Last Updated on September 3, 2024 by Nikole

A caffeine boost is one of the most sought-after things when people first wake up. Almost everyone loves coffee while:

• Heading to the office
• Going to Starbucks for a drink with friends
• Free camping with your campervan

 Let’s be honest, though; van life coffee can be bland, especially if you are using instant coffee. Nasty!

Even if you are boondocking with your campervan or free camping with a tent, you can always make a GREAT, non-instant cup of coffee. You don’t even need electricity to make fantastic coffee, so you can always brew your cup of coffee in a van kitchen or a firepit. 

I’m sort of a coffee fanatic! I’ve tried all sorts of coffee from Starbucks to genuine Kona coffee while I was in Hawaii.

I’ve even studied coffee while in culinary school, have you heard of the monkey poop coffee? Don’t worry I’ll touch on that a bit later!

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Welcome to our official guide to van life coffee.

What to Consider Before You Buy a Non-Electric Van Life Coffee Maker

There are some important factors to consider when thinking about van life coffee. Here is exactly what you need to make coffee in a van.

• What coffee machine fits best with your campervan traveling style?
• Do you go free camping a lot and need something that doesn’t require power?
• Are you mainly at campsites, therefore power usage doesn’t matter as much to you?

Here are some things to think about before purchasing that coffee pot for your campervan.

Power

As I stated above, some van life coffee makers, like the drip coffee and Keurig systems, require an outlet and draw power.

Some coffee machines can run off your van’s battery (with the right inverter, but who wants to use up that precious power when there are alternative options?)

Expenses

Sometimes van life coffee machines like the Keurig system are costly. I’m sure you want to save some money for your travels and adventures.

Plus the cost of those pods can get quite high… keep reading if you must have a Keurig, and I’ll help you save money as far as the pods go.

If you want to save money in the long run the Aeropress system and the coffee press are both great options, because they have built-in coffee filters.

Size

Like power usage, the size of items you store in your campervan is a concern. Make sure you have a coffee device that’s small and compact so it doesn’t take up that precious van storage space.

Even Keurig and coffee pots can sometimes be purchased in smaller sizes, but still, take up more space than other systems

Quality

Ever had that cheap hotel or gas station coffee that is super watered down? Your daydriving in your camper van is officially ruined because of that WORST cup of coffee.

Make sure you are getting a good quality coffee machine and brand of coffee. Look for something that’s going to leave you refreshed and happy in the morning, not something that will leave you unsatisfied.

Convenience

A Keurig machine is probably one of the most convenient machines you can purchase because it requires very few parts and a short process to get to the end result.

Sometimes all of the components of a coffee machine can get a little overwhelming.

Look for something that won’t frustrate you because you don’t know how it works, or because you keep losing many pieces. The faster you can make your coffee the faster you can enjoy it and relax.

Best Machines and Devices to Make Van Life Coffee

Despite what some may think, you don’t need electricity to make coffee in a van! In fact, you can find several non-electric van life coffee makers.

Drinking a hot beverage on the go can be a challenge, especially when the flavor is at risk. So I have listed some of our favorite coffee makers for our campervan that will blow your mind with how good they are!

P.S. the best flavors come from non-electric options! Say WHAT!?

1. Coffee Press for Van Life Coffee

My all-time favorite device to brew campervan coffee is the press. I use this even when I’m not traveling in our campervan… because I love it SO much! I’m a tad obsessed, to be honest.

This is a great option for those who want to save power and conserve their campervan battery. The coffee press requires absolutely no power to use it.

How does the campervan coffee press work?

1. Boil some water. With some devices, you can boil the water inside of the press.
2. Combine the coffee grounds with the boiled water right in the press.
3. There is a cylinder-like tube with a mesh filter on the bottom. Push that into the press so all the coffee grounds are compact at the bottom.
4. Let it steep for a few minutes. That’s the secret! It tastes watered down if you skip this step.
5. Pour into another cup and add sugar and creamer.
6. ENJOY the best cup of van life coffee!

Here are the measurements of water to coffee ground ratios for using the press.

In the picture below is our beloved coffee press we use in our camper van!

2. Drip system

One of my second favorite coffee makers does require power and is the basic drip system, coffee maker. This is in my opinion the best coffee machine for a mobile van, due to the taste and propane capabilities.

I feel like you may not need a tutorial on how to use this since it’s the most basic maker, but in case you don’t know, here it is.

