GSI Coffee Rocket Review

The GSI Coffee Rocket is a small, compact and collapsible, pour-over coffee maker for camping. It’s one of the many portable coffee makers that I’ve used over the years, and it’s currently my favorite. After about a month or so of use at home and in the field, I’ve come to appreciate the simplicity of this one-person camp coffee maker. I like it so much that it has replaced an Aeropress for making coffee at home. Plus, it’s cheap! It’s just $11 at REI last I checked. It’s also available on Amazon.

The Coffee Rocket is a small, polypropylene and nylon coffee maker with a stainless-steel filter. It’s designed to collapse and fit inside a mug. It’s a perfect fit for the GSI Outdoors Infinity Backpacker Mug, which is pictured in my photos. After assembled (see the above photo), it becomes an easy-to-use camp coffee maker.

To make the best coffee with it, here’s what works for me. First, I start with a fine grind of Boundary Waters Canoe Italian Expresso. I fill the stainless-steel filter up to the top and slightly pack it. Then I set the filter onto my mug. GSI recommends using a medium grind, but I found that a fine grind worked better for the coffee that I use. It’s the same grind as I’d use for an Aeropress (sidenote: since Aeropress got bought out, the price has gone up significantly. It seems really steep now).

Anyway, before adding the drip cone, I’ll wet the grounds for a bloom. After it blooms — about 30 to 45 seconds — I’ll add the drip cone. Then I fill the drip come with 8 ounces of boiling water. At 200°F, I get more subtle flavors, but I feel like boiling extracts a bit more of the coffee. At home, it’s easy to vary my temps. I use a pot with a temperature control. In the field, it’s easier just to boil the water. After about 2 or 3 minutes (or just enough time to take the tarp and bug bivy down), the drip is over, and the coffee is ready. It requires very little work for a good cup of camping coffee. The only downside is that it only makes one cup.

Cleanup is also easy. I just dump out the coffee into my trash bag and then clean it with hot water by rinsing it out. Scrubbing with a little soap and water removes any coffee residue.

Overall, I’ve been more than happy with the GSI Coffee Rocket. If you want to make your coffee instead of using instant, I’d recommend that you give this a try. It’s under $11, so it seems like a no-brainer to me.

Get it at REI or on Amazon.

If you would rather use instant coffee for your canoe and kayak camping needs, check out my reviews of First Ascent Coffee and Alpine Start Coffee.