Travel Kettle

Old Mar 31, 2015, 12:11 pm
  #61  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BOS
Posts: 314
Originally Posted by Tizzette
Starbucks Via instant coffee actually makes good coffee. It is so much better than instant coffee used to be, it is a game changer. The convenience and space saving of packing a few individual serving twists vs all that drip coffee paraphernalia is worth it.
On your suggestion, I did try one of the lighter roast Via packs today. I think it's better than typical instant coffee, and it seems to have about the same amount of caffeine as a typical cup. I found that I had to let it settle a bit to be drinkable, but it worked.

You can get a smoother cup with single serving drip-over for about the same amount of gear, but I suppose it depends on your personal tastes.
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Old Mar 31, 2015, 2:30 pm
  #62  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
Nice of you to try it! This has been a good thread.
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Old Feb 17, 2017, 2:45 am
  #63  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 1
Hello!

This is a great thread! I've read it completely through and have found resolution for questions that I've been seeking answers to for over a year.

We, like so many others here, want to be able to have a decent cup of coffee and tea while traveling. I'm pretty much set on the brewing part. We use insulated wide mouth Klean Kanteens with a GSI H2Joe screw on brew screen. Works great with a course grind, and works well with a standard drip grind. You get some French press type "sludge" at the bottom but it's easily avoided by not drinking that last sip and it gives that French press body that we enjoy. I may experiment with adding a hemp filter as well to catch a bit of those excessive fines when using a drip grind.

So my problem is hot water. I've been trying to find out if I could use an immersion water heater with the stainless Klean Kanteen and never could get a straight answer till now. Huge thanks for that! I learned not to plug it in unless the unit is submerged in water and unplug before taking it out. I'm still not sure if I want to try this or go for a kettle of some sort. But I ran across another question that came up from the extensive knowledge in this thread. If I go with a kettle, I'll have to do two back to back boils so my spouse and I can each have a mug. As I learned, some kettles have to be completely cooled after the auto off switch is tripped before starting another book. This would be a complete dealbreaker for us. So I'm wondering, are there any mainstream (like available from Amazon Prime in the US for instance) that can do a second boil immediately? Can I trick it into doing so? For instance, turning off the kettle right before it boils avoiding tripping the switch and allowing another boil? Would this be difficult to get the timing correct and we end up frequently frustrated with one of us not having their cup of coffee? Would I be better off with the immersion heater? Can the immersion heater go from one bottle to the other and do back to back boils without cooling? Has anyone used one of the new silicone collapsible kettles? I'd rather use stainless if it were for daily use but I'm intrigued for travel. They also seem to hold more water per boil on average.

Thanks again so much? I'd love to hear your thoughts and expertise as to which option may suit our situation better. I have no experience using an immersion heater so any additional information you think I may need to know would be brilliant. I'm assuming that as long as the immersion unit is submerged, it doesn't matter if it touches the inside walls of the insulated steel bottle?

By the way, the new Klean Kanteen Cafe Cup 2.0 leakproof lid is brilliant! Makes using the bottle with hot drinks so much better! We highly recommend them.

Thanks so much!
Rae
lifereinspired is offline  
Old Feb 18, 2017, 12:58 pm
  #64  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
My Severin travel kettle will do back to back boils. It holds enough water for two mugs.
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Old Mar 1, 2017, 6:33 pm
  #65  
tcl
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: In a hotel somewhere trying to repack everything I brought (and bought) in to a carry-on smaller than my last one.
Programs: UA, Asia Miles, Southwest, IHG
Posts: 1,101
Originally Posted by lifereinspired
Hello!

This is a great thread! I've read it completely through and have found resolution for questions that I've been seeking answers to for over a year.

We, like so many others here, want to be able to have a decent cup of coffee and tea while traveling. I'm pretty much set on the brewing part. We use insulated wide mouth Klean Kanteens with a GSI H2Joe screw on brew screen. Works great with a course grind, and works well with a standard drip grind. You get some French press type "sludge" at the bottom but it's easily avoided by not drinking that last sip and it gives that French press body that we enjoy. I may experiment with adding a hemp filter as well to catch a bit of those excessive fines when using a drip grind.