1. Place a filter in the top of the coffee maker, you will see a basket where it needs to be placed.
2. Put your coffee grounds into the filter.
3. Pour however many cups of coffee you want to make into the back of the maker.
4. Hit brew.
5. Enjoy your many cups of coffee

Here are the measurements of water to coffee ground ratios for using the drip system. Add more of water and coffee for a bigger serving size.

2 Tbsp (10 g) of grounds per cup (180 ml, 6 fl oz).

550Watt Powered Drip Coffee Maker

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Propane Drip Coffee Maker

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3. Pour over Van Life Coffee

What is pour-over coffee for camper vans you ask? it’s exactly what it sounds like it is. just pour hot water over the coffee grounds and you got the best cup of Joe.

Okay so let’s be real there are some actual devices to help you with this method, but you can do it with a simple filter and coffee mug.

When our coffee pot broke at work I would use this method. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, but who got the only cup of coffee that day? This girl did!

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get the greatest tasting coffee out of the pour-over method.

1. Just rubber band a coffee filter to the top of the coffee mug.
2. Pour about a tablespoon or more into the filter.
3. Boil some water in a different cup or pot.
4. Pour the boiling water slowly over the coffee grounds, starting from the inside and working your way to the outside. Make sure all coffee grounds get water poured over them.
5. Then to give it a tad extra flavor let the grounds sit in the water and steep for a few minutes.
6. Remove the filter and grounds from the mug
7. Enjoy!

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4. Keurig

One of the most convenient and well-known forms of making coffee is through a Keurig. Unfortunately, this machine may not be the best power saver.

This camper van coffee machine can take up quite a bit of space as well, depending on which machine you decide to purchase. So unless you have a huge campervan to store a whole coffee machine in I would opt out of this option.

P.S. If you don’t like how much k-cups cost, scroll to the filter section and I’ll help you save some money.

5. Percolator

Percolators are great for non-electric or electric camper van coffee machines. Non-electric percolators you can place right on the propane stove or fire to heat up the water.

Here is how this camper van coffee machine works.

1. Place the percolator with water on the stove so it heats up. Or you can place it over a fire. Or plug in.
2. There is a tube that will pull the water from the bottom of the pot and spray it through the top.
3. At the top is a filter with coffee in it.
4. The water will continue to spray over the coffee grounds as the water boils.
5. When it is done, pour it into a cup and enjoy.

6. Aeropress

This is kind of a backward idea of the coffee press. It’s a tad hard to explain, but you can watch this video here for a tutorial on how it works!

Best types of van life coffee filters

Filters play a huge role in your camper van coffee machine. It can change the whole taste of your coffee depending on which one you use. Let’s dive into which filters are best for your van life coffee.

Basic Paper Coffee Filter

You can either purchase these bleached (white) or unbleached (brown, and more environmentally friendly). This option of van life coffee filters offers the most waste and should be considered a last resort.

As for the taste, paper filters offer a more acidic coffee as they tend to strip away the oils within the ground coffee beans. Personally, this is not my favorite tasting, because it always seems watered down compared to a metal mesh filter.

Metal Coffee Filter

A metal coffee filter is the same concept as the paper ones I mentioned above, except it’s more of a metal mesh situation instead of paper.

The flavor changes slightly with this because the mesh has bigger pores and allows for more particles from the coffee grounds to move through it. This gives the coffee a more flavorful and full taste. However, sometimes you may catch a few tiny coffee grounds here and there, but they are hardly noticeable.

Reusable Keurig coffee filter for van life

If you don’t want to spend all of your money on continuously purchasing disposable k-cups, try this reusable coffee filter for your Keurig.

Be careful to find filters that fit your Keurig. With the right brand of coffee, you really can’t tell a difference.

I love using the reusable K-cup because it’s a cheaper alternative, and it provides less waste while traveling in a van (eco-friendly!)

Best types of van life Coffee

I’m just going to go over some of the basics of coffee beans. There are different types of beans other than the ones listed below, but that would take all day… a different post for another time. Here are the coffee beans you will use for your van life coffee maker.

Arabica

one of the most familiar and popular coffee beans is Arabica. The reason being is the sugar content in the bean itself making it a less bitter-tasting drink in the end. Some of the best Arabica coffee in my opinion is Kona coffee from Hawaii. Us this link to save on what Forbes deemed the best coffee!

When we went to Hawaii, everything from the burgers to the coffee tasted so delicious! Probably because a lot of the food we ate came straight from the Island.

Even though Kona coffee has a hefty price tag you may find yourself enjoying it much more than other brands, I know I did.

Robusta

This is an easier bean to grow than the arabica, but results in a more bitter taste. This coffee is quite frequently used in instant coffees or mixed in with other beans as a filler.

