Pro tip: I dropped $60 on a portable espresso maker for hostels and it changed my mornings completely

I blew sixty bucks on one of those handheld espresso makers before a three week trip through Southeast Asia last fall. Best money I ever spent for budget travel. I was waking up in hostels where the free breakfast coffee is basically brown water, and having a real shot of espresso in my room saved me from blowing five bucks at a cafe every morning. But here's the other side - my buddy said it was a waste of space in his backpack and he'd rather just drink the local coffee for cheap. He thinks counter space in hostels is too tight and cleaning the thing is a hassle. So what's the verdict for you all? Is a portable espresso maker a game changer for saving money on the road, or just another gadget that clogs up your bag?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor_mitchell806d ago

Your buddy is right that cleaning is annoying, but your point about saving five bucks a day is exactly why I think these things are worth it for some trips. It's like the whole debate about packing cubes people either swear by them or think they're unnecessary junk. I've noticed that travelers tend to fall into two camps those who want to recreate their home routine on the road and those who just adapt to whatever's available. You clearly belong to the first group like I do, and that's totally fine as long as you don't mind the extra weight. The real trick is figuring out if the routine or the savings matter more to you on that specific trip. For your hostel mornings with bad coffee, that sixty bucks probably paid for itself in good moods alone.

dakotab136d ago

$60 on coffee gear feels like a lot of money for something that solves a problem that's mostly in your head. I just deal with bad coffee for a week and move on.