I love the Aeropress! It’s undoubtedly the most popular brewer for a camping trip or vacation because it’s small, tough, and has markings on the side for easy no-scale brewing.  It’s also an immersion brewer, so there’s no need to have a gooseneck kettle.  Those are great reasons to bring one along for the ride, but I will always prefer a Clever Dripper.  Here’s why:

1. The Clever is one piece.

   An Aeropress consists of a chamber, plunger, and filter cap, while the Clever is one single piece.  And, while the Aeropress can be stowed away with everything locked in together, I don’t want to be out camping messing with screwing on the filter cap, making sure the pieces are sealing correctly, and finding a flat surface to plunge on. The Clever also doesn’t require a gooseneck kettle (immersion).

2. The Clever has minimal food scrap for camping (leave no trace)

An Aeropress cleans up pretty well by popping the filter out after brewing, but there are still grounds that get stuck to the surface that have to be scraped off.  Alternatively, a Clever filter can be pulled out very cleanly, tied off and stowed without leaving any grounds.

3. It’s easy to mark a Clever to forego the scale

Most Clever’s are clear, so marking the side with a piece of tape can help you add the correct amount of water without using a scale

4. A Clever is so forgiving

This one’s a bit more personal, but when I’m travelling I’m sure to mess up something about the Aeropress.  If I brew inverted, I’ll forget to screw on the filter before flipping it over and spilling everything; if I brew it right-side-up, I’ll mess up the seal.  A Clever requires just the amount of brain power I have on an average vacation morning.

5. A Clever can make more coffee

The Aeropress (filled to the brim) makes a short cup of coffee, while the Clever can make two at a time. Additionally, the Clever can handle short cups of coffee as well—the flexibility is a huge plus!