So my problem is hot water. I've been trying to find out if I could use an immersion water heater with the stainless Klean Kanteen and never could get a straight answer till now. Huge thanks for that! I learned not to plug it in unless the unit is submerged in water and unplug before taking it out. I'm still not sure if I want to try this or go for a kettle of some sort. But I ran across another question that came up from the extensive knowledge in this thread. If I go with a kettle, I'll have to do two back to back boils so my spouse and I can each have a mug. As I learned, some kettles have to be completely cooled after the auto off switch is tripped before starting another book. This would be a complete dealbreaker for us. So I'm wondering, are there any mainstream (like available from Amazon Prime in the US for instance) that can do a second boil immediately? Can I trick it into doing so? For instance, turning off the kettle right before it boils avoiding tripping the switch and allowing another boil? Would this be difficult to get the timing correct and we end up frequently frustrated with one of us not having their cup of coffee? Would I be better off with the immersion heater? Can the immersion heater go from one bottle to the other and do back to back boils without cooling? Has anyone used one of the new silicone collapsible kettles? I'd rather use stainless if it were for daily use but I'm intrigued for travel. They also seem to hold more water per boil on average.

Thanks again so much? I'd love to hear your thoughts and expertise as to which option may suit our situation better. I have no experience using an immersion heater so any additional information you think I may need to know would be brilliant. I'm assuming that as long as the immersion unit is submerged, it doesn't matter if it touches the inside walls of the insulated steel bottle?

By the way, the new Klean Kanteen Cafe Cup 2.0 leakproof lid is brilliant! Makes using the bottle with hot drinks so much better! We highly recommend them.

Thanks so much!
Rae
A kettle can be forced to reboil back-to-back if it has a rocking button such as the Bonavita Dual Voltage Kettle. However doing so will shorten the lifespan of the kettle and possibly mess up the thermostat which the auto-off safety function depends on.

If you're going for 2 x 16oz mugs or larger, that will essentially be 1 litre or more, so one of the full-sized kettles would be appropriate if the dual voltage function is not needed. Procter-Silex kettle is often available at drugstores (Walgreens/CVS) but does have a strong plastic taste for the first few weeks. Stainless kettles of a similar size can also be found online.

If you require dual-voltage, the Narita has the largest capacity at 700ml but does not have a rocking switch to manually force it to reboil. Most other dual-voltage kettles have a maximum 500ml (2-cup) capacity.

What size is your mug? The reason I ask is that my 16oz travel mug is only 16oz when filled to the brim without its lid. The usable capacity is actually only 14 oz if I plan to put a lid on and drink my tea/coffee black (which I do.) If you need a much larger capacity for 2 x >20oz Klean Kanteens, then I would recommend getting the most compact full-sized kettle you can find in the voltage of your destination. There is a saying in ultralight backpacking "ounce-wise; hour foolish". To save time and headache just get the size you need to get your brew made properly and your day started on time. You can either donate the kettle when you go home or take it home with you for another trip.

Last edited by tcl; Mar 1, 2017 at 6:44 pm Reason: typo and clarification
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 2:26 am
  #66  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 573
I ordered this one a couple weeks ago for my upcoming trip to Hong Kong

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MG7YLQG/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MG7YLQG/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gourmia GK320 Travel Foldable Electric Kettle - Dual Voltage - Fast Water Boiling - Food Grade Silicone - Small, Collapsible, Portable - Boil Dry Protection - .5 Qt - 100v/120v and 220v/240v - White
MareLuce is offline  
Old Feb 11, 2019, 5:54 pm
  #67  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,298
@MareLuce - Did you check tripadvisor or other room photos for a kettle? I'd be surprised if a HK hotel or AirBnB didn't provide kettle in the room somewhere in a drawer or on a counter since HK is a tea drinking region. An email to the hotel/host might save you some packing space.
freecia is offline  
Old Feb 11, 2019, 6:35 pm
  #68  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 573
Originally Posted by freecia
@MareLuce - Did you check tripadvisor or other room photos for a kettle?
. I havent. Good point. I assumed they wouldnt.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 7:53 pm
  #69  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
Originally Posted by freecia
@MareLuce - Did you check tripadvisor or other room photos for a kettle? I'd be surprised if a HK hotel or AirBnB didn't provide kettle in the room somewhere in a drawer or on a counter since HK is a tea drinking region. An email to the hotel/host might save you some packing space.
Not specific to Hong Kng, but hotels that do not provide every room with a kettle and cups as standard often have a few available to provide upon request. You can email and find out for sure.
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Old Jun 22, 2019, 5:18 pm
  #70  
 
