After two Rick Steves tours, I've learned that the coffee in some European countries is not great. Would love to bring a travel tea kettle, cup and instant coffee to have in my rooms, but wondering if the Eastern Europe tour hotels already have one?
Could anyone who's been on this tour let me know? Thanks so much!
I've been on that tour and ones in Italy and France. I only recall having a kettle in rooms in Britain.
I don't recall having a kettle, but I did the tour more than ten years ago. It seems like a tea kettle would take up a lot of room in your luggage. Maybe consider an immersion heater that takes up less space? (e.g. like this https://a.co/d/52LnNfb). I always travel with back up coffee packets. I've also found many hotels are glad to provide hot water (or access to a microwave) if you ask politely.
@CL, I'm looking at collapsible kettles that are made of food grade silicone. Right now I'm looking whether it's compatible with my International converter. But I like your idea too, thanks for the link!
Just went on this tour in June. I don't recall a kettle, but all the hotels had coffee machines with a lot of choices and they were all good so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
@jlkelman Yes, the hotels have coffee at breakfast, but on the RS tours I've done, it wasn't very good...especially the stuff from the machines. Plus I like to have my coffee or tea before I go downstairs for breakfast.
I can't answer about the hotel equipment, but an immersion heater seems like a much better idea. Takes up a lot less space in your luggage.
But whatever you choose, you should buy a 230 V version in Europe instead of bringing a 120 V version.
I came to say just what Badger just said -- go ahead and buy a Euro-voltage immersion heater rather than an American one.
Ditto on the immersion heater. I always carry one (made for 240v) and sometimes forget to unplug it before removing it from the water. Instant burnout. We had fun shopping for a new one in Bologna last September.
I travel with an immersion heater. As long as you remember that it must be immersed in water while plugged in you'll be fine. Mine are dual voltage.
I also have a collapsible kettle that is dual voltage. All you need is an adapter plug (grounded). The kettle, with cord and case, weighs over a pound which is why I don't travel with it.
Both can be found on Amazon.
If you really like good coffee, you might want to try an Aeropress. I've been using one for over 4 years and will never use anything else, even at home. It is simple, compact and easy to pack - many campers take them on camping trips. And it makes wonderful coffee - better than my Cuisinart drip coffeemaker that I used to use.
I took it with me on my last trip and it was so nice to have some good coffee when there was none available. Both Serious Eats and NYT Wirecutter recommend it as their top choices for coffee.
I just use the regular one when I travel but they do have a travel kit where everything packs in a container with a lid.
If you carry your immersion heater and coffee supplies do you also carry mugs or cups? I’d never really thought about it but the immersion heater could open up more lodging options; the lack of a kettle or coffeemaker in the room is a dealbreaker for us. Thanks.
I carry an insulated metal cup and the immersion heater rides inside that in my suitcase. I just have to remember not to put it in the microwave!
You can find one on Amazon searching for “insulated metal coffee cup”. Here is one option:
Or you can spend 2x and get a very nice Yeti one. Or look for 2-packs which are often more cost-conscious.
Mine is one with no handle, which makes it easier to pack. It is made by MiiR, very similar to this ( same graphics), but shorter and squatter.
I got mine free with a purchase from Patagonia Provisions (sustainable camping food, seafood, and pantry items). Now they have the same offer with a different mug:
I travel with a single cup cone drip Miletta pour over and some number 2 filters along with the SLORoasted coffee that I pack.
SLORoasted is a roaster from Morro Bay, CA. Been a fan of their Big Sky Blend for ages.
Always enjoy rooms with kettles.
I guess it how you define a good cup of coffee? Reminded me of posting a few years ago of a poster traveling in France and strongly recommended that if you wanted a good coffee of "American" coffee you needed to bring a jar of instant coffee with you. Whatever your standards are. Our first trip to Italy '93 hooked up on espresso and grinding your own beans and we have not bought a can of ground coffee since that trip.
The travel coffee presses and pour overs are great, but you still need hot water for them, and I'd prefer not to use hot water from the bathroom tap. I typically have bottled water with me and want to be able to heat that up, hence the desire for a Euro compatible collapsible kettle or an immersion heater. Will likely go for the latter. Avoiding Amazon because I've seen some bad/scary reviews for some of them. Looking at a few options from Home Depot right now.
I just need very hot water...I already have the instant coffee that I like. Also already found a collapsible silicone coffee cup, so no need for coffee cup recommendations.
