My wife and I travel on business and visiting friends and relatives.

Over the decades we have tried instant coffee packages, instant coffee in a jar, and buying a cup along the way. The latter is an expensive and frequently disappointing experience, while the former can be best described at times as swill.

Today we normally take a Nespresso Pixie with us, packing it in a soft case inside our carry-on. The soft case can hold a small voltage converter (we are 220-240v), and 55 coffee capsules, including some packed in the water reservoir. Consistent good coffee anywhere, and the small Pixie is easy to pack and carry.

It is safe to carry the machine in carry-on. When we arrive in North America we have found that the TSA agents are familiar and know what a Nespresso machine is without any problems.

We are now in Brasil for the holidays (and the warm weather) sans Pixie this trip, as the really good café nacional is available everywhere here.