From the Office to the Trail: GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip Coffee Maker
I recently have gotten into coffee. I got into coffee because I was tired of energy drinks and ready for something more nuance. I am not the greatest fan of espresso drinks due to the nature of non-portability. I wanted to drink coffee better the the Keurig in our conference room at work, without having to invest a ton of money into a desk setup.
The idea that I could kill two birds with one stone was a great thought, but I didn't feel like breaking the bank on Aeropress just yet. I even tried designing my own folding ultralight pour over funnel out of 0.063" 5052 aluminum, but alas I gave in to the near $13 alure of the GSI Ultralight Drip filter while making a routine trip to REI.
And boy am I so glad I did.
The craziest part is that it isn't even Chemex pour-over or boutique French-press and I've completely forgone my EDM playlist to revisit John Mayer's 2012 Born and Raised album to soak in the rich flavor and vibes. Sure, there are more fines that make it through the filter and it's easy to botch the perfect cup, but something about the asymmetry of every brew makes this $13 piece of gear so charming. I truly feel 12 again like I am taking sips of my dad's coffee on a cool afternoon in the autumn of South Carolina.
Don't even get me started on the portability. It weighs nothing and folds up to store in a small, flat pocket. The reusable filter is easy to clean and easy to learn a good pour. I literally bring this thing everywhere with me. I am very excited to use this drip coffee maker on the top of Mt, LeConte in a few weeks while backpacking with my brother-in-law. Of course, the biggest drawback to this over instant coffee is packing out used grounds. #LeaveNoTrace
Here are pics of the setup in action at the office today:
At 0.4oz, this filter is extremely lightweight. Of course, the coffee setup does include a mug, grounds (or beans and a grinder for fresher taste) and water to make the coffee. So in all it is definitely more cumbersome than instant coffee, while being more compact and producing slightly less waste than the Aeropress.
The filter is reusable size #4. I would assume that this presents its own limitations, as fines were consistently present with average use and after dialing in beans on a good grinder. But it is good enough to make a better cup than Keurig and satisfy me.
This filter sits exactly where you would expect and performs well for its gives/takes. It is better than instant coffee in taste and while the filter is extremely easy to setup and pour into, it is hard to dial in the right amount of grounds and pour technique to produce an exceedingly great cup without a gooseneck pot. Therefore it was docked a point in ease of use due to the technicalities required to get a great cup of coffee versus the Aeropress (which is more technical in components, but you basically wait to steep and squeeze the filter to get a consistently good cup).
Would I recommend? Since I have yet to use it on trail, the office answer is obviously yes. If you enjoy pour-over or drip coffee, this is a great way to elevate your office brew while being able to pack for trail use.
This is not a sponsored post, but if you would like to try this filter for yourself, clink the link below and it will bring you to the REI page. I believe this unit is also sold at Walmart and a few other big box stores:
Stay tuned for a detailed trail review post-trip. I will also review a lot of current gear during that trip, since I have not been overnight backpacking since I bought some key items like my Durston Kakwa 55L and REI Magma 30 Sleeping Bag.
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