Looking For A Portable Battery Operated Coffee Maker?
Perfect for traveling, the battery operated coffee maker allows you to brew anywhere, at any time, at your convenience.
For coffee lovers who spend a lot of time on the road traveling, or for those who enjoy spending time in the great outdoors, options for brewing that “must-have” cup of coffee was limited.
If you were away from home for a short period of time you could carry home-brewed coffee with you in a vacuum flask.
If you went camping or on a long road trip you could pre-boil water to carry in a flask. Then either use a manual coffee brewer like a French Press or AeroPress to brew your coffee when needed.
For those who enjoyed the convenience of their automated coffee makers back home, many may have wished for some way to take their coffee machines with them. For a long time, the distinct lack of power outlets on the road or at camping sites excluded that possibility.
However, the idea of a cordless coffee maker or portable battery coffee maker as a feasible option has arrived. Having brewing convenience with you, away from home, is now a viable option.
Many of these products might still require the boiling of water to be done separately. However, there are a few brands that will boil water and brew your coffee in a single step and on a single charge.
Benefits Of A Battery Operated Coffee Maker
Besides the convenience of having an automated brewing process while away from home, the obvious benefit is portability.
Almost all the brands of rechargeable portable coffee makers are made from lightweight materials. They are also small enough to pack into one of your bags.
In the past brewing coffee while away from home was a manual task.
It required you to pull over and stop if you were on a road trip. If you were camping you had to pull yourself away from the beautiful scenery to attend to the brewing process.
One of the best benefits of a coffee maker has always been that you can concentrate on other things while your coffee brews at the touch of a button. With the portability of a battery powered coffee maker, you can still leave the brewing process to a machine.
Then you enjoy that sunrise or sunset or shorten the length of your road trip and get a delicious cup of coffee to boot.
For those on a long road trip, a battery operated coffee machine can also save you money. No need to spend money at rest stops or fuel station stores.
Also, you have the freedom to enjoy a high-quality brand of coffee. Do away with risking the possible disappointment of that store-bought coffee.
How Much Coffee Can You Brew?
Many of the battery coffee maker brands are designed as single-serve devices. That is, they will brew a single cup of coffee on a single charge.
This is primarily because heating water and brewing coffee take a lot of power. The typical recharge time exceeds 2 hours.
So these single-serve coffee makers are not going to be the ideal choice for a small group of people traveling or camping together. However, a couple of the more expensive products can brew 2 to 3 cups of coffee on a single charge.
It should also be noted that for many of the single-serve brands, a single-serve refers to an espresso-sized quantity of coffee. That equates to 1.8 to 2 ounces (53 to 60ml).
If a cup of coffee is required, then multiple brewing rounds will be needed. To do so on a single charge the water will have to be pre-heated.
Brewing Time
With less power available than your traditional kitchen counter-top coffee maker, brewing times are naturally slower with almost all brands of battery operated coffee pots that are powered by batteries.
Typical brewing times can be anything from 15 to 20 minutes. Even the high-end brands will take 5 to 8 minutes to brew a single cup of coffee.
With many brands, the overall duration of the brewing process can be shortened. Pre-heat the water over a fire, if camping, or through the use of a battery operated kettle.
Type Of Coffee It Can Brew?
Due to the compact nature and design specifications for many rechargeable coffee maker brands you are, in many cases, limited to certain brands of coffee. These are generally Nespresso coffee capsules or similar.
Only a very few expensive high-end devices allow for the brewing of your own brand of ground coffee.
Does The Cordless Coffee Machine Heat The Water Too?
While some brands of battery coffee pot do not offer the option of heating cold water, most do.
To begin the brewing process with cold water means brewing times can exceed 30 minutes. A brewing process that requires 15 – 20 minutes to complete is true for the majority of brands.
It should also be noted that for the majority of these devices the water, and thus your cup of coffee, will not be as hot as you are accustomed to with your home coffee maker. The brewing process will be significantly reduced if you use pre-heated water.
All About The Battery
Lithium-ion Battery Technology
Lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density which gives them a high power outage. They are safe and reliable with no memory like other batteries.
They have a life-span of between two and three years or, alternatively, 300 to 500 recharge cycles. One charge cycle consists of being fully charged, to fully discharged, to being fully recharged again.
Depending which comes first determines which fail will occur.
How Long Does The Battery Last?
Heating water and brewing coffee require a lot of power. Batteries for the majority of these devices only last for a single brewing cycle.
However, a couple of high-end, expensive brands can brew 2 or 3 cups of coffee on a single charge.
It should be noted though that many brands offer a useful feature. That of drawing power from your vehicle.
You can not only recharge but draw power for the brewing process as well.
Some of the more expensive high-end brands also offer the option of using AC power if it is available.
How Can I Charge The Battery?
A few of the more expensive brands offer the option of using AC (alternating current) power to not only brew your coffee but to re-charge the device as well.
Most brands only offer the option of re-charging using your vehicle’s battery via the cigarette lighter.
Be aware that many of these devices require 13 amps of power for the brewing process.
The limit for many vehicles is 10 amps. Blown fuses can be the result if you try.
Some brands are not fitted with a battery and will only work if plugged into your vehicle’s power source.
Can You Use The Battery Coffee Maker Plugged Into A Power Outlet?
Many of the more expensive brands offer the option of plugging your device into an AC powered electrical outlet.
You can use this feature to not only brew coffee but to re-charge your device as well.
Is It Easy To Clean?
As one might expect from a device designed for convenience, most machines are very easy to clean.
For many, the rechargeable coffee machine cleaning process is automated. It is essentially a normal brewing process minus the coffee.
For a couple of the more expensive devices which allow you to brew using normal coffee grounds, the filter can be easily removed and cleaned separately.
Conclusion
If you are a regular traveler, caravaner, or camper and you miss the convenience of your automated coffee maker back home, then the camping battery coffee maker means that these two need not be mutually exclusive.
If you compare many battery operated devices with your kitchen counter-top one back home you may find that there are a few shortcomings:
- long brewing times
- lengthy re-charge cycles
- small cups of coffee
- coffee that may not be as hot as you enjoy at home
However, you cannot deny that having a device portable enough to accompany you on your travels is great. One that provides you with a good tasting cup of coffee should help you to look past many, if not all, of these shortcomings.
If you cannot find a battery powered coffee maker that meets your needs, never fear. There is always the manual brewing options of the French Press and AeroPress.
Either way, traveling or enjoying the countryside need never mean you have to go without your beloved cups of coffee.