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Originally Posted by MareLuce
I ordered this one a couple weeks ago for my upcoming trip to Hong Kong

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gourmia GK320 Travel Foldable Electric Kettle - Dual Voltage - Fast Water Boiling - Food Grade Silicone - Small, Collapsible, Portable - Boil Dry Protection - .5 Qt - 100v/120v and 220v/240v - White
Any personal experience with these? I was reluctant to buy because of the silicone (even tho it is food grade). Does it have an aftertaste?

I'm also looking for a very portable coffee pot for my partner to take on cruises. I'm looking for very very small size. I've read the thread in Travel Products and didn't like any of the suggestions. Thanks in advance.
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 9:43 pm
  #71  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,298
Originally Posted by fmkgb
I'm also looking for a very portable coffee pot for my partner to take on cruises.
Most cruise lines geared towards Americans and Australians prohibit guests from bringing their own kettle or coffee pot. They also don't allow clothing irons, surge protectors, and clothing steamers. Such items are confiscated if found and returned at the end of the cruise. Cruises departing from the UK usually have kettles in the rooms or available. Norwegian and Tui/Mein Schiff (a German cruise agency partially owned by Royal Caribbean) offer coffee makers in balcony cabins and higher. Car ferries seem to be ok with kettles.

I usually bring a thermos and a silicon mug/cup cover like this on cruises
https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Covers-Multicolored-Flexible-Covers%EF%BC%8CHot/dp/B07P44XY13/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_79_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=5CZ5VECR3J5YNSMJDNC4&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Covers-Multicolored-Flexible-Covers%EF%BC%8CHot/dp/B07P44XY13/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_79_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=5CZ5VECR3J5YNSMJDNC4&th=1
I fill them with hot water from the buffet. The cup cover allows me to take a filled mug back to my cabin and also keeps my drink warmer. Just push the lid down the burp out air and it'll be much safer to take down a rocking hallway than a cup with a hole in the lid. You can usually also get hot water via room service, dining room, or at a pay coffee bar. I'm picky about hot water taste and temperature (I can't stand coffee flavored hot water) so it is usually a jaunt to the buffet or pay coffee bar for me.

The smallest hot water maker combination is an immersion coil and a cup.
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Old Jun 28, 2019, 7:12 pm
  #72  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 573
Originally Posted by fmkgb
Any personal experience with these? I was reluctant to buy because of the silicone (even tho it is food grade). Does it have an aftertaste? I'm also looking for a very portable coffee pot for my partner to take on cruises. I'm looking for very very small size.
I did purchase it and really liked it during a long weekend trip. It is absolutely the smallest portable electric kettle I've found.

I've made both my fave decaf with it (Costco's Ruta Maya Decaf) and the Starbucks Via with it Both were good. If there was a silicone taste, the coffee was masking it.

As point of reference - I can taste the difference between RO water and tap water, even though our water is supposed to be very high quality. My current under kitchen sink RO unit is being replaced, so I'm having to drink tap and it's not as good...

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Old Jun 28, 2019, 7:16 pm
  #73  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 573
Originally Posted by freecia
@MareLuce - Did you check tripadvisor or other room photos for a kettle? I'd be surprised if a HK hotel or AirBnB didn't provide kettle in the room somewhere in a drawer or on a counter since HK is a tea drinking region. An email to the hotel/host might save you some packing space.
You were correct @freecia.

I stayed at the Langham in Tsim Sha Tsui, HK, and they definitely did have a tea kettle. What an awesome room and hotel.
Thanks to your reply I checked in advance and did not pack the kettle for this trip.

Good thing too - I acquired too many souvenirs at the Hong Kong History Museum!
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