I’m sure most of you know Stanley. Founded in 1913 by inventor William Stanley Jr, they invented the steel, vacuum insulated bottle that we all still use in some configuration to this day.
They’ve also been a staple of our childhood, finding them everywhere in our memories, from watching dad or gramps go to work with that iconic vacuum-insulated thermos under his arm, to steel ice chests at picnics and camping trips.
I’m a big fan of Stanley and have many of their products that I use all of the time. Including a Stanley product that I bought a few years ago that I really enjoy and use it to have a stellar #coffeeoutside experience, the Stanley Adventure All-in-One Coffee System 17oz.
I mostly use this when I’m camping as it’s perfect for my wife and me, but occasionally I’ll use it on the bike when my wife joins me. My normal coffee outside kit, which I like to use when going solo, is a small kit made by Cafflano. They have two different kits that I really like and use a lot… but with those, you have to bring a separate vessel to heat the water in. I will review those at a different time. You’ll like ’em, they’re pretty cool and I’ve never seen anyone else use ’em.
But, on with this review!
The Adventure All-In-One Coffee System
The “stand-out” feature of this kit is that it is truly all-in-one. You have everything you need (sans the heat source) in a relatively small package. The unit, as it’s pictured above is 4.1″ wide by 11.2″ tall and made of 18/8 stainless steel, and is PBA-free.
You can carry the water that you’ll use to make the coffee in the included double-wall, vacuum-insulated bottle. With the bottle being insulated, that means that you can use it to pack out any leftover coffee as well. I often bring a separate Klean Kanteen bottle for extra water.
Boom….convenience.
Too bad the whole kit is just a smidge too big to fit in standard a water bottle cage–though something like a Salsa EXP Anything cage with some straps would do the trick.
The kit has the pot to boil the water and the French press. The lid of the kit splits into two cups, and the screw-on bottle stopper is the small dry storage vessel for the storage of the fresh coffee grounds of your liking.
The only other thing you need to bring with this kit is the heat source. Which I carry in style, with my Ruth Works handmade waxed canvas bag.
How it performs
The pot is pretty large and will boil enough water to fill the two included cups, two times each.
I will say that the handle needs to be in the “out” position before heating the pot….which you would think was pretty obvious, but some of the reviews of the item say otherwise.
I’ve had the kit for almost three years, I’ve used it countless times and the plastic buttons that release the handle are as good as they were when the item was new.
The French press has a fine stainless steel screen, but not super fine. So a medium, to medium/course grind I find works best when using it.
I did try it with an espresso grind once (because I was desperate), and a lot of the grinds slipped through the screen making for a pretty gnarly, grind-filled, “cowboy” type cup o’ joe… gooood mornin’!
The pot also has a nice spout to help keep the pours mess-free. There is just a lot of nice, attention to detail in this kit.
I’ve really enjoyed my Stanley Adventure All-In-One System. It has served me very well, countless times over the last few years.
I would recommend it to anyone that takes part in bicycle-supported coffee outside adventures, or anyone who is “out and about” quite often and would benefit from a do-it-all kit that can make a really good cup o’ joe.
This kit, Stanley says, will keep your stuff hot for 15 hours, cold for 13 hours, or iced for whopping 48 hours!
Retail and Detail
Retail: $50
Weight: 1.7 lb.
Dimensions: 4.1L x 4W x 11.2H in
17-ounce capacity
This kit and all of Stanley’s products come with their Built For Life, lifetime warranty.
Check out all of the cool items at the Stanley link below.