The Sea to Summit X-Brew passes the test for making a great coffee. A hot brew in the morning is one of the many parts of camping trips I enjoy. Cold weather makes it tough to crawl out of a warm sleeping bag, but I know that the bright morning sun and a warm cup of coffee make for a relaxing time that refreshes body and soul. Outdoor activities are often a lot of work, but that effort makes me really appreciate the small and simple things.
Like much of Sea to Summit‘s other cookware, the X-Brew uses an accordion style collapsible sidewall to pack down small. The flat base and sidewall form the main body. The base is flexible but is thick and small enough to give plenty of support and keep the X-Brew on top of a coffee mug. A nylon ring stiffens the top of the food-grade silicone sidewall. Collapsing is easy, but be sure to keep fingers away from the center. Pushing in the center will pop out the metal screen and may damage the screen.
Good taste is a top priority for coffee in the woods, and I think it is the top priority for me. The Sea to Summit X-Brew makes a great cup of coffee but I needed just a bit of practice to get it right. Water flows pretty quickly through the X-Brew so I found that darker and stronger roasts worked better for me. Running the water through the grounds twice also works to get a stronger brew, and this helps to cool a really hot batch of water if needed.
Paper filters can be used with the X-Brew, but the included double mesh screen with 180 micron holes strains the coffee well. Only the very finest particles will pass through the screen. The filtering is much like a French press and anything that does make it through is not noticeable when drinking. When using paper filters, remove the screen and the spiral ribs in the base will let water flow well.
The Sea to Summit X-Brew weighs 2.9 ounces, is 4.3 inches wide and folds up to 0.8 inches thick. Its base is wide enough to work well with wide mouth water bottles and every mug and coffee cup tested. Sea to Summit says the X-Brew has a 2 cup capacity. The coffee maker is designed to fit inside X-Pot Kettle and I have carried it inside the X-Set 21. Although the lid bulges a little, this setup worked fine for me.
The Sea to Summit X-Brew sells for $17.95. If you don‘t like instant and want to use your regular coffee, the X-Brew is a great choice for you. Click HERE to browse over to the Sea to Summit website.
Mark
I‘d like to thank Sea to Summit for the test sample. We at Industry Outsider have limited budgets, and the ability to provide honest, useful information on gear hopefully benefits everybody.