By Dana Botz, Minnesota Chapter Guide
The Love Affair Begins
I love coffee. There! I said it: I absolutely love coffee. I love the taste of it, the steam rising up from a hot cup, and its delightful aroma. My earliest memory relates to coffee. I remember being too small to see over the top of the table, holding up my blue melamine coffee cup, and asking for “more coffee”. Because I was a child, I’m sure my coffee at that age, was more water than coffee, but I’ve changed the proportions since then. Now, I love my coffee strong…but, decaffeinated. Did I just say that I need my coffee decaffeinated? Why bother drinking it at all if it’s decaffeinated? Well, as I said previously, I love the taste of coffee and the stronger (espresso) the better, but how do I bring my espresso camping, especially when we like to boondock?
The Problem Ensues
The first thing I usually do when we arrive at a new campsite is look for a “real” coffeeshop in the area, not just a café with a coffeepot. I need the real thing. A 30 minute drive from the campsite is not a problem. I can justify the long drive to myself or my husband by pretending that we are going sightseeing. I guess we are sightseeing in that I am “seeing” if I can find a good cup of coffee. Consequently, this plan does not always work, and then we have a problem. I start to get cranky and all I can think about is that really good cup of coffee that I just can’t find.
Preemptive Planning
I have tried to plan for this type of problem with little success. In our campervan, I have a big campfire-type coffeepot (for our Girl Camper meet ups), a French press, and even (gasp!) instant coffee. Despite my best efforts, I’m never quite satisfied with those feeble attempts. Regular (weak) coffee is just not the same as a good cup of decaf espresso. Then, on Christmas Day 2023, I experienced a Christmas Miracle! That day became a game changer in my quest for a decaf espresso or an iced decaf Americano while camping. My husband gifted me a Wacaco Minipresso NS ®.
Wacaco to The Rescue
What is a Wacaco Minipresso NS and how did I survive without one for so many years? Wacaco coffee machines are advertised as “espresso on the go”. You can take this espresso machine camping, hiking, or to the office. The Minipresso NS machine is compact and uses Nespresso ® original pods. This machine is extremely easy to use, and the espresso even has crema on top. What could be better? All you need to do is add boiling water, pump the piston, and you’ll end up with 45 mL of liquid bliss. I was in heaven the first time I tried it! This video shows just how easy it is to use the Wacaco espresso maker (https://youtu.be/-Cev3cHjeUc). Wacaco has other espresso and coffee machine options for those who don’t use Nespresso ® pods. They, also, have other coffee equipment such as grinders, mugs, and coffee scales (https://www.wacaco.com/). You can use this link to purchase your own Wacaco coffee machine, and I’ll receive a gift when you use this link: https://www.wacaco.com?aff=1021
What Has Been Your Experience?
I would love to hear from anyone who has used a Wacaco espresso or coffee maker. Did you find it easy to use? What challenges, if any, did you have? Have you used any of their other equipment? Most importantly, did you like the espresso or coffee? How did it compare to your normal espresso from your local coffeeshop? I think I’m going to go make an espresso right now…