Mushroom Cofee

What is mushroom coffee!!? My husband asked me this when I first got the package. But it really is a cool concept. Mushroom coffee offers more antioxidants and is better for those who have coffee sensitivities because they are a tad bit lower in caffeine.

at first, I started off trying Foursigmatic, and it ended up being a total waste of my money. I’m one of those coffee-sensitive people, at least I became so about a year ago. I get extremely jittery to the point of almost passing out, and this brand actually made that reaction worse.

I would go for Mud Wtr for your mushroom “fix” instead. Plus they have teas and drinks that will even help you sleep.

Environmentally Friendly Van Life Coffee

I just wanted to throw this out there because I know if you are traveling or living in a campervan, odds are you worry about waste, plastic, and such.

Wildland Coffee is a brand that offers biodegradable packaging for their coffee, and they are specifically tailored to those outdoorsy adventurous people.

They claim their packaging is compostable, so you won’t need to worry about the waste from this product.

Also, this may seem like an instant coffee, however, it definitely is not. It is literally coffee grounds in a tea bag that you will let steep in your hot mug.

Instant Coffee

I personally don’t care for instant coffee for van life, but it is super convenient especially if you decide to go backpacking. All you need is some hot water, pour the coffee in, and stir…. oh and you still need the creamer.

You really can’t get that authentic coffee taste with instant, however, but it’s great for caffeine when you have no other options.

Monkey Poop Van Life Coffee

Also known as Kopi Luwak, this coffee is exactly as gross as it sounds. There are cat-like creatures called Civets that are taken specifically for this coffee. They eat the coffee cherries, digest them, and poop them out.

Apparently the fact that these “cats” know which coffee cherries taste the best, and the digestive process all help to refine the coffee bean.

I learned of this type of coffee in culinary, but have not been brave enough to try this one yet. Apparently, this is the most expensive coffee you can get as well, prices ranging from $100-$600 per pound.

Creamers For The Best Coffee in a Van

Let’s be honest, it’s not always convenient carrying around liquid creamer that needs to be refrigerated. Sometimes that takes up too much space in your cooler/fridge that you need for other things.

Personally, I see creamer as a necessity! It also HAS to be the liquid creamer that comes in the big bottles, and it’s worth the space that it takes up inside of my cooler. Here are some options for you to use as your creamer, whether you need to save some space or not.

Liquid Creamer

You can get liquid creamer in either the big bottles or you can get it in the smaller cups. I find that the small portion cups are a tad easier to store because they don’t need to be in the cooler. But if I’m honest the creamer in the bigger bottles just tastes better.

Dry Creamer

You will never catch me with dry creamer! Ever! The taste is just not the same. But it stores better and longer, so if that is your “cup of tea” (or cup of coffee) then go right ahead!

Can you run a Camper Van Coffee Machine with a 12-volt battery?

The question everyone wants an answer for is, can you power a camper van coffee machine with a 12v battery? This really depends on the inverter that you have set up. Most coffee makers can draw quite a bit of power. They can range anywhere between 600- 15000 watts. Coffee pots are on the lower end, and Keurigs are on the highest.

You would need a power inverter that can run 1000 watts with 2500 watts peak surge, and also has three AC receptacles.

Vanlife Coffee cups and Mugs

Yeti

I feel like Yetis are an obvious choice for a travel mug because they keep your drinks hot or cold for however long you need them to stay that temperature. If you don’t like the price tag on those, then try the sleek Contigo travel mugs.

Coffee Plate Warmer

The plate warmers will keep your coffee hot while you are enjoying the view or making breakfast. These are considerably more expensive than a travel mug (which will keep your coffee plenty hot), but they are cool nonetheless. They would also make a great gift for a coffee addict like me.

How to make your Vanlife coffee taste even better

There are a few ways you can make a good cup of van life coffee into the greatest cup of van life coffee. And everyone knows you can’t be a barista when living in a van, but you sure can try to be one.

Whole Beans or Ground Coffee?

Obviously whole bean coffee is most flavorful. However, with ground coffee, even though you are compromising flavor, you have the convenience of not grinding your own. When you purchase ground coffee it’s already lost some of its freshness.

There may be a way to have the freshness and convenience of whole coffee beans while you make coffee in your campervan. Check out this very portable coffee grinder. It’s compact, and won’t take up to much space making it convenient for just about any size campervan.

Steep longer

This is just a personal tip and word of advice. When using the pour-over method or the coffee press, steep the grounds in the hot water for a few minutes letting it soak up all of the flavors. This makes the biggest difference in flavor.