The cottage is the perfect environment to really savour your coffee, with the sights and sounds of nature heightening the pleasure of every sip. But just because you’re far away from your favourite coffee chains and your well-equipped home kitchen doesn’t mean you have to settle for boring, no-frills brews. With this list of simple gear and accessories, you can really elevate your cottage coffee experience.
Conical burr grinder
There are two types of grinders on the market: blades and burrs. Blade grinders, like simple spice grinders, have two spinning blades. They’ll crush your coffee, but the grind will be slightly uneven. Burr grinders, on the other hand, have two cone-shaped burrs with ridges that crush the coffee into a perfect uniform blend, which makes for a better cup of coffee. If you want to get fancy, the Virtuoso grinder by Baratza is considered one of the best grinders on the market.
French press
Just because you’re up at the cottage doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have at least a few great coffee makers on hand for all your java cravings. The French press is a must, and the Chambord is a classic by Bodum. Originally crafted in the 1950s, it’s been a bestseller from day one. And if you’re in the mood for something refreshing on a hot summer day, it also makes fantastic iced coffee.
Pour-over coffee maker
Making the perfect cup of pour-over coffee takes time and technique, which is why it’s not always the best choice on busy city days. But it’s a great treat for a slow-moving cottage morning when you don’t have to rush off to work. The Chemex coffee maker is an excellent option, praised for its heavier filters, which keep out unwanted sediment.
Ground coffee dispenser
Grinding your own beans every day is ideal, but not always practical. Sometimes you need to grind a few days’ worth at a time and find a viable storage solution. The Zevro Ground Coffee Dispenser is a storage container that houses your ground coffee in an airtight environment. But it also doubles as a coffee dispenser that ejects exactly 1 tbsp. of ground coffee with every squeeze. You can choose how many squeezes you need for your perfect cup of coffee without busting out the measuring cup. And by using the dispensing function, you won’t have to keep opening the container and exposing your grounds to damaging air.
Milk frother
There’s a good chance you’ll have a latte craving while you’re up at the cottage, and driving to the nearest coffee house won’t be an option. But neither is shelling out mega bucks for an industrial milk steamer you won’t use very often. Bodum offers the perfect solution with its battery-operated milk frother, which is microwavable so you can heat your milk easily. It has a foaming spiral that rotates sideways and up and down to create impressive foam for your latte treat.
Coffee Joulies
Do you like to nurse a cup of coffee for hours but loathe cold coffee? Do you continuously burn your tongue trying to slurp back burning brew? If so, these Coffee Joulies will be your lifesaver. Made from 85 percent recycled stainless steel, Coffee Joulies masquerade as beans, but are actually tiny thermodynamic heat storage devices. When you drop them into hot coffee, the material inside the bean shell melts to cool your java to drinking temperature. Once the ideal drinking temp is reached (around 140 degrees Fahrenheit), the liquid solidifies to keep your beverage toasty for twice as long. Talk about a magic bean!
Minipresso
This hand-powered espresso machine from Wacaco allows espresso fans to get a fancy fix on the go. Just scoop in some ground coffee, tamp it down, pour some hot water in, and start pumping. It’s the perfect way to add a little class to a camping trip, road trip, or picnic. It’s also great for cottagers who enjoy espresso but have limited counter space and don’t want to transport a massive machine back and forth from home.
Heated travel mug
Now that you’re loaded up on coffee gadgets for the cottage, how do you tackle the long drive up to the lake? Pick up a heated travel mug, which plugs into the cigarette lighter in your car and keeps your coffee nice and toasty for your cottage commute. It also has a locking, spill-resistant lid for those dicey country road moments. Various models are available, but the Princess International mug offers built-in temperature controllers.