Thanks all!
For other readers besides Jill looking at this question (Jill has described her specific type of requests very well), I bring one of these cups on all of my trips. First, because I don’t want to use bathroom cups from the hotel. I get migraines if I don’t have a cup of coffee at an expected time, so I can use this with the hottest tap water & some Starbucks Via or Nescafe sticks to drink coffee in my room, especially those first two mornings of time changes & jet lag. This solution isn’t what Jill is looking for, but it will provide the needed caffeine for others.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07545HPT2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Those cups are so stinking cute!
I have a set of similar collapsible food-grade silicone cups - with matching plates/bowls. Surprisingly lightweight, it packs flat (they even nest). With these and a spork, I can survive almost anywhere.
Sea to Summit X-Set Collapsible Camping Dinnerware Set with Zippered Pouch
They're awesome (though not cheap). I got my set at REI and don't recall them being nearly so spendy, maybe I caught a deal. Very useful, and the plate can even double as a frisbee in a pinch.
I'm looking at collapsible kettles that are made of food grade silicone
I brought one of these to Iceland and we used it with a metal camping coffee press. I don’t think an immersion thing works for anything but single cups of tea, or instant coffee— yuck.
Part of the reason for buying it was ability to boil water before drinking in dodgy settings, not in Europe.
I recall that French hotels had kettles and instant coffee in slender tubes, pretty bad.
I just did the Loire to south of France Tour and only the last hotel in Nice had coffee and tea in the room...and it wasn't good. Fortunately they had a Nespresso downstairs in the breakfast area.
I did get an Amazon one, similar to this but the one I bought is dual voltage, adapter is required. It’s fairly small and light but sacrificing space for it is not for everyone. Fresh coffee from grounds immediately in the morning is a priority for us. We are not interested in espresso or cappuccino.
Yeah, I've seen a few of these collapsible silicone kettles on Amazon, but after reading some of the lower rated reviews, I'm very hesitant to purchase one.
I don't see any reason to not purchase one, based on performance. I wouldn't trust the reviews too much.
Thanks for the coffee cup responses. Coffee is this household’s primary food group. Safe travels and a healthy new year to all.
It’s been a few years since I’ve been on a RS tour. In Italy I recall that if the hotel had one of those self serve multi drink coffee machines you could still order coffee. I would just ask a staff member for a cappuccino and they would make it in the back somewhere.
People have different tastes but I never really cared for instant coffee. Have they changed much?
I used one of these cups for a couple of years with my immersion heater.
I now use this cup:
I also bring these filters for ground coffee:
And I have one of those collapsible silicone cups as well.
Frank: The coffee filters are brilliant. Not only is a coffee press bulky the clean up is nasty.
Those coffee filters are standard in Japan which is where I discovered them.
Instead of intant coffee, prefilled ones were in all my hotel rooms in Japan. A kettle is standard in rooms as is green tea.
I'm sipping a cup of coffee made with one of those filters as I write this.
If I want to make filtered coffee in a room without a kettle....I boil water with my immersion heater in the Lifeventure cup. Pour it into the silicone cup. Set up the filter with coffee in the Lifeventure cup and pour the water from the silicone cup over the coffee filter into the Lifeventure cup. Much nicer to drink from than the silicone one.
All of that takes up less room and weighs less than the travel kettle.
For those who like milk in their coffee, some countries sell mini tubs that don't need refrigeration. Italy, Greece and Switzerland come to mind while not so in Scandinavia.
Standard in most UK and Irish hotels.
They look someting like this:
In fact, that's the brand found in Greece. This is real stuff not the fake creamer found in the US.
Does anyone know of other countries that have these?
For those who like milk in their coffee, some countries sell mini tubs
that don't need refrigeration. Italy, Greece and Switzerland come to
mind while not so in Scandinavia.Standard in most UK and Irish hotels.
They look someting like this:
Coffee creamer
In fact, that's the brand found in Greece. This is real stuff not the
fake creamer found in the US.Does anyone know of other countries that have these?
Land o' Lakes has Mini-Moos.
It has extra ingredients to make it shelf stable, not just milk and cream like the refrigerated carton, but still real half and half, not coffee "lightener".
Land o Lakes Mini Moos are only available in the USA.
Perhaps I should have been more specific and wrote:
Does anyone know of other EUROPEAN countries that have these?
I would bring my own coffeemate, but I don't want security thinking it's drugs 😄
