it warmer for longer, as well as allowing you to be on-the-go while you drink it.

It isn’t just coffee it can make, with any hot drink being possible. Whether it’s a warming cup of tea or a hot chocolate around the campfire, the easy function and storage make it possible.

When you get home, cleaning it all is as easy as popping it in the dishwasher, so you can get on with all the other things that come with having been away.

In theory, it should separate the coffee from the grounds, but a bit always got through when we tried it. It seems to come through a hole at the side of the plunger, which we guess is to relieve pressure when you push but seems a bit if a design flaw.

The filter also doesn’t stop the brewing process once it is pressed, like with some other models. This makes a bitter taste the longer you leave it.

It is available in grey, blue and red so that you can get one for all the family and everyone has their own to drink out of. It is plastic, and the handle doesn’t have the best grip, so this isn’t one for taking on your commute to work. But packing it along with your stuff for a day out at the beach or going on a camping trip is a great idea for no-hassle hot drinks